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Being a pinch hitter is usually a one-shot chance to show your talents. For now, Eddie Williams will take it if it will keep him in the major leagues.
Williams, 32, a star athlete at San Diego's Hoover High and a resident of La Mesa, made the Dodgers roster earlier this season as a pinch hitter. It's his latest address in a career that has had enough stops to pack a tourism book.
Williams' major-league career seemed all but over three years ago. He hit .352 for Monterrey in the Mexican League in 1994, but hadn't played a major league game since being released by the San Diego Padres in 1990. Williams had even moved to Japan in 1991 to play with the Daiei Hawks in order to keep his bat ready for another shot in the bigs.
Having played the role of international traveler, Williams moved home and began playing with the San Diego Stars in a winter league. By the winter's end, Williams had gotten another chance on an American team, having blasted weekend league pitching and gaining some lasting friendships along the way.
"I felt that as long as I was breathing and active with the Stars I had a chance," said Williams about his aspirations to return to the big leagues. "It didn't matter if it was someone like Bret Saberhagen or not, I just needed the at-bats, it was about keeping in shape. And the Stars' caliber of ball is probably like Class-A ball and some of them probably could've been big leaguers if they had some breaks.
"The Stars had a great bunch of guys and the winter season helped get me in shape. Baseball had stopped being fun and playing with the Stars helped get my spirit up."
Whatever medicine the Stars experience gave Williams must've been a wonder drug. After getting a scout's recommendation, Williams was signed to a minor league contract and was sent to Triple-A Las Vegas, where he hit .352 with 20 homers in 59 games. Within months, Williams was in San Diego, this time as a Padres first basemen.
Williams made the most of his second chance, batting .331 with 11 homers and 42 RBIs in just 49 games for the Padres. In Williams fact, about the only thing that stopped Williams' hitting was the major league player strike, which wiped out the final two months of the season.
Since 1994, it hasn't all been roses for Williams. He hit .260 for San Diego in 1995, struggled with the Detroit Tigers last year and was outrighted to Toledo. Once more the eight-year major leaguer persevered, getting a call-up to the Dodgers after hitting .373 with 10 homers at Triple-A Albuquerque. He made an immediate impact with a game-winning RBI single in his second at-bat for Los Angeles.
Said Williams: "I always knew I could play, but you've got to keep playing and the Stars were fantastic."
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