Shad Williams is part of an elite group of players that have made it to the major league after playing for current Rams coach Ron Scott.
Now retired, Williams uses his professional experience and love for the game to offer baseball and softball instruction locally.
“I’m mentoring them and passing on what I’ve learned and making things easy for them as they grow and develop, dealing with challenges,” Williams said.
He admits to experiencing “bumpy roads” in his career and was able to adjust. He now seeks to pass on this perseverance to the athletes he instructs.
Williams credits his success to Ron Scott and Eric Solberg, both still coaching baseball at Fresno City College, “Those two guys, I mean, really just turned me around and groomed me and the rest is history,” Williams said.
He speaks highly of Scott. “He was the guy that you wanted to play for,” Williams said. “We’d (the FCC team) want to go in and make him proud out there.”
Assistant coach Eric Solberg was influential in Williams’ early career. “He’s the pitching coach.
He’s the one that kind of mentored me and got me where I needed to be at the next level,” said Williams.
Once drafted into the California Angels organization in 1991, Williams knew he would have a tough time competing with the early round picks. “You know as a 17th round pick I had to stay really mentally focused,” he said. “I just figured if I just stayed healthy I might have a shot.”
After spending five years in the minor leagues, Williams’ breakthrough came on May 18, 1996 when he stepped out in front of 22,821 people to face the New York Yankees.
“I was just so locked in. The nerves really didn’t get to me until after the game,” he said.
According to Williams the game was a good experience for him. “I had a few little niches go wrong, I think in the fifth inning,” he recalls “I went into the fifth inning with a no-hitter so far, then a couple of base hits, a couple of errors and then things kind of broke open.”
But Williams would push through that game. “I got my feet wet and it got me in that comfort zone and it was well worth it,” he said.
During his time in the Major league, Williams noticed changes in attitude of some fellow professionals.
“I did feel a lot of that between players, when they got called to the big leagues, how they changed, personalities changed,” said Williams.
But he was determined not to let success take over. “I wanted to be humble, you know, I treated people like I wanted to be treated,” he said.
Toward the end of his career, Williams struggled after separating his shoulder in a game against the Fresno Grizzlies.
Following the 2002 season, Williams was offered a coaching role, but turned it down because he wanted to continue playing. “I wasn’t ready to hang up my spikes,” said Williams.
He jumped at an opportunity to extend his playing career in the Taiwan major league. “I wanted to prove to myself and everybody around that I was still healthy,” he said.
Williams experienced culture shock in Taiwan, but after he settled in he found it fun. “The baseball field was the same there. The competitiveness was the same,” he said.
Williams returned in 2004 to play independent ball briefly for Fort Worth. He then went on to join the Brockton Rox.
After finishing his playing career at Brockton, he became a coach for the team.
During his time coaching the Rox, Williams was asked by actor/co-owner Bill Murray to instruct his son. He cherishes the fun times he had with Murray. “We’re playing a game and I’m looking down the bullpen in the third inning, thinking ‘who’s up?’” said Williams. “I looked down and it wasn’t one of my players. It was Bill Murray. He’s down the bullpen doing towel work in the third inning,” said Williams.
Equipped with knowledge and experience, Williams now shares his talent with local baseball and softball players. “It’s mainly one on one, but I do take two or three,” said Williams. “I enjoy the one on ones because it’s real personal, we get our work in a lot easier than big groups.”
Through his instruction Wilwliams strives to teach his students hard work. “When you stop working, that’s when somebody is going to pass you up. I wanted to keep my uniform so I had to perform the best I could. That is what I try to pass on,” he said.
The Rams are already beginning to reap the benefits of Shad Williams’ instruction lessons.
The current roster contains one of his students, James Barger. “I got a text the other day from my first student. He actually plays at Fresno City,” said Williams. “His dad texted me and said he got his first save. It’s pretty neat to see it right there, I had him since he was little so that was pretty neat to hear that.”
Williams feels fortunate after having achieved his boyhood dreams. “Not everybody is going to make it, percentages are low,” he said. “I got paid to play baseball, there’s no better feeling than that.”