Chicago Cubs History: Billy Williams blasts three home runs

Today in Chicago Cubs history, we flash back to the 1968 season where Billy Williams crushed not one, not two but three home runs en route to an 8-1 victory over the New York Mets at Wrigley Field.

With that impressive effort, Williams improved his season slash to .294/.342/.509, driving in six runs on the afternoon. In this contest, Williams and Ernie Banks both took a young reliever by the name of Nolan Ryan deep while their teammate Bill Hands tossed a complete game for the Cubs, earning his 16th win of the season in the process.

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On the day, Hands scattered eight hits over his nine innings pitched, surrendering just the one run. He allowed only one walk and struck out four. In support of the right-hander, Williams finished the day 3-for-4, with all three hits being two-run home runs.

The Cubs ultimately finished the ’86 season at 84-78, finishing 13 games back. Williams wrapped up the campaign batting .288/.336/.500 with 30 home runs and 98 RBI, earning a fourth All-Star nod in the process. Hands turned in a respectable year on the mound, as well, with a 16-10 record and 2.89 ERA. 1968 marked the first  the Cubs had back-to-back winning seasons in over two decades.

As we all know, Williams was a staple and mainstay in Chicago playing 16 of his 18 big league seasons on the North Side. He had a career .296/.364/.503 line as a Cub, blasting 392 homers and driving in 1,353 runs on 2,510 hits during his tenure. His accolades including earning NL Rookie of the Year in 196, as well as a half-dozen All-Star appearances – all with the Cubs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Cubs retired his #26 a month thereafter.

To this day, Billy Williams remains one of the greatest Chicago Cubs ever

Williams had five 30-homer seasons and three where he knocked in over 100. His best year came in 1972 with a slash of .333/.398/.606 to go along with 37 long balls and 122 RBI, leading the league in both average and slugging percentage. He finished second in MVP voting that year, falling short to Johnny Bench who blasted 40 homers to go along with 125 RBI with his usual magnificent work behind the plate.

The Whistler, Alabama native retired from the game following the 1976 season but went on to coach for the Cubs on three separate occasions. Forever a fan favorite and beloved for his contributions to the ball club, he ranks among the most iconic players to ever play in Chicago.