Bill Pinckard

William Payton Pinckard

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 210 lb.

• High School Los Angeles High School

• Born January 18, 1929 in Rockford, IL USA
• Died September 19, 2018 in Citrus Heights, CA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Slugger Bill Pinckard played in the minor leagues from 1947 to 1952 and 1955 to 1960, beginning his professional career at 18 years old. He reached the Open level and also played in Nippon Professional Baseball.

He had his first .300 season in 1949, hitting .303 with 17 home runs and 11 triples between two clubs; the next year, he slugged 30 homers with 12 triples and a .312 batting average in 122 games for the Billings Mustangs. He hit .303 with 40 home runs between three clubs in three leagues in 1952, leading the Western League with 35 home runs and adding a .621 slugging percentage during his tenure there.

In 1955 and 1956, he played for the NPB's Kintetsu Pearls, slashing .200/.237/.417 with 23 home runs and 61 RBI in 137 games.

He returned stateside in 1957. In 1960, his final season, he had one last hurrah, hitting 27 home runs in 77 games between two teams.

Overall, he hit 160 home runs in 3,000 professional at-bats over 12 seasons. He served in the U.S. Army, most likely during the early 1950s in the Korean War.

Further Reading

• Obituary