St. Paul – More often than not, fans are fixated on an athlete’s performance on the field, and they may overlook the player’s contributions to the communities they play in off the field.
That’s why the Minnesota Twins established the Harmon Killebrew Award for all their Minor League affiliates after the Twins legend died in 2011. The Killebrew Award recognizes the player at each affiliate for outstanding community service. Catcher/first baseman Chris Williams won this award for the St. Paul Saints this season.
“C-Dub is always one of the first volunteer guys. He always jumps on everything, you know, he’s a community guy who likes to give back,” said Saints manager Toby Gardenhire. “He’s just a great dude, great dude in the clubhouse, and he’s doing some awesome things off the field too, so it’s great to have him here.”
Williams’ commitment to service goes back to growing up in Garden Grove, Calif., 15 minutes away from Angel Stadium. There, he attended the Los Angeles Angels’ community camps as a kid. From meeting the likes of longtime Angels manager Mike Scioscia to current Twins first base coach Hank Conger, Williams says it’s how he walked away having fun and smiling at those camps that motivated him to do the same for kids attending those put on by the Saints.
“Honestly, when you get out there and take time to do it… all those kids are out there having so much fun you kind of forget about what you’re actually doing,” said Williams. “You’re not just out there working a camp, you’re out there just having fun with those kids, and I know all of us have a lot of fun doing that, too.”
Remembering how fun it can be to give back off the field motivated Williams’s performance on the field during the final week of the season. His overall stats for 2024 were lackluster. He only had a .213/.332/.430 triple slash in 83 games with the Saints, compared to his .236/.352/.495 triple-slash and team-leading 21 home runs and 75 RBI for St. Paul in 2023.
Williams’ struggles early in the season landed him on the developmental list twice come June 18. Missing out on playing time not due to injury but because things weren’t clicking at the plate weighed on Williams. He had to start having fun, which is easier said than done when you’re struggling at the plate.
“The part of it that people don’t really think about with professional athletes is just still going out there and trying to have fun with it – it’s still just a game,” he said. “You’re still out there having fun and still competing against guys in the other locker room who are just as hungry and talented as you are. So you’re just going out there and doing the best you can, and I think that’s part of it that you sometimes lose in the middle of the season when you’re not doing that great.”
Although the Saints finished their last series of the season 2-4, Williams was having fun at the plate and in the field, and it showed in his results. He went 6-for-17 (.353 batting average) in his final five games, including a game where he went 4-for-4, which featured three home runs and five runs batted in. That brought up his season OPS to finish at an even .800.
“I know Chris, early on and in the middle parts of the season didn’t feel he was having the year he was wanting to have,” said Saints hitting coach Shawn Schlechter. “But when he hits, it comes in bunches, and to see what he’s done this week is what he’s done well his whole career. It’s not abnormal for him to have the three to four-homer week, and that’s a really cool thing to see him do it this week and go into the off-season on a high note.”
“Honestly, as simple as it sounds, it’s just getting started at the right time,” said Williams. “The only adjustment that I really made was starting my lunge at the pitcher’s hand break in their delivery, and I felt like that just simplified it. Got me to start at a consistent time every time, get my foot down, and just see the ball better.”
The surge at the end of the season was an encouragement for Williams. He will have many unknowns this off-season as he will be a minor league free agent for the first time after his sixth season in the Twins organization.
Many more uncertainties are involved in being a free agent in the minors compared to the majors. Still, Williams has a valuable skill set as a defender who can play catcher, first baseman, and corner outfield spots. He also has plenty of traditional first-base-type power at the plate, which will help him find a landing spot this off-season, whether returning to the Twins or a new organization.
But no matter where he goes next to play in 2025, Williams knows that when he’s having fun, even in the lower moments the game can also bring him. He will be just fine and produce for a hopeful MLB debut next season.
“Just going out there and enjoying your time and having fun,” he said. “Baseball especially eats you up, and it’s a game full of failure. If you just keep dwelling on it, it’s going to just keep piling on, so you have got to find ways in other aspects of your life to enjoy it.”
