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From player to usher, with 40 years in-between

Williams, member of 1980 Alexandria Dukes, now FredNats staffer
The Fredericksburg Nationals began their existence as the Alexandria Dukes. Wesley Williams is an usher for the former and pitched for the latter.
@BensBiz
October 13, 2021

FREDERICKSBURG, Virginia -- In 1980, right-handed pitcher Wesley Williams played his third and final Minor League Baseball season as a member of the Alexandria Dukes. Forty-one years later, he is again employed by that very same franchise. The Dukes, established in 1978, relocated from Alexandria to Woodbridge, Virginia in 1984.

FREDERICKSBURG, Virginia -- In 1980, right-handed pitcher Wesley Williams played his third and final Minor League Baseball season as a member of the Alexandria Dukes. Forty-one years later, he is again employed by that very same franchise.

The Dukes, established in 1978, relocated from Alexandria to Woodbridge, Virginia in 1984. Another in-state move took place following the 2019 season, this time to Fredericksburg. The Fredericksburg Nationals, members of the Low-A East, played their inaugural season at FredNats Ballpark in 2021. Williams worked for the team as an usher, often operating the manual scoreboard located within the right-center field Scoreboard Suite.

While Fredericksburg and Alexandria are only separated by 50 miles, Williams said his playing experience was worlds away from FredNats Ballpark and its many amenities.

“This is a beautiful facility, just unbelievable,” said Williams, speaking during a Fredericksburg Nationals game in late July. “Between what we had in 1980 and what’s going on here, it’s just fantastic. … [In Alexandria] we played at Four Mile Run Park. I think it was behind a middle school. It was horrible. The locker room, if I remember right, was in a classroom or the cafeteria.”

The Fredericksburg Nationals played their first season in 2021. The franchise began in 1978 as the Alexandria Dukes.

Williams grew up on a dairy farm in West Liberty, Ohio, and went on to attend New Mexico Highlands University. The Texas Rangers selected him in the 28th round of the 1978 Draft, assigning him to their Rookie-level Gulf Coast League team in Sarasota, Florida. He ended that 1978 season as a member of the Class A Asheville Tourists, and returned to Asheville for the entirety of 1979. Williams had an 8-10 record over 25 appearances that season, notching 10 complete games and striking out a team-leading 129 batters. That would turn out to be the highwater mark of his career.

“I didn’t have a great spring in 1980. Had some arm issues, so I got optioned out to Alexandria,” said Williams. “It was a co-op team. We had players from the Yankees, the Mariners, the Orioles, a few other organizations. So they brought them together and meshed as a team. Well, sort of meshed.”

Williams struggled during his season with the Dukes, compiling a 5.42 ERA over 108 innings and walking more batters than he struck out. The Rangers released him at the end of the season, and with that his baseball career was over.

“I played with a lot of good players, played against a lot of good players,” he said. “Pitched against Ryne Sandberg, George Bell, Julio Franco. You quickly realize it’s a business, but it was a lot of fun. I have no regrets.”

Williams' playing career ended in a disappointing and anticlimactic fashion. But as it turned out, playing in Alexandria was the best thing that ever happened to him. Without that assignment to a forlorn co-op team playing in a dingy stadium, his life would have turned out very differently.

“It's the start of any good story: Met a girl,” he said. “Her name is Sue. She’s actually from the Bronx, but she was working for the Secret Service down here. I met her [in 1980], and after the season was over I stuck around. And then I ended up working for the Secret Service. Did that for 23 years, then worked for Homeland Security for 14 more after that. I just retired, in 2019, after 37 years with the government.

"It’s all attributed to [playing in Alexandria]. Like I said, I have no regrets. It’s because I was sent here that I met my wife. Raised my daughters here. This is home. Virginia’s home.”

Benjamin Hill is a reporter for MiLB.com and writes Ben's Biz Blog. Follow Ben on Twitter @bensbiz.