Bill Lillard enchanted Toronto baseball fans with his derring-do on the bases and horrified them with his unpredictable fielding at shortstop.
Mr. Lillard hit just two home runs in two seasons with baseball's Toronto Maple Leafs. One of those came in a game on May 20, 1941, when he smacked a two-run homer against the Rochester Red Wings at Maple Leaf Stadium. Later in the game, his older brother, Gene Lillard, matched the feat for the visitors with a two-run shot of his own.
Both brothers played in the major leagues, Bill with the Philadelphia Athletics and Gene with the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Bill Lillard was born on a California lemon and walnut ranch, the youngest of three sons.
The boy followed his older brother into professional baseball, making his debut with the Tucson Cowboys in 1937. He was promoted to the San Francisco Seals. In 1938, Mr. Lillard boasted a sterling .335 batting average in 278 at-bats for the Seals in what would be his finest season.
The Seals sold him to the Athletics that summer for $35,000. He played in 80 games over two seasons with the parent club, recording a .244 average.
In 1939, he led the International League by starting 50 double plays while playing with the minor-league Baltimore Orioles.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound infielder made a favourable early impression when assigned to Toronto in 1940. "The new short-stopper shaped up very nicely," the Toronto Star reported, "displaying much speed and making a hit with the fans by his rapid-fire work on double plays."
Later assessments would describe his fielding as "jittery." Mr. Lillard committed an average of an error every other game, displaying the weakness that would prevent him from enjoying a lengthy career in the majors.
William Beverly Lillard was born on Jan. 10, 1918, at Goleta, Calif. He died on June 9 at San Luis Obispo, Calif.
