Bill Champion (baseball)

Buford Billy Champion (September 18, 1947 – January 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher, coach, and scout who played in 202 games in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers, from 1969–1976.

Billy Champion
Champion in 1973
Pitcher
Born: (1947-09-18)September 18, 1947 Shelby, North Carolina, U.S.
Died: January 7, 2017(2017-01-07) (aged 69) Shelby, North Carolina, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 4, 1969, for the Philadelphia Phillies
Last MLB appearance
June 5, 1976, for the Milwaukee Brewers
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	34–50
Earned run average	4.69
Strikeouts	360
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
Philadelphia Phillies (1969–1972) Milwaukee Brewers (1973–1976)

Bill was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 3rd round (58th overall) of the 1965 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Shelby High School in Shelby, NC.

Before his big league debut, in 1969, Champion was already a two-time Minor League Baseball (MiLB) earned run average (ERA) league leader: Huron Phillies, Northern League (1965); and Tidewater Tides, Carolina League (1968).^[1] He was traded along with Don Money and John Vukovich by the Phillies to the Brewers for Jim Lonborg, Ken Brett, Ken Sanders and Earl Stephenson on October 31, 1972.^[2]

Champion went on to become a scout for the Chicago Cubs and pitching coach for the Greenville Braves.^{[citation needed]}

Champion died on January 7, 2017, in Shelby, North Carolina, at the age of 69.^[3]

References

1. 1974 Bill Champion Topps baseball card (#391).
2. "Phillies Obtain Jim Lonborg In 7-Man Deal With Brewers," United Press International (UPI), Tuesday, October 31, 1972. Retrieved April 13, 2020
3. Billy Champion dies at age 69

External links

• Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet