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Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1979
- Class:
- 1975
William F. Almon '75
Hometown: East Greenwich, RI
Sport: Baseball
Year Inducted: 1979
William F. Almon '75, currently an infielder for the San Diego Padres, left Brown owning 13 of 19 game, season, and career records. An All-State performer at Warwick Vets High, Almon was considered the finest high school baseball prospect in Rhode Island since World War II. He had offers from all but two major league teams and passed up a $50,000 bonus from San Diego to enroll at Brown. He lived up to every one of his press clippings during his freshman year, batting .536 and leading the Cubs to a 10-2 season. He could run, hit for both average and power, and field with the best of them. On top of this, Almon had a good baseball head. He was All-Ivy and All-EIBL in both 1973 and 1974 and was named College Baseball Player of the Year in 1974 after batting .350, knocking in 31 runs, smashing 10 home runs, and stealing 20 bases in 21 attempts. "Billy Almon had the best range and arm of any college shortstop I've ever seen," says Woody Woodworth, his college coach. "Billy was one of the rare ones who could make the great play consistently." An all-around athlete, Almon led the state in scoring and was an All-State selection in his senior basketball season at Vets High. He then played on Brown's 18-2 freshman basketball team of 1971-72. In June of 1974, Almon was the number one draft pick of the San Diego Padres and was assigned to their farm club in Hawaii for two years of seasoning. He came up to majors as the regular shortstop for the Padres in 1977 and is still with that club, swinging between third, shortstop, and second. Billy Almon, married and living in East Greenwich, is back at Brown taking the two courses he needs to graduate.
