Bill Atkinson (baseball)

Professional career

Atkinson began his professional career in his first season with the Short-Season Jamestown Falcons, posting a 3–3 record and a 3.60 ERA in 19 relief appearances. The following year he played for the Class-A West Palm Beach Expos, going 8–7 with a 3.03 ERA in 35 games, 13 of which were starts. Promoted to the Double-A Quebec Carnavals in a later season, he compiled a 7–8 record and a 3.70 ERA across 33 games, starting 20. He then moved up to the Triple-A Memphis Blues, where he recorded a 3–4 mark with a 2.80 ERA and five saves in 49 games, three as a starter.

At age 21, Atkinson split a season between the Triple-A Denver Bears and Montreal; with Denver he was 6–3 with a 3.99 ERA and 15 saves in 51 relief appearances. He made his MLB debut on September 18 against the St. Louis Cardinals at Jarry Park Stadium, entering the first game of a doubleheader in the top of the fourth with Montreal trailing 4–0. He pitched three scoreless innings, allowing three hits, striking out one, and walking none, before being lifted for a pinch hitter.

He finished that season with five scoreless innings over four games. The following year he spent the entire season with the Expos, going 7–2 with a 3.35 ERA and seven saves in 55 games, the only time in his career he remained with the major league club all year. He split the next season between the Expos and the Bears, posting a 2–2 record with a 4.37 ERA in 14 games for Montreal and a 1–3 mark with a 7.41 ERA in 23 games for Denver. In his last season with the Expos organization, he again split time between the Bears and the Expos; with Denver he was 9–6 with a 4.14 ERA in 36 games, 23 starts, and with Montreal he was 2–0 with a 1.98 ERA in 10 games.

Chicago White Sox

Atkinson was purchased by the Chicago White Sox on December 12 but never returned to the major league level. With the Iowa Oaks he went 3–5 with a 4.60 ERA in 55 games, two starts. Later, with the Triple-A Edmonton Trappers, he compiled an 8–8 record and a 5.48 ERA in 36 games, 16 starts. His final two seasons were spent in the White Sox organization: with the Double-A Glens Falls White Sox he went 6–9 with a 2.85 ERA in 56 games, two starts, and he split his last season between the Class-A Appleton Foxes and the Triple-A Denver Bears, combining for a 6–5 record and a 3.71 ERA in 32 games, five starts.