William Brooks Southworth (June 20, 1917 – February 15, 1945) was an American professional baseball player who became a decorated bomber pilot in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.

Also an outfielder, Southworth signed in early 1936 with the Asheville Tourists, for which his father was the manager; the team was a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

[1][4] He reached the top minor-league level in 1940, appearing in 15 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League.

[5][4] Rising to the rank of major, Southworth was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal after completing 25 bombing missions in the European Theater of Operations in 1942 and 1943.

[6] In early 1945, he died at age 27 while leading flight training for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, when his aircraft crashed into Flushing Bay, off the Borough of Queens in New York City.