His career was shortened by a knee injury that he suffered in Paris during a world-tour organized by Albert Spalding.

Other than runs scored, the other team records set that day included the most hits and total bases in one inning.

In 1884, team captain and on-field manager Cap Anson decided that balls hit over the fence were to be home runs.

[8] This record stood for 35 years until it was broken in 1919 by Babe Ruth, who hit 29 for the Boston Red Sox in a 140-game schedule.

[1] After the 1884 season, the White Stockings moved to West Side Park, and Williamson's power numbers dropped.

[1] Chicago won the National League championship that season, and agreed to play the American Association champions, the St. Louis Browns in a seven-game "World Series".

Before game one began, the players of both teams held a field day which included contests of skill, and Williamson won the long throw with a toss that traveled 400 feet, four inches.

[10] Beginning in 1886, Williamson switched his fielding position to shortstop, while the Chicago White Stockings again won the National League championship, their fifth in seven years.

[2] The White Stockings met the St. Louis Browns following the season and agreed to play a best of seven "World Series" for the second consecutive year.

His batting average jumped back up to .267, hit 20 doubles, 14 triples, 73 base on balls, and nine home runs.

The tour visited several foreign countries, such as Australia, Egypt, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), France, Italy, and England.

[13] It was during a game played on at the Parc Aristotique in Paris,[8] France on March 8, 1889, when Williamson suffered a torn knee cap which forced him to be bedridden in England on doctor's orders,[13] missing the tour through Britain.

A testament to the letters' significance is that they are a dominant source of one recent book's World Tour presentation.

[15] Williamson is portrayed by Charlie Crabtree in the 2015 movie "Deadball" which depicts his life and journaling of the world tour.

[17] Williamson died on March 3 of that year, at the age of 36 in Willow Springs, Arkansas, of dropsy (edema) complicated by consumption (tuberculosis).