Ted Williams

Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002), nicknamed "The Splendid Splinter", "Teddy Ballgame", "The Thumper" and "The Kid", was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball who played 19 seasons, twice interrupted by military service as a Marine Corps pilot, with the Boston Red Sox. It has been argued that he was the greatest hitter in the history of baseball. Williams was a two-time American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) winner, led the league in batting six times, and won the Triple Crown twice. He had a career batting average of .344, with 521 home runs, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. An avid sport fisherman, he hosted a television show about fishing, and was inducted into the Fishing Hall of Fame.

Summary of career

Williams served as a US Marine pilot during both World War II and the Korean War, serving in the same unit as John Glenn in the latter. These absences in the prime of his career significantly reduced his career totals, and considering his scientific approach to hitting, those totals would have been even more impressive had he not missed those four seasons.

Related Topics:
US Marine - World War II - Korean War - John Glenn

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His two MVP Awards and two Triple Crowns came in four different years. Along with Rogers Hornsby, he is one of only two players to win the Triple Crown twice. Amazingly, he did not win the MVP award in either of his Triple Crown seasons. Williams, Lou Gehrig, and Chuck Klein are the only players since the establishment of the MVP award to win the Triple Crown and not be named MVP for that season. His hitting was so feared that opponents frequently employed the radical, defensive "Williams Shift" against him, leaving only one fielder on the third base half of the field. Rather than bunting the ball into the open space, the proud Williams batted as usual against the contrived defense.

Related Topics:
Rogers Hornsby - Lou Gehrig - Chuck Klein

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He retired from the game in 1960 and hit a home run in his final at-bat, on September 28, 1960, in front of only 10,454 fans at Fenway Park. This home run - a solo shot hit off Baltimore pitcher Jack Fisher in the 8th inning that reduced the Orioles lead to 4-3 - was immortalized in The New Yorker essay "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu", by John Updike. Williams, who had been on bad terms with the Boston newspapers for nearly twenty years and had a frosty and distant relationship with the Boston fans, characteristically refused either to tip his cap as he circled the bases or to respond to the prolonged cheers of "We want Ted" from the crowd. Williams also refused to tip his cap as he was replaced in left field by Carroll Hardy to start the 9th inning, although he continued to receive warm cheers. Williams' aloof attitude led Updike to wryly observe that "Gods do not answer letters." Williams' final home run did not take place during the final game of the 1960 season, but rather the Red Sox' final home game of the season. The Red Sox played three more games on the road in New York; however Williams did not appear in any of them.

Related Topics:
1960 - The New Yorker - John Updike - Boston - Carroll Hardy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At his retirement, Williams ranked 3rd all-time in home runs (behind Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx), 7th in RBI's (after Ruth, Cap Anson, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Foxx, and Mel Ott-- Stan Musial would pass Williams in 1962, the year after Williams' retirement), and 7th in batting average (behind Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Lefty O'Doul, Ed Delahanty and Tris Speaker. Williams was also second to Ruth in career slugging percentage, where he remains today, and first in on-base percentage, until Barry Bonds took the distinction in 2002. He was also runner-up to Ruth in career walks, but has since been moved down to 4th place by Barry Bonds and Rickey Henderson.

Related Topics:
Babe Ruth - Jimmie Foxx - Cap Anson - Lou Gehrig - Ty Cobb - Mel Ott - Stan Musial - 1962 - Rogers Hornsby - Shoeless Joe Jackson - Lefty O'Doul - Ed Delahanty - Tris Speaker - Barry Bonds - Rickey Henderson

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~