Ted Williams: A True All American

Ted Williams: A True All American

"A man has to have goals-for a day, for a lifetime-and that was mine, to have people say, 'There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived'" ("My Turn At Bat" 128).

Theodore Samuel Williams was born on August 30th 1918 in San Diego, California. His father, a photographer, named him after the late outspoken president Teddy Roosevelt.His mother was a salvation worker of Mexican descent ("My Turn At Bat"15). His parents, who he later came to resent, were poor and constantly working

("My Turn At Bat"16). This left Ted with lots of free time. So he hung out at baseball diamonds and developed a batting stroke that would become legendary.

After graduation from Herbert Hoover High School, Williams' talents got him a contract with a minor league baseball team in San Diego ("My Turn at Bat" 26). His progressed very quickly, and two years later, Williams was the starting left fielder for the Boston Red Sox.

In the two decades which Ted Williams played he was a baseball icon. His first season was extraordinary. As a rookie in 1939, Williams hit .327 and popped 31 home runs over the Fenway walls, giving Red Sox fans a glimpse of what they would see for years to come. He was quickly nicknamed The Splendid Splinter and The Kid commanding attention as a natural hitter (Wikipedia).

He had one of the game's most glorious seasons in 1941, hitting for an average of .406 at the age of twenty three. He is the last player to accomplish this feat. Nevertheless, he lost out on the most valuable player award that year to Joe DiMaggio, who had posted his 56 game hitting streak that same year. He most likely lost this MVP award because of his lack of respect and his arrogance to many of the sports writers and media, who are the ones who vote for the winner ( Nightingale).

Williams responded by going out the next season and winning the triple crown. He led the league in hitting, home runs, and runs batted in (Wikipedia). Despite the praise from the Boston fans, Williams would hear their boos the loudest. After making an error which caused an out roar of boos, he vowed never to tip his hat to the fans in appreciation again and he never did. Boston writers attacked him in the press as being arrogant and ungrateful ("My Turn At Bat" 88). His love and hate relationship with the press may have cost him at least one more most valuable player award and several other honors. But Williams didn't seem to mind ("My Turn At Bat" 89).

Following the 1942 season, which produced his first Triple Crown, Williams enlisted in naval aviation and served as a flight instructor. With a dependent mother, Williams received a military deferment from his draft board in 1942. When that season ended, though, he enlisted, becoming a Marine flier ("Baseball History: Ted Williams"). In 1946, he returned to lead the Red Sox to the pennant and his first MVP award.

After winning the AL pennant, the Red Sox played an exhibition against an AL all-star team to stay sharp during the Dodgers-Cardinals NL playoff. Williams was hit on the elbow by a pitch. Playing in pain, he hit only .200 with one RBI in the Series as Boston lost in seven games to St. Louis (Baseball History: Ted Williams).

His 1947 Triple Crown performance produced another slap from the sportswriters, who elected Joe DiMaggio MVP by a single vote. The following year he produced a second MVP Award, 43 home runs, a career-high 159 runs batted in, and an amazing 162 walks for the second time in three seasons ( "My Turn At Bat" 122).

Then in 1952, Ted Williams was called up to active duty in the Korean War after six games in 1952 ( Wikipedia). His service in two wars was unique for a star ballplayer like himself. It just goes to show you how devoted he was to his country.

Williams continued to play through the 1950s, although his body wasn't as stable. He broke his collarbone diving for a ball in spring training in 1954, missed much of the 1955 season with an assortment of injuries, and spent an increasing amount of time fighting various aches and pains ("Baseball History: Ted Williams"). There were triumphs, too. Williams's longevity had propelled him to remarkable lifetime power totals and he maintained his high average, hitting no lower than .345 his first four seasons back from Korea ("My Turn At Bat" 158).

His 1957 season may have been greatest season ever by a veteran player. He hit .388 at age 39, had 38 homers with only 87 runs batted in, and missed hitting .400 by five leg hits that a younger player might have had (" Ted Williams: My Life In Pictures" 224).

Bothered by a stiff neck and other pains, Williams had his worst season in 1959. He hit .254 with only 10 home runs, and appeared finished to many. He was even advised to quit by Tom Yawkey ( "My Turn At Bat" 183). "That burned my ass," he recalled in his autobiography My Turn at Bat. Williams felt that