Ted Williams is historically one of the best that ever played the game of baseball. Information on his life and career.
Theodore S. "Ted" Williams was born in San Diego, California in 1918. His family was poor, and his mother spent long hours laboring to support the family. This left Ted lots of time on his own. He used it well, hanging out at baseball diamonds and developing a batting stroke that would become legendary.
After graduation from Herbert Hoover High School, Williams' talents got him signed to a contract with a minor league baseball team. His progress was swift, and two years later, the tall, lean Williams was in left field for the Boston Red Sox.
His first season was remarkable. Williams hit .327 and clubbed 31 home runs, giving fans of the Red Sox a glimpse of what they would see for years to come. He had one of the game's most glorious seasons in 1941, hitting for an average of .406. 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.
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. Despite the accolades from the Boston fans, Williams would hear their boos the loudest. After making an error which elicted a chorus of boos, he vowed never to tip his hat to the fans in appreciation again. He never did.
Boston writers lambasted him in the press as being arrogant and ungrateful. His love-hate relationship with the press, many felt, cost him at least one more most valuable player award and several other honors. But Williams was unmoved. "All I want out of life," he once said "is that, when I walk down the street, folks will say 'There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived.'"
Williams interrupted his career twice to serve as a bomber pilot in both World War II and the Korean War. Spending the better part of five full seasons in the military left many wondering if Williams could have broken the then-unsurpassed mark of 714 career home runs by the legendary Babe Ruth. Williams' excellent vision served him well in the cockpit, and he became a solid pilot.
Returning to the diamond, Williams turned in numbers over his final six seasons that would secure his place among the immortals. He won his final batting title at the age of 40 and clubbed a home run in his final at-bat. For his career, he posted 521 home runs and a batting average of .344. In nearly 8,000 at-bats, he struck out on 709 times.
Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966, Williams spent several years as a manager for various major league teams. He later retired to the Florida Keys, where he pursued his love of deep sea fishing. He lives there today, and many will fulfill his lifelong wish by testifying that indeed, Williams was "the greatest hitter who ever lived."
