SportsCentury - Ted Williams

From 1943 to 1945, Williams served as a Marine Corps pilot during World War II. Bill James estimates that Williams lost 561 hits, 103 home runs, and 382 RBIs during his first stint in the service.
He was recalled for active duty with the Marines in April 1952. He was sent to Korea where he served as a fighter pilot with future astronaut and senator John Glenn. Williams played just 43 games in 1952 and 1953, as he was in the service. When he returned in August 1953, Williams picked up where he left off. He hit .407 in 37 games. His 13 home runs in 91 at bats is a record for home runs by a hitter with less than 100 at bats.
Notable Achievements:
17-time AL All-Star (1940-1942, 1946-1951 & 1953-1960)
2-time AL MVP (1946 & 1949)
2-time AL Triple Crown (1942 & 1947)
6-time AL Batting Average Leader (1941, 1942, 1947, 1948, 1957 & 1958)
12-time AL On-Base Percentage Leader (1940-1942, 1946-1949, 1951, 1954 & 1956-1958)
9-time AL Slugging Percentage Leader (1941, 1942, 1946-1949, 1951, 1954 & 1957)
10-time AL OPS Leader (1941, 1942, 1946-1949, 1951, 1954, 1957 & 1958)
6-time AL Runs Scored Leader (1940-1941, 1946, 1947 & 1949)
6-time AL Total Bases Leader (1939, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1949 & 1951)
2-time AL Doubles Leader (1948 & 1949)
4-time AL Home Runs Leader (1941, 1942, 1947 & 1949)
4-time AL RBI Leader (1939, 1942, 1947 & 1949)
8-time AL Bases on Balls Leader (1941, 1942, 1946-1949, 1951 & 1954)
20-Home Run Seasons: 16 (1939-1942, 1946-1951, 1954-1958 & 1960)
30-Home Run Seasons: 8 (1939, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1951 & 1957)
40-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1949)
100 RBI Seasons: 9 (1939-1942, 1946-1949 & 1951)
100 Runs Scored Seasons: 9 (1939-1942, 1946-1949 & 1951)
Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1966
Records Held:
Most RBI by a rookie, 145, 1939
On base percentage, career, .482
On base percentage, left handed batter, career, .482

[@josemezatorrez]

DiMaggio said what has Ted ever won? Well he won respect by serving his country on two different wars which is worth more than a baseball trophy.

[@andypagakis]

Joe served in the army too man

[@daisysheena]

Bob Costas interviewed both Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio on his show and asked Joe DiMaggio who was the greatest hitter you’ve ever seen. Joe answered “Ted Williams is the greatest hitter he ever saw, by far”

[@budhall4296]

@@andypagakis Joe played baseball. Ted was a trainer pilot in WWII and flew combat missions in Korea. Big difference.

[@lloydkline1518]

❤️ ted william ; last 400 hitter

[@stevespatola763]

Ted stayed in the,Marine Reserves making Brigadier General. Joe D was a PFC.

[@newerafrican]

Holy crap! Rogers Hornsby coaching Ted Williams? I would love to be in on those sessions! Williams later gave back to baseball through Tony Gwynn. Then Ted goes to war - twice! Serves with John Glenn but loses 5 of his best baseball years. Finally, petitioned the HOF to consider the great Black players when he was inducted. A complicated guy with many faults, but a real “man”.

[@9Ballr]

Not only the greatest hitter ever, but also the most beautiful swing ever.

[@andypagakis]

Ken Griffey Jrs swing was the best I've seen, but man Ted was great too

[@dylancoolbaugh3524]

Him or griffy

[@lloydkline6946]

❤ fed William

[@johnhorn3344]

Ted was bigger than life. What a fascinating, though imperfect, character. The real John Wayne.

[@mikegulliver4885]

One great story I remember reading about was in a Yaz autobiography I read years ago. The year was 1961. Rookie Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams' heir apparent in LF, was slumping and down on himself. Williams, who had retired the previous year, was asked by the Sox manager to spend a day with Yaz in order to give him some tutelage and pump up his confidence. They met at Fenway on an off day with a bp pitcher. Before analyzing Yaz' swing and giving pointers, the 42 year-old Williams spent a few minutes hitting live pitching in order to emphasize the fundamentals. But this produced the opposite of the desired effect...instead of getting encouraged, Yaz was demoralized as Williams roped ball after ball into the bullpen. "Why did this !@#$ guy retire?" asked Yaz to himself.

[@shoofly529]

The story goes that Glenn & Williams were flying together in Korea when Glenns' airplane caught fire. Ted told him to climb as the lower oxygen levels at altitude would extinguish the fire, which it did saving the future astronauts' & US Senators' life.

[@MikeyD22]

The Rembrandt of baseball swings. Absolute perfection.

[@thepeteles]

Ted Williams is a once in a lifetime character for sure. What a sweet swing.

[@billybergendahl3515]

Ted Williams was a hero on and off the field.

[@RoundingThird]

Unless you were a fish or North Korean. God help you if you were a North Korean fish.

[@_Dave_S]

As a Red Sox fan that never got to see Ted Williams play (too young), he is still one of my all time favorite Sox players and a hero to me. An amazing career and a fascinating person.

[@astephens1963]

Ted was cheated out of the MVP in 1941. A .406 hitter and a triple crown trumps a world series ring and a 56 game hitting streak. But the New York press will always be bigger than Boston

[@dylancoolbaugh3524]

Ted got on base over 70 times in a row that year

[@fredmar6436]

@@dylancoolbaugh3524 I don't think so.

[@bdeezy1794]

In the 56 games during DiMaggio's streak Ted Williams had a better slash line than DiMaggio himself. Absolutely incredible season

[@stevespatola763]

Read Dom DiMaggio's book, "Green Grass. Real Heroes, the story of the 1941 season. He sees his brother's accomplishesments and Ted Williams better season. I think he gently favored Ted's season as the better of the two. Screw the NY press jerks.

[@louiecozzi4493]

Met Mr Williams at a card show in Blue Island Illinois. Told him as a kid my father would tell me Ted Williams and Babe Ruth could walk on water. Ted Williams replied tell your father thank you but he’s. Only half right. Everybody had a good laugh Met him only once but will never forget it

[@2012photograph]

Back in early 90’s my Pops want go to Fenway Park but bear in this guys were Joe D Miaggio,Yogi, Phil Rizzuto and had tremendous respect for Ted Williams.After my Pops passing in 2003 that moment stay as one greatest father & son memory.To this day go Fenway and Yankees/SF Giants are my teams.

[@vinewood8295]

Thanks for this upload, every baseball fan should see this whether your a Red Sox fan or not...

[@dmacbain8326]

Thanks Ted. Great American, great athlete who made the game great.

[@johnware9304]

Ruth wasn't traded to the Yankees he was sold! That's a big difference!

[@elbrianoboesito9632]

The perfect Swing !!!!

[@mrjim12miller]

As a St. Louis native and baby boomer I grew up thinking Stan Musial was the greatest hitter in baseball, and Williams second. As I grew into maturity I started comparing the two more closely and soon realized that Teddy Ballgame was clearly the greatest of the two.

[@buckfan1969]

It's no disgrace to Musial to be 2nd to Williams.

[@stevenyourke7901]

Ted Williams was a perfectionist. He had to be the best. In whatever he did, he had to be number one. That’s what drove him to become the greatest hitter who ever lived. But it also drove him - and those around him - crazy! He was intensely self centered and his temper was legendary. He was married three times for a reason. He was impossible to live with. When he held a grudge, he held it for ever. He had some deep seated insecurities going back to his childhood with an alcoholic father and a religious fanatic mother. He compensated by arrogance and anger and perfectionism. His physical bravery and patriotism were beyond doubt. He was arguably the greatest hitter who ever lived. But I wonder if he ever got close to his children.

[@christinagarner8856]

Nobody compares to Williams

[@lloydkline6946]

Could knock the cover off the baseball ⚾️

[@fasteddie9055]

Ted kept his maternal Spanish-Mexican origins a secret throughout his life. It isn't uncommon for Caucasian - looking Hispanics to do the same as Williams. Williams didn' t want to deal with the anti Hispanic ''prejudices'' so common in the southern California community.

[@BrianBoese-im8jm]

Best swing ever..

[@lancemilliken9078]

Teddy Ballgame. Greatest pure hitter ever

[@johnford9070]

Lance Milliken bonds

[@lancemilliken9078]

John Ford I respectfully disagree, but I see your point of view

[@lloydkline7245]

Pitchers did not know how to putcher to ted Williams

[@jasonparker5746]

@@johnford9070 Barry Bonds isn't even in the same league as Ted Williams when it comes to contact hitting. Rod Carew, Pete Ross, Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Joe Mauer, Wade Boggs, and Tony Gwynn were all better contact hitters than Bonds too.

[@daisysheena]

Jason Parker you forgot to mention that all the great players you listed were better contact hitters that didn’t use Secret Sauce like Bonds.....can you imagine how great that list of players would have been if they used PEDS

[@rusticterry]

One of a kind - never to be duplicated!

[@lloydkline6946]

Two time triple crown winner

[@eisenjeisen6262]

A great hitter of all time

[@dwyurr]

nothing like a lefty swing, legacy of the greatest hitter who ever lived as a Yankee fan it does suck that Ted was always overshadowed by DiMaggio in life and in death, due to the Yankees thing an american hero/legend if there ever was one

[@RoundingThird]

You might like this if you haven’t seen it. Jack buck interviewing Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGSyYmiHeKp3opY

[@elbrianoboesito9632]

The real life John Wayne..we need a movie.

[@BrianBoese-im8jm]

Thanks Ted .For your service..

[@rafemanrafeman6705]

Best swing in basbeall history

[@stevensicherman4101]

Geniuses are tough to get along with, but we marvel at them

[@BrianBoese-im8jm]

Best hitter ever..

[@denniscassley2569]

AMERICAN HERO.

[@dwightlove3704]

Ramy Malek who played in the Freddie Mercury film could play this reporter Dave Egan if someone makes a film about Williams.

[@Mik-xq2co]

Imagine the stats Williams would have had if he did not lose 5+ years of his prime! War hero for sure and a shame they drafted him for the second time, to serve in Korea. If he played those years and if he was healthy, he would have made a run at Ruth’s HR record. He was a great hitter, a stubborn one. They would put a shift on him and he would basically say FU and still hit where the shift was. His 400 year is also impressive as he did not puss out and played in a last season double header. Brought his avg from 400 to 406. Winning championships is important, but baseball is a team sport. No one player can win a championship by themselves! DiMaggio was bless with great teammates around him. Switch players with those two teams and Williams would have won a number of pennants!

[@elbrianoboesito9632]

Gave up five years of his baseball prime to serve his Country..

[@lexxon11]

A REAL HERO!! THANKS MR. WILLIAMS

[@robertmurphy440]

IF Ted didn't loose 4 years to military he would have held every baseball batting record

[@hhluvzmagik]

The Kid was the MF'ing GOAT! PERIOD!

[@jamesrivera4947]

Williams' 1942 contract for $30,000 would be approximately $553,000 today 😉

[@davidm2688]

A true hero and one of my heros...he just had the great misfortune to play for the Red Sox.

[@enriquedomingueziglesias5035]

El mejor del universo bendiciones para el que en paz descanse ,11:38AM,8/2/2018/,Raleigh,NC.

[@user-jj4hh2lc7b]

He's a real bruiser.

[@browningautomatic2393]

GREAT DOCUMENTARY ! TUESDAY 7/4/23 JULY 4, 2023

[@justinnardine8564]

.406

[@SeaTac411]

37:35 Well that observation certainly hasn't aged well.

[@TheIrishfitter]

#9 🇺🇸⚾️

[@Castulos4]

Best Mexican in the HOF. PERIOD

[@rodcrawford5547]

He was great! But also remember, the babe pitched for six season, until they figured out how good he could hit, so babe would've surpassed all of his previous records by leaps and bounds...

[@dylancoolbaugh3524]

And ted saved two wars

[@dylancoolbaugh3524]

Served

[@davidbowman4259]

Great hitter. Insufferable egotist.

[@neglakay4373]

Better hitter than Hornsby, Cobb, shoeless Joe?

[@wmhhealth2018]

Yes the obp and ops say so

[@jordanterrell9378]

Shiiii he’d have the best stats if he didn’t go for the army

[@johntoomey357]

He served in the Navy and Marines as a fighter pilot being shot down once and walked away from it when the jet crashed landed and slid across the aircraft carrier

[@smug8567]

We had a funny guy, tail gunner, got his brains blown out over the south pacffic, nothing funny about that.

[@freddyfurrah3789]

BECAUSE THE PRESS DIDN'T LIKE HIM TED WAS CHEATED OUT OF SEVERAL MVP AWARDS.

[@nicksambides2628]

Williams had a point about Boston sportswriters in the late 1940s. Most of them, especially Dave Egan, were miserable -- totally unethical.

[@keithalbahae1443]

WHY DID THEY NOT MENTION TED WILLIAMS 56 GAME HITTING STREAK?

[@davidholcomb9393]

What? That was Joey D that hit 56 straight games in 41 the same year Ted hit 406.

[@rickwpaperworkmakeschildsu4655]

You fell for that?

[@tagamarlin1]

Keith Albahae Ted Williams longest hitting streak was 23 games

[@kenrlefler6190]

Because it wasnt Ted Williams 56 game hitting streak. It was Joe Dimaggio that hit in 56 straight games.

[@9Ballr]

For the same reason they didn't mention his 60 home run season.

[@thanatikid1620]

We need to find out who cut his head off an froze it to a tuna can,then try to beat it off the can with a monkey wrench and do the same thing to them!!!I can't believe he was disrespected like that after his death...

[@craigclemens986]

He requested it. It was his family

[@billycausgrove9657]

Better pilot than Thurman Munson

[@lloydkline6946]

Love Thurman Munson ,legendary yankee catcher, great catch hitter

[@notoriouseagle1074]

Dude, don't even joke about that.

[@craigclemens986]

Ouch

[@henrypadilla7763]

John Wayne didn’t served did he coward