Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter That Ever Lived ...

Ted Williams finished his HOF career with the highest batting average of any Major League player who played his entire career outside the ''live ball era.'' He is also 1st in career on base percentage & walks per plate appearance, and, 2nd only to Babe Ruth in career slugging percentage. The Splendid Splinter recorded a hit 34% of the time, and, he reached base an incredible 48% of the time. He was of course the last player in Major League baseball to hit .400; hitting .406 in 1941. Teddy Ballgame did all of this and more while having his career interrupted twice during his prime playing years to serve a total of five years in WWII & the Korean War. If one were to do the math on his lifetime stats plus ''five prime years lost to the Wars,'' his career totals would be even more astounding! This 19 time All Star has the highest career batting average of anyone to play the game with 500 or more home runs. ''The Kid'' won the Triple Crown twice and two times he was the AL MVP. [Arguably, could have had more MVP Awards] The lifetime batting stats of this 6 time AL Batting champion are as follows: .344 BA, .482 OBP, .634 SLG., 521 HR, 525 DB,1839 RBI, 1798 RS, 2021 BB, & 2107 BB/IBB.

 While # 9 may not have been the best fielder, his hitting can never come into question; he hit .388 at the age of 39. His relationship with the media and fans, on the other hand, was often times turbulent; it remains questionable, however, how much of this reputation was deserved. At the very least, a true paradox of his life is that he gave generously to those in need; his name is synonymous with one of great contributions to cancer, both from a standpoint of time availability & his link with the Jimmy Fund of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Fund has stated that, ''Williams would travel everywhere and anywhere, no strings or paychecks attached, to support the cause ....''

And so, this baseball great was not only the great scientist of hitting, the great sport fisherman, and the fighter-bomber pilot of two wars - he was also a man who cared about people. In his HOF speech in 1966, Williams made a statement referencing Satchel Paige & Josh Gibson ''as a symbol to Negro League players'' and calling for their recognition. This was a powerful statement at the time.

# 9 TED WILLIAMS: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived ...

Until next time, so long everybody ...

Lee [ Cowboy ]