A Good Day For Ted Williams

September 28th was a good day for Ted Williams-TWICE!

It was on this day in 1941 that Ted elected to play in a double-header against the Philadelphia Athletics. It was the last day of the regular season and Ted could have opted to sit out the games and preserve a .400 average, the first time that had been done since Bill Terry in 1930. But no, he played-made eight trips to the plate and got six hits. He ended the season with a .406 batting average. No one has gotten to .400 since.

It was also on this date-19 years later—that Ted hit a homerun in his very last at-bat at Fenway Park—a “storybook ending” (as Ted himself described it) to a fabled career.

Ted’s relationship with the fans and the Boston media was often rocky, but no one could deny that he remains the greatest hitter ever to play the game. After a less-than-stellar season in 1959, hitting only .254 with a bad back, the Red Sox urged Williams to retire.
Too proud to hang it up in this manner, Ted returned in 1960 and hit .317 with 29 home runs at the age of 42!

In his final at-bat, hit launched a 1-1 pitch from Orioles pitcher Jack Fisher into the Boston bullpen. After being booed early in his career, he swore never to tip his cap to Boston fans again. True to form, there were those who thought he MIGHT make an exception for his last great moment at Fenway.

They were disappointed.

Enjoy the footage below of Ted Williams. That last home run at Fenway is in there, about 50 seconds into the video:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImPB6Da13Fo

Regardless of his tempestuous relationship with the media and his fans, he DELIVERED.
He did it often and consistently, all without steroids or fanfare. He lost three seasons to fly combat missions in World War II and Korea—and STILL put up incredible numbers!

The Sox sure could use him this season-but there will never be another Ted Williams.

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