Ted Williams

Lore & Background

Williams was a 19-time All-Star, a two-time recipient of the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award, a six-time AL batting champion and a two-time Triple Crown winner. He finished his playing career with a .344 batting average, 521 home runs, and a 1.116 on-base plus slugging percentage, the second highest of all time. His career batting average is the highest of any MLB player whose career was played primarily after World War II, and it ranks 11th all-time. Born and raised in San Diego, Williams played baseball throughout his youth. After joining the Red Sox in 1939, he immediately emerged as one of the sport's best hitters. In 1941, Williams posted a .406 batting average; he is the last National League or AL baseball player to bat over .400 in a season. Williams's career .482 on-base percentage is the highest of all-time. Williams followed this up by winning his first Triple Crown in 1942. Williams was required to interrupt his baseball career in 1943 to serve three years in the United States Navy and Marine Corps during World War II. Upon returning to MLB in 1946, Williams won his first AL MVP Award and played in his only World Series. In 1947, he won his second Triple Crown. Williams was returned to active military duty for portions of the 1952 and 1953 seasons to serve as a Marine combat aviator in the Korean War. In 1957 and 1958, he was the AL batting champion for the fifth and sixth time. In the process, he became the oldest player to win a batting crown at 39 and 40 years old, respectively. Williams retired from playing in 1960. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966, in his first year of eligibility. Williams managed the Washington Senators / Texas Rangers franchise from 1969 to 1972. An avid sport fisherman, he hosted a television program about fishing, and was inducted into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame. Williams's involvement in the Jimmy Fund helped raise millions in dollars for cancer care and research. In 1991, President George H. W. Bush presented Williams with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award bestowed by the United States government. He was selected for the Major League Baseball All-Time Team in 1997 and the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

In Their Own Story

A young Ted Williams stepped into the batter's box for his major league debut. Across the diamond stood the Boston Braves, a team that would eventually migrate south to become Atlanta. The crack of the bat echoed off the Green Monster as he made contact, signaling the start of a career that would haunt pitchers for two decades.

Reader's Guide

Williams made his MLB debut on April 20, 1939, against the New York Yankees. He never played against the Boston Braves franchise in a regular-season game, as the Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee in 1953 and to Atlanta in 1966, after his retirement. Interleague play did not exist during his career (it began in 1997). He faced the Braves only in World Series play (1948) or exhibition games. The designated hitter rule was not adopted in MLB until 1973, and the source makes no mention of him playing as a designated hitter.

Did You Know?

• Williams is the last MLB player to bat over .400 in a season, hitting .406 in 1941.
• His career .482 on-base percentage is the highest of all time.
• He served in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps during World War II and as a Marine combat aviator in the Korean War.
• Williams was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966 in his first year of eligibility.
• He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991 from President George H. W. Bush.