Happy 94th birthday Ted Williams

August 30, 1918 was the day that the greatest hitter in the history of baseball was born and today Theodore Samuel Williams would have been 94-years young.  Teddy Ballgame played 19 seasons for the Red Sox, from 1939 – 1960 which included a 3-year absence from 1943-45 when he served his country in World War II.

His career line of .344/.482/.634/1.116 is simply outstanding and not to mention his 521 home runs and 1,839 RBI all add to his legendary status.  Peter Abraham of the Globe adds a tremendous piece of baseball trivia:

"Joe DiMaggio hit .408 with an 1.180 OPS during his 56-game streak in 1941. Williams hit .412 with a 1.224 OPS in the same stretch of games."

It’s simply incredible to hear statistics and historical figures such as these and it makes us that were less fortunate to not see Williams play, appreciate him all the more.

I recall being at Fenway Park over the past couple of years and one particular June night stands out.  I couldn’t help but over hear an elderly gentleman behind me talk about the night Ted Williams hit his last home run in his magical career.  It was September 28, 1960 against Baltimore and came off of Jack Fisher.  I sat in awe as I listened to this man describe the emotion that overtook Fenway Park.  He vividly recalls grown men crying as they stood and applauded the greatest hitter to ever play the game we all love so much, knowing it would be the last time they ever saw Williams play.

Some of his other nicknames included: The Kid, The Splendid Splinter or Thumper.

Here’s a list of accomplishments that litter number 9’s resume, courtesy of Wikipedia:

– 19 time all-star (he played 19 seasons)

– two-time AL MVP (1946, 1949)

– two-time Triple Crown winner (1942, 1947)

– last player to hit .400 in a season (.407 in 1953)

Happy birthday Ted Williams!