[beckett]

Williams was his own man, which, to my mind, is one of the best compliments any man can ever receive.

[Pharmboy]

Click here for a great Ted Williams page

[SamAdams76]

I am too young to have seen Ted Williams play but as a Red Sox fan since around 1973, I have heard a lot about him over the past 30 years. Unarguably he was the greatest Red Sox of all time.

In fact, it was just a month ago that I took my son to the famous "Ted Williams" seat in the Fenway Park bleachers. For those who don't know, there is a single seat in the Fenway bleachers that is painted red. This was where the longest home run in the history of Fenway Park was hit - by Ted Williams.

Ted Williams was more than just a baseball player. He interrupted his baseball career not once, but twice, to serve his country during wartime. Ted served in both WW2 and Korea. One can only imagine what his statistics would have been had his career been interrupted. But Ted Williams put his country ahead of baseball and there are very few people in the major leagues today who would consider doing that.

[nothingnew]

Ahhhh craaap!!!...All my heroes are dropping like...my heroes!

GO BO-SOX!

What awakenings these happenings are...to my own mortality.

RIP Ted, in the field of your dreams...

FMCDH

[Battle Hymn of the Republic]

I just wrote the Ted Williams fan website an email 3 weeks ago.

Here is the email I sent...

Dear Mr. Williams,

In 1976, you wrote a forward for my uncle's book, "Pioneer of the Florida Keys, The Life and Times of Del Layton".

After going through some of our old books, I found this one on the bookshelf. I then proceeded to read your forward one more time...

Having had such great memories of fishing in the Keys with my Uncle Del and family, I thought I would just drop you a line.

Although I do not know you, it sure seems that you too have had many great days of fishing in the Keys!

My wife and I live in California now, but a few of my family members still live in the City of Layton.

God Bless and Best Regards,

I wonder if Ted ever got to read teh email...

[Dante3]

How sad!

On this day when this and other news broke, MSNBC has seen fit to spend the past hour raving about the tacky Julia Roberts.

[southernnorthcarolina]

Inevitably, the sports greats from the '30s, '40s, and '50s are fading from the scene. Two who were at the very pinnacle of their respective sports have left us recently: Sam Snead in late May, and Ted Williams today. Both were particularly notable for the extraordinary longevity of their careers, Sam winning PGA tour events into his 50s, Ted remaining a dangerous hitter into his 40s. Both were notable for their lack of posterior-kissing with respect to sportswriters and fans. Both had frustrating holes in their resumés: Sam never won a U.S. Open, and Ted never won a World Series.

At one point, they exchanged good-natured jabs at each other. Ted said that hitting a golf ball was much easier than hitting a baseball, inasmuch as it wasn't moving. Sam responded that Ted wasn't obliged to go up into the stands and find his foul balls and hit them again.

[fnord]

by my vote, the greatest ever ... the last of the golden era

[Charles Henrickson]

A couple of years ago, when the All-Century team was named, I had Ted Williams ranked in my top six outfielders of all time, probably around fifth: Ruth, Mays, Cobb, Aaron, Williams, and Musial. (If he had not missed those war years, my starting outfield would undoubtedly be Ruth, Mays, and Williams.)

[Exit148]

Ted Williams ---- What a crush I had on him. When I was in my teens, In Winthrop (Boston burb) I would go to the beach with my friends, and instead of flirting with all the guys as my friends did, I would lie there on the blanket glued to my portable radio -- listening to the Red Sox. The big draw was Ted Williams and the unique person he was. I liked all the players, but it was Ted Williams who stole my heart, and as soon as I heard the boos, I knew that my beloved #9 was at bat.

One time I wrote to Jim Britt - a popular newscaster, and asked him why the fans treated such a great player the way they did. I knew why, of course, but it still was a rotten way to treat a true sport hero. The fans were so fickle! Britt answered that Williams would be pleased to know what a good fan he had. I cherished his words and still have that letter somewhere. Silly now, but I was a devoted love-struck fan, then.

The closest I ever got to hear him speak, was in New Brunswick, Canada. My husband and I (both flyfishers) were fishing for salmon on the Miramichi with Jim Bashline, a great salmon fisherman. Ted Williams name came up and I spoke of my crush for him. Bashline said that Ted lived only a few houses up the river, picked up the phone to call him so I could profess my undying love. Alas - he was not at home!

Rest well, Ted.

[SuziQ]

Oh Man! We were just at Fenway Park last week on the tour, and the guide pointed out a red chair high up in the stands in the sea of blue ones behind center field which shows where Ted Williams hit a ball which knocked a hole in a man's straw hat! It was the longest hit inside Fenway Park, and the record still stands! Red Sox fans will mourn, for sure!

[JimVT]

Lou Bodreaux, manager of the Cleveland Indians, had created the "Williams Shift," to defend against Ted.

Which 'ol #9 promptly defeated by hitting away from the shift.

Boy...he will be missed.

I've been a Sox fan since the days of Ted and Dom and Pesky and Doerr and "Boo" Ferris up through Jensen, Piersall (what H'wood lame-brain picked Anthony "Swish" Perkins to play him in the movie) Malzone, Conigliaro, Rice, Pudge, Yaz, and on and on and on.

I once 'bunked' high school (played hooky for some) in RI to catch opening day in the 50s.

A couple of years later I'm on Okinawa at an outdoor theater watching "The Ted Williams Story" when the camera zooooms into the right field seats....AND THERE I AM...an extra in the the TW movie.

Pretty hard to get excited about the players today.

The motto used to be: "Play Ball"....now it's: "Show Me The Money."

[truthkeeper]

The Splendid Splinter, along with Dom DiMaggio, were my father's favorite ballplayers. I wish I had a dollar for everytime he raved about them.

May they all rest in peace.

[NYCVirago]

Here's a pretty good obit on the ESPN web site:
http://espn.go.com/classic/obi t/williams_ted_obit.html

[big'ol_freeper]

I knew this day was coming but it was still a shock. I grew up with Carl Yastrzemski as my baseball hero and always knew that, as great as Yaz was, he did not measure up to the Splendid Splinter. Sad day for the Red Sox Nation.

[Ipberg]

I was born in 1975 so I don't remember Williams but he was definitely one of the greatest athletes of the 20th Century.

[clintonh8r]

One of the finest pieces of nonfiction writing I've ever read was John Updike's report on Williams's last game. I'll never forget the title, it was in newspaper headline syntax...

HUB FANS BID KID ADIEU

Semper fi, slugger...

[JimVT]

Just found this.

Ted

[ST.LOUIE1]

We could use more 'Ted's' in baseball today.

Fine player AND gentleman.

God speed, Mr. Splendid Splinter.

Thanks, Doug.

[BluesDuke]

The story Jim Bouton liked to tell about Ted Williams in the batting cage taking his practise cuts...

He'd go into the cage, wave his bat at the pitcher, and start screaming at the top of his voice, "My name is Ted Flucking Williams and I'm the greatest hitter in baseball."

He'd swing and hit a line drive.

"Jesus H. Christ Himself couldn't get me out."

And he'd hit another.

"Here comes Jim Bunning. Jim Flucking Bunning and that little shit slider of his"

Wham!

"He doesn't really think he's gonna get me out with that shit."

Blam!

"I'm Ted Flucking Williams.

Sock!

- From Ball Four.