View source for Ted Williams

{{short description|American baseball player (1918–2002)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Ted Williams
|image=Ted Williams (cropped).jpg
|caption=Williams with the Boston Red Sox in 1958
|position=[[Left fielder]] / [[Manager (baseball)|Manager]]
|birth_date={{birth date|1918|8|30}}
|birth_place=[[San Diego]], California, U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2002|7|5|1918|8|30}}
|death_place=[[Inverness, Florida]], U.S.
|bats=Left
|throws=Right
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 20
|debutyear=1939
|debutteam=Boston Red Sox
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 28
|finalyear=1960
|finalteam=Boston Red Sox
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.344
|stat3label=[[Home run]]s
|stat3value=521
|stat2label=[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
|stat2value=2,654
|stat4label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat4value=1,839
|stat5label=[[On-base percentage]]
|stat5value=.482
|stat6label=Managerial record
|stat6value=273–364
|stat7label=Winning %
|stat7value={{winning percentage|273|364}}
|teams=
'''As player'''
* [[Boston Red Sox]] ({{mlby|1939}}–{{mlby|1942}}, {{mlby|1946}}–{{mlby|1960}})
'''As manager'''
* [[Washington Senators (1961-1971)|Washington Senators]] / [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{mlby|1969}}–{{mlby|1972}})
|highlights=
* 19× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1940 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1940]]–[[1942 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1942]], [[1946 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1946]]–[[1951 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1951]], [[1953 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1953]]–[[1960 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)|1960²]])
* 2× [[AL MVP]] (1946, 1949)
* 2× [[Triple Crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]] (1942, 1947)
* 6× [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|AL batting champion]] (1941, 1942, 1947, 1948, 1957, 1958)
* 4× [[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders|AL home run leader]] (1941, 1942, 1947, 1949)
* 4× [[List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders|AL RBI leader]] (1939, 1942, 1947, 1949)
* MLB record [[List of Major League Baseball career on-base percentage leaders|.482 career on-base percentage]]
* [[Boston Red Sox#Retired numbers|Boston Red Sox No. 9]] retired
* [[Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame]]
* [[San Diego Padres Hall of Fame]]
* [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]]
* [[Major League Baseball All-Time Team]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate=[[1966 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1966]]
|hofvote=93.4% (first ballot)
}}

'''Theodore Samuel Williams''' (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional [[baseball]] player and [[Manager (baseball)|manager]]. He played his entire 19-year [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) career, primarily as a [[left fielder]], for the [[Boston Red Sox]] from 1939 to 1960; his career was interrupted by military service during [[World War II]] and the [[Korean War]]. Nicknamed "'''Teddy Ballgame'''", "'''the Kid'''", "'''the Splendid Splinter'''", and "'''the Thumper'''", Williams is widely regarded as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, and is the last player to [[List of Major League Baseball players with a .400 batting average in a season|hit over .400]] in a season. 

Williams was a 19-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]], a two-time recipient of the [[American League]] (AL) [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player Award]], a six-time AL [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|batting champion]] and a two-time [[triple crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]] winner. He finished his playing career with a .344 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]], 521 [[home run]]s, 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 [[List of Major League Baseball players with a .400 batting average in a season|MLB 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 (baseball)|Triple Crown]] in 1942. Williams was required to interrupt his baseball career in 1943 to serve three years in the [[United States Navy]] and [[United States Marine Corps|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 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1966]], in his first year of eligibility. Williams managed the [[Washington Senators (1961–1971)|Washington Senators]] / [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] franchise from 1969 to 1972. An avid [[fishing|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.

==Early life==
Theodore Samuel Williams was born on August 30, 1918, in [[San Diego]], California,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-30 |title=Memorabilia memories: Ted Williams edition |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2020/08/30/memorabilia-memories-ted-williams-edition/ |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilkens |first=John |date=2016-07-08 |title=Focus: How San Diego shaped Ted Williams |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2016/07/08/focus-how-san-diego-shaped-ted-williams/ |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>[[#Seidel|Seidel]], p. 1.</ref> and named "Teddy Samuel" after former president [[Theodore Roosevelt|Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt]] as well as his father, Samuel Stuart Williams.<ref name="Montville19">[[#Montville|Montville]], pp. 245–251.</ref> Williams himself claimed that his middle name was in honor of a maternal uncle (whose name was actually Daniel Venzor) who had been killed in [[World War I]]. He disliked the name "Teddy" and later amended his birth certificate to say "Theodore" instead.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 30.</ref>

His father was a soldier, sheriff, and photographer from [[Ardsley, New York]], who had served in the [[United States Army]] and was a veteran of [[Philippine–American War]].<ref>[[#Bradlee|Bradlee]], pp. 32–33.</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Nelson |first=Kevin |title=The Golden Game: The Story of California Baseball |date=2015 |publisher=[[University of Nebraska Press|Bison Books]] |isbn=978-0-8032-8425-8 |location=Lincoln |pages=186 |oclc=909028586}}</ref> His mother, May Venzor, a Mexican-American from [[El Paso, Texas]], was an evangelist and lifelong soldier in [[the Salvation Army]].<ref name="Montville19"/> Williams resented his mother's long hours working in the Salvation Army,<ref>[[#Seidel|Seidel]], p. 4.</ref> and Williams and his brother cringed when she took them to the Army's street-corner revivals.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 21.</ref>

Williams's paternal ancestors were a mix of Welsh, English, and Irish. The maternal, Spanish-Mexican side of Williams's family was quite diverse, having [[Basque people|Basque]], Russian, and [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|American Indian]] roots.<ref>[[#Nowlin|Nowlin]], p. 324.</ref> Of his Mexican ancestry, he said, "If I had my mother's name, there is no doubt I would have run into problems in those days, [considering] the prejudices people had in Southern California."<ref name="Williams28">[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 28.</ref>

Williams lived in San Diego's [[North Park, San Diego|North Park]] neighborhood (4121 Utah Street).<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 20.</ref> He spent much of his time playing ball with his friends at a field that later became known as Ted Williams Field. At the age of eight, he was taught how to throw a baseball by his uncle, Saul Venzor. Saul was one of his mother's four brothers, as well as a former [[semi-professional]] baseball player who had pitched against [[Babe Ruth]], [[Lou Gehrig]], and [[Joe Gordon]] in an exhibition game.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 22.</ref> As a child, Williams's heroes were [[Pepper Martin]] of the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] and [[Bill Terry]] of the [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York Giants]].<ref>{{cite book |author=McCormack, Shaun |title=Ted Williams |publisher=Rosen Publishing Group |year=2004 |isbn=0823937836 |page=14 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TTT-Twu0WmsC&pg=PA14}}</ref> Williams graduated from [[Herbert Hoover High School (San Diego)|Herbert Hoover High School]] in San Diego, where he played baseball as a [[pitcher]] and was the star of the team.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 26.</ref> During this time, he also played [[American Legion Baseball]], later being named the 1960 American Legion Baseball Graduate of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Williams: American Legion Baseball Alumni |url=https://www.legion.org/baseball/alumni/ted-williams |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214071603/https://www.legion.org/baseball/alumni/ted-williams |archive-date=December 14, 2017 |website=[[American Legion Baseball]]}}</ref>

Though he had offers from the St. Louis Cardinals and the [[New York Yankees]] while he was still in high school,<ref>[[#Nowlin|Nowlin]], p. 118.</ref> his mother thought that he was too young to leave home, so he signed with the local Pacific Coast League (PCL) club, the [[San Diego Padres (PCL)|San Diego Padres]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/classic/obit/williams_ted_obit.html|title=There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived|work=[[ESPN Classic]]|date=July 8, 2002|last=Meserole|first=Mike}}</ref>

==Professional career==
===Minor leagues===
Williams played back-up behind [[Vince DiMaggio]] and [[Ivey Shiver]] on the (then) [[Pacific Coast League]]'s [[San Diego Padres (PCL)|San Diego Padres]]. While in the Pacific Coast League in 1936, Williams met future teammates and friends [[Dom DiMaggio]] and [[Bobby Doerr]], who were on the Pacific Coast League's [[San Francisco Seals (baseball)|San Francisco Seals]].<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 32.</ref> When Shiver announced that he was quitting to become a high-school football coach in [[Savannah, Georgia]], the job, by default, was open for Williams.<ref name="Montville33-34">[[#Montville|Montville]], pp. 33–34.</ref> Williams posted a .271 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] and 11 [[Run batted in|runs batted in]] (RBI) on 107 [[at bat]]s in 42 games for the Padres in 1936.<ref name="Montville33-34"/><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ted Williams Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=willia002the |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> Unknown to Williams, he had caught the eye of the Boston Red Sox's general manager, [[Eddie Collins]], while Collins was scouting Doerr and the [[shortstop]] [[George Myatt]] in August 1936.<ref name="Montville33-34"/><ref>[[#Nowlin|Nowlin]], p. 98.</ref>

Collins later explained, "It wasn't hard to find Ted Williams. He stood out like a brown cow in a field of white cows."<ref name="Montville33-34"/> In the 1937 season, after graduating from Hoover High in the winter, Williams finally broke into the lineup on June 22, when he hit an [[inside-the-park home run]] to help the Padres win 3–2. The Padres ended up winning the PCL title, while Williams ended up hitting .291 with 23 home runs and 98 RBI in 138 games.<ref name="Montville33-34"/><ref name=":0" /> Meanwhile, Collins kept in touch with Padres owner [[William Lane (baseball)|Bill "Hardrock" Lane]], calling him two times throughout the season. In December 1937, during the [[winter meetings]], the deal was made between Lane and Collins, sending Williams to the [[Boston Red Sox]] and giving Lane $35,000 and two major leaguers, Dom D'Allessandro and [[Al Niemiec]], and two other minor leaguers.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 43; [[#Nowlin|Nowlin]], p. 100.</ref>

In 1938, the 19-year-old Williams was 10 days late to [[spring training]] camp in [[Sarasota, Florida]], because of a flood in California that blocked the railroads. Williams had to borrow $200 from a bank to make the trip from San Diego to Sarasota.<ref name="Williams45">[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 45.</ref> Also during spring training, Williams was nicknamed "the Kid" by Red Sox equipment manager Johnny Orlando, who, after Williams arrived to Sarasota for the first time, said, "{{'}}The Kid' has arrived". Orlando still called Williams "the Kid" 20 years later,<ref name="Williams45"/> and the nickname stuck with Williams for the rest of his life.<ref>[[#Reis|Reis]], p. 14.</ref> Williams remained in major league spring training for about a week.<ref name="Williams45"/> Williams was then sent to the [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]]-league [[Minneapolis Millers]].<ref name="Montville46">[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 46.</ref> While in the Millers training camp for the springtime, Williams met [[Rogers Hornsby]], who had hit over .400 three times, including a .424 average in 1924.<ref name="Montville45">[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 45.</ref> Hornsby, who was a coach for the Millers that spring,<ref name="Montville45"/> gave Williams useful advice, including how to "get a good pitch to hit".<ref name="Montville46"/> Talking with the game's greats would become a pattern for Williams, who also talked with [[Hugh Duffy]], who hit .438 in 1894, [[Bill Terry]] who hit .401 in 1930, and [[Ty Cobb]], with whom he would argue that a [[batter (baseball)|batter]] should hit up on the ball, opposed to Cobb's view that a batter should hit down on the ball.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 47.</ref>

While in Minnesota, Williams quickly became the team's star.<ref name="Montville48-49">[[#Montville|Montville]], pp. 48–49.</ref> He collected his first hit in the Millers' first game of the season, as well as his first and second home runs during his third game. Both were inside-the-park [[home run]]s, with the second traveling an estimated {{convert|500|ft}} on the fly to a {{convert|512|ft|adj=on}} [[center fielder|center field fence]].<ref name="Montville48-49"/> Williams later had a 22 game [[hitting streak]] that lasted from Memorial Day through mid-June.<ref name="Montville48-49"/> While the Millers ended up sixth place in an eight-team race,<ref name="Montville48-49"/> Williams ended up hitting .366 with 46 home runs and 142 RBI in 148 games.<ref name=":0" /> He received the [[American Association (20th century)|American Association]]'s [[Major League Baseball Triple Crown|Triple Crown]] and finished second in the voting for [[Most Valuable Player]].<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 53.</ref>

===Boston Red Sox (1939–1942, 1946–1960)===
====1939–1940====
[[File:1939 Ted Williams.png|thumb|upright=0.7|Williams during his rookie season]]
Williams came to spring training three days late in 1939, thanks to Williams driving from California to Florida, as well as respiratory problems, the latter of which would plague Williams for the rest of his career.<ref name="Montville56-57">[[#Montville|Montville]], pp. 56–57.</ref> In the winter, the Red Sox traded right fielder [[Ben Chapman (baseball)|Ben Chapman]] to the [[Cleveland Indians]] to make room for Williams on the roster, even though Chapman had hit .340 in the previous season.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 57; [[#Montville|Montville]], p. 57.</ref> This led ''[[The Boston Globe|Boston Globe]]'' [[Sports journalism|sports journalist]] Gerry Moore to quip, "Not since [[Joe DiMaggio]] broke in with the Yankees by "five for five" in St. Petersburg in 1936 has any baseball rookie received the nationwide publicity that has been accorded this spring to Theodore Francis{{sic}} Williams".<ref name="Montville56-57"/> Williams inherited Chapman's number 9 on his uniform as opposed to Williams's number 5 in the previous spring training. He made his [[Major League Baseball|major league]] debut against the New York Yankees on April 20, going 1-for-4 against Yankee pitcher [[Red Ruffing]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 20, 1939 |title=Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees Box Score: April 20, 1939 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA193904200.shtml |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> This was the only game which featured both Williams and [[Lou Gehrig]] playing against one another.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 61.</ref> 

In his first series at [[Fenway Park]], Williams hit a [[double (baseball)|double]], a home run, and a [[triple (baseball)|triple]], the first two against [[Cotton Pippen]], who had given Williams his first strikeout as a professional while Williams had been in San Diego.<ref name="Williams62">[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 62.</ref> By July, Williams was hitting just .280, but leading the league in RBI.<ref name="Williams62"/> Johnny Orlando, now Williams's friend, then gave Williams a quick pep talk, telling Williams that he should hit .335 with 35 home runs and he would drive in 150 runs. Williams said he would buy Orlando a [[Cadillac]] if this all came true.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 61.</ref> In 149 games, Williams batted .327 with 31 home runs and 145 RBI,<ref name="baseball reference">{{cite web |title=Ted Williams Career Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willite01.shtml |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> leading the league in the latter category, the first rookie to lead the league in RBIs and finishing fourth in MVP voting.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 63; [[#Montville|Montville]], p. 62.</ref> He also led the AL in walks, with 107, a rookie record. Even though there was not a [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] award yet in 1939, Babe Ruth declared Williams to be the Rookie of the Year, which Williams later said was "good enough for me".<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 65.</ref>
[[File:Ted Williams, NPG 95 403.jpg|thumb|233x233px|Williams in 1940]]
Williams's pay doubled in 1940, going from $5,000 to $10,000.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 73.</ref> A new bullpen was added in right field of [[Fenway Park]], reducing the distance from home plate from 400 feet to 380 feet and earning the nickname "Williamsburg" for being "obviously designed for Williams".<ref name="Montville63">[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 63.</ref> Williams was then switched from right field to [[left fielder|left field]], as there would be less sun in his eyes, and it would give [[Dom DiMaggio]] a chance to play center. Finally, Williams was flip-flopped in the order with the great slugger [[Jimmie Foxx]], with the idea that Williams would get more pitches to hit.<ref name="Montville63"/> Pitchers, though, proved willing to [[walk (baseball)|pitch around]] the eagle-eyed Williams in favor of facing the 32-year-old Foxx, the reigning AL home run champion, followed by the still highly productive 33-year-old [[Joe Cronin]], the [[player-manager (baseball)|player-manager]].<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 64.</ref> Williams also made his first of 16 [[All-Star Game]] appearances in 1940, going 0-for-2.<ref name="allstar">{{cite web |title=Ted Williams All-Star Stats |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/playerpost.php?p=willite01&ps=asg |website=[[Baseball Almanac]]}}</ref> Although Williams hit .344, his power and runs batted in were down from the previous season, with 23 home runs and 113 RBI in 144 games played.<ref name="baseball reference"/> Williams also caused a controversy in mid-August when he called his salary "peanuts", along with saying he hated the city of Boston and reporters, leading reporters to lash back at him, saying that he should be traded.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], pp. 66–67.</ref> Williams said that the "only real fun" he had in 1940 was being able to pitch once on August 24, when he pitched the last two innings in a 12–1 loss to the [[Detroit Tigers]], allowing one earned run on three hits, while striking out one batter, [[Rudy York]].<ref>{{cite web |date=August 24, 1940 |title=Detroit Tigers vs Boston Red Sox Box Score: August 24, 1940 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS194008241.shtml |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref><ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 82.</ref>

====1941====
[[File:Ted Williams 1940 Play Ball.jpeg|thumb|upright=0.75|Williams's 1940 ''Play Ball'' [[baseball card]]]]
In the second week of spring training in 1941, Williams broke a bone in his right ankle, limiting him to [[pinch hitter|pinch hitting]] for the first two weeks of the season.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 84.</ref> Bobby Doerr later claimed that the injury would be the foundation of Williams's season, as it forced him to put less pressure on his right foot for the rest of the season.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 80.</ref> Against the [[Chicago White Sox]] on May 7, in [[extra innings]], Williams told the Red Sox pitcher, [[Charlie Wagner]], to hold the White Sox, since he was going to hit a home run. In the 11th inning, Williams's prediction came true, as he hit a big blast to help the Red Sox win.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 7, 1941 |title=Boston Red Sox vs Chicago White Sox Box Score: May 7, 1941 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA194105070.shtml |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

The home run is still considered to be the longest home run ever hit in the old [[Comiskey Park]], with some saying that it went {{convert|600|ft}}.<ref>[[#Reis|Reis]], p. 26.</ref> Williams's average slowly climbed in the first half of May, and, on May 15, he started a 22-game hitting streak. From May 17 to June 1, Williams batted .536, with his season average going above .400 on May 25 and then continuing up to .430.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], pp. 82–83.</ref> By the All-Star break, Williams was hitting .406 with 16 home runs and 62 RBI.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 84.</ref>

In the [[1941 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1941 All-Star Game]], Williams batted fourth behind [[Joe DiMaggio]], who was in the midst of his record-breaking hitting streak, having hit safely in 48 consecutive games.<ref name="Montville85">[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 85.</ref> In the fourth inning, Williams doubled to drive in a run.<ref name="Williams88"/> With the National League (NL) leading 5–2 in the eighth inning, Williams struck out in the middle of an American League (AL) rally.<ref name="Montville85"/> In the ninth inning, the AL still trailed 5–3; [[Ken Keltner]] and [[Joe Gordon]] singled, and [[Cecil Travis]] [[Walk (baseball)|walked]] to load the bases.<ref name="Williams88">[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 88.</ref> DiMaggio grounded to the infield and [[Billy Herman]], attempting to complete a [[double play]], threw wide of first base, allowing Keltner to score. With the score 5–4 and runners on first and third, Williams homered with his eyes closed to secure a 7–5 AL win. Williams later said that that game-winning home run "remains to this day the most thrilling hit of my life".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lancaster |first1=Marc |title=July 8, 1941: Ted Williams hits 'most thrilling' home run to win All-Star Game in Detroit |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-8-1941-ted-williams-hits-most-thrilling-home-run-to-win-all-star-game-in-detroit/ |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref>

In late August, Williams was hitting .402.<ref name="Williams87">[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 87.</ref> Williams said that "just about everybody was rooting for me" to hit .400 in the season, including Yankee fans, who gave pitcher [[Lefty Gomez]] a "hell of a boo" after walking Williams with the bases loaded after Williams had gotten three straight hits one game in September.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 86.</ref> In mid-September, Williams was hitting .413, but dropped a point a game from then on.<ref name="Williams87"/> Before the final two games on September 28, a [[doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] against the [[Philadelphia Athletics]], he was batting .39955, which would have been officially rounded up to .400.<ref name="Williams87"/> Red Sox manager [[Joe Cronin]] offered him the chance to sit out the final day, but he declined. "If I'm going to be a .400 hitter", he said at the time, "I want more than my toenails on the line." Williams went 6-for-8 on the day, finishing the season at .406.<ref name = "NYT.406">{{cite news |last=Pennington |first=Bill |date=September 11, 2011 |title=Ted Williams' .406 Is More Than a Number |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/sports/baseball/ted-williamss-406-average-is-more-than-a-number.html?_r=0 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> (Sacrifice flies were counted as at-bats in 1941; under today's rules, Williams would have hit between .411 and .419, based on contemporaneous game accounts.<ref name = "NYT.406"/>) Philadelphia fans ran out on the field to surround Williams after the game, forcing him to protect his hat from being stolen; he was helped into the clubhouse by his teammates.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 94.</ref> Along with his .406 average, Williams also hit 37 [[home run]]s and recorded 120 RBI in 143 games, missing the Triple Crown by five RBI.<ref name="baseball reference"/>

Williams's 1941 season is often considered to be the best offensive season of all time, though the MVP award would go to DiMaggio. The .406 batting average—his first of six batting championships—is still the highest single-season average in [[Red Sox]] history and was the highest batting average in the major leagues since 1924 and the last time any major league player has hit over .400 for a season after averaging at least 3.1 plate appearances per game. ("If I had known hitting .400 was going to be such a big deal", he quipped in 1991, "I would have done it again."<ref name = "NYT.406"/>) Williams's [[on-base percentage]] of .553 and [[slugging percentage]] of .735 that season are both also the highest single-season averages in Red Sox history. The .553 OBP stood as a major league record until it was broken by [[Barry Bonds]] in 2002, and his .735 slugging percentage was the highest mark in the major leagues between 1932 and 1994. His [[On-base plus slugging|OPS]] of 1.287 that year, a Red Sox record, was the highest in the major leagues between 1923 and 2001. Despite playing in only 143 games that year, Williams led the league with 135 runs scored and 37 home runs, and he finished third with 335 total bases, the most home runs, runs scored, and total bases by a Red Sox player since [[Jimmie Foxx]]'s in 1938.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ted Williams 1941 Batting Game Log |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=willite01&t=b&year=1941 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> Williams placed second in MVP voting; DiMaggio won, 291 votes to 254,<ref>[[#Linn|Linn]], p. 168.</ref> on the strength of his record-breaking [[Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak|56-game hitting streak]] and league-leading 125 RBI.<ref name="Williams96">[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 96.</ref>

====1942–1945====
====U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps====
In January 1942,<ref name="Williams97">[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 97; [[#Reis|Reis]], p. 36.</ref> Williams was [[conscription|drafted]] into the military, being put into [[Class 1-A]]. A friend of Williams suggested that Williams see the advisor of the governor's Selective Service Appeal Agent, since Williams was the sole support of his mother, arguing that Williams should not have been placed in Class 1-A, and said that Williams should be reclassified to [[Class 1-A|Class 3-A]].<ref name="Williams97"/> Williams was reclassified to 3-A ten days later.<ref name="Williams98">[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 98.</ref> Afterwards, the public reaction was extremely negative,<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 101.</ref> even though the baseball book ''Season of '42'' states that only four All-Stars and one first-line pitcher entered military service during the 1942 season. (Many more MLB players would enter service during the 1943 season.)<ref>{{cite book |last=Cavanaugh |first=Jack |url=https://archive.org/details/seasonof42joedte0000cava/page/6/mode/2up |title=Season of '42: Joe D, Teddy Ballgame, and Baseball's Fight to Survive a Turbulent First Year of War |publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-1616087401 |page=7 |url-access=registration}}</ref>

[[Quaker Oats]] stopped sponsoring Williams, and Williams, who previously had eaten Quaker products "all the time", never "[ate] one since" the company stopped sponsoring him.<ref name="Williams98"/> Despite the trouble with the draft board, Williams had a new salary of $30,000 in 1942.<ref name="Williams98"/> In the season, Williams won the Triple Crown,<ref name="Williams96"/> with a .356 batting average, 36 home runs, and 137 RBI in 150 games.<ref name="baseball reference"/> On May 21, Williams also hit his 100th career home run.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ted Williams 1942 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=willite01&t=b&year=1942 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> He was the third Red Sox player to hit 100 home runs with the team, following teammates [[Jimmie Foxx]] and [[Joe Cronin]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Player Batting Season & Career Stats Finder - Baseball |url=https://stathead.com/baseball/player-batting-season-finder.cgi?request=1&match=player_season_combined&year_max=1942&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=100&cstat%5B1%5D=b_hr&team_id=BOS |website=[[Stathead]]}}</ref> Despite winning the Triple Crown, Williams came in second in the MVP voting, losing to [[Joe Gordon]] of the Yankees. Williams felt that he should have gotten a "little more consideration" because of winning the Triple Crown, and he thought that "the reason I didn't get more consideration was because of the trouble I had with the draft [boards]".<ref name="Williams96"/>

Williams joined the [[United States Navy Reserve|Navy Reserve]] on May 22, 1942, went on active duty in 1943, and was [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] a [[second lieutenant]] in the [[United States Marine Corps]] as a [[United States Naval Aviator|naval aviator]] on May 2, 1944. Williams also played on the baseball team in [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina]], along with his Red Sox teammate [[Johnny Pesky]] in pre-flight training, after eight weeks in [[Amherst, Massachusetts]], and the Civilian Pilot Training Course.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 108.</ref> While on the baseball team, Williams was sent back to Fenway Park on July 12, 1943, to play on an All-Star team managed by Babe Ruth. The newspapers reported that Ruth, when he finally met Williams, said "Hiya, kid. You remind me a lot of myself. I love to hit. You're one of the most natural ballplayers I've ever seen. And if my record is broken, I hope you're the one to do it".<ref name="Montville110">[[#Montville|Montville]] p. 110.</ref> Williams later said that he was "flabbergasted" by the incident, as "after all, it was Babe Ruth".<ref name="Montville110"/> In the game, Williams hit a 425-foot home run to help give the American League All-Stars a 9–8 win.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 111.</ref>

====Service baseball====
On September 2, 1945, when the war ended, Lt. Williams was in [[Pearl Harbor, Hawaii]] awaiting orders as a replacement pilot. While in Pearl Harbor, Williams played baseball in the Navy League. Also in that eight-team league were [[Joe DiMaggio]], [[Joe Gordon]], and [[Stan Musial]]. The Service [[World Series]], with the Army versus the Navy, attracted crowds of 40,000 for each game. The players said that it was even better than the actual World Series being played between the [[Detroit Tigers]] and [[Chicago Cubs]] that year.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], pp. 117–118.</ref>

====1946–1949====
[[File:1948 Leaf Ted Williams.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.75|1948 baseball card]]
Williams was discharged by the Marine Corps on January 28, 1946, in time to begin preparations for the upcoming pro baseball season.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 119.</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">[[#Mersky|Mersky]], p. 189.</ref> He joined the Red Sox again in 1946, signing a $37,500 contract.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 122.</ref> On July 14, after Williams hit three home runs and eight RBI in the first game of a doubleheader, [[Lou Boudreau]], inspired by Williams's consistent pull hitting to right field, created what would later be known as the [[Infield shift|Boudreau shift]] (also [[Infield shift|Williams shift]]) against Williams, having only one player on the left side of second base (the left fielder). Ignoring the shift, Williams walked twice, doubled, and grounded out to the shortstop, who was positioned in between first and second base.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 107.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Paine |first=Neil |date=October 13, 2016 |title=Why Baseball Revived a 60-Year-Old Strategy Designed to Stop Ted Williams |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/ahead-of-their-time-why-baseball-revived-a-60-year-old-strategy-designed-to-stop-ted-williams/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015215656/http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/ahead-of-their-time-why-baseball-revived-a-60-year-old-strategy-designed-to-stop-ted-williams/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 15, 2016 |work=[[FiveThirtyEight]]}}</ref> Also during 1946, the [[1946 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] was held in Fenway Park. In the game, Williams homered in the fourth inning against [[Kirby Higbe]], singled in a run in the fifth inning, singled in the seventh inning, and hit a three-run home run against [[Rip Sewell]]'s "[[eephus pitch]]" in the eighth inning to help the American League win 12–0.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nowlin |first1=Bill |title=July 9, 1946: Ted Williams, American League dominant in first All-Star Game after World War II |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-9-1946-ted-williams-american-league-dominant-in-first-all-star-game-after-world-war-ii/ |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref>

For the 1946 season, Williams hit .342 with 38 home runs and 123 RBI in 150 games,<ref name="baseball reference"/> helping the Red Sox win the pennant on September 13, in a 1–0 win over Cleveland; Williams hit the only inside-the-park home run in his Major League career for the only run of the game.<ref>{{cite web |last=Nowlin |first=Bill |title=September 13, 1946: Ted Williams' inside-the-park home run clinches AL pennant for Red Sox |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/september-13-1946-ted-williamss-inside-the-park-home-run-clinches-al-pennant-for-red-sox/ |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref> On June 9, he hit what is considered to be the longest home run in Fenway Park history, at {{convert|502|ft|m}} and subsequently marked with a [[Fenway Park#The Lone Red Seat|lone red seat]] in the Fenway bleachers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Huber |first=Mike |title=June 9, 1946: Ted Williams hits 502-foot 'red seat' home run at Fenway Park |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/june-9-1946-ted-williams-hits-502-foot-red-seat-home-run-at-fenway-park-2/ |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref> Williams ran away as the winner in the MVP voting.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 125.</ref> In early October, during an exhibition game in Fenway Park against an All-Star team, Williams was hit on the elbow by a [[curveball]] by the Washington Senators' pitcher [[Mickey Haefner]]. Williams was immediately taken out of the game; X-rays of his arm showed no damage, but his arm was "swelled up like a boiled egg", according to Williams.<ref name="Montville126">[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 126.</ref> Williams could not swing a bat again until four days later, one day before the World Series, when he reported the arm as "sore".<ref name="Montville126"/> During the series, Williams batted .200 (5-for-25) with no home runs and just one RBI. The Red Sox lost in seven games.<ref>{{cite book |author=Schoor |first=Gene |author-link=Gene Schoor |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofworld00scho/page/204/mode/2up |title=The History of the World Series: The Complete Chronology of America's Greatest Sports Tradition |publisher=[[William Morrow and Company]] |year=1990 |isbn=0-688-07995-4 |pages=204–207 |url-access=registration}}</ref> Fifty years later, when asked what one thing he would have done different in his life, Williams replied, "I'd have done better in the '46 World Series. God, I would".<ref name="Montville126"/> The [[1946 World Series]] was the only World Series in which Williams ever appeared.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 105.</ref>

Williams signed a $70,000 contract in 1947.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 122.</ref> Williams was also almost traded for Joe DiMaggio in 1947. In late April, Red Sox owner [[Tom Yawkey]] and Yankees owner [[Dan Topping]] agreed to swap the players, but a day later canceled the deal when Yawkey requested that [[Yogi Berra]] come with DiMaggio.<ref>{{cite web |last=Merron |first=Jeff |title=Baseball's biggest rumors |url=https://www.espn.com/page2/s/list/baseballrumors.html |website=[[ESPN]]}}</ref> In May, Williams was hitting .337.<ref>[[#Seidel|Seidel]], p. 177.</ref> Williams won the Triple Crown in 1947, but lost the MVP award to Joe DiMaggio, 202 points to 201 points. One writer left Williams off his ballot. Williams said that he thought that it was Mel Webb, whom Williams called a "grouchy old guy",<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 124.</ref> although it now appears that it was not Webb, and three writers left DiMaggio off their ballots.<ref name=1947ballot/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Best |first=Jason |title=Melville Webb |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/melville-webb/ |access-date= |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Williams was the third major league player to have had at least four 30-home run and 100-RBI seasons in his first five years, joining [[Chuck Klein]] and [[Joe DiMaggio]], and followed by [[Ralph Kiner]], [[Mark Teixeira]], [[Albert Pujols]], and [[Ryan Braun]] through 2011.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schlueter |first=Roger |date=September 17, 2011 |title=Fascinating facts from Friday's games |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110917&content_id=24822414&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107084948/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110917&content_id=24822414&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |website=[[MLB.com]] |publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]}}</ref>

In 1948, under their new manager, the ex-New York Yankee great [[Manager (baseball)|skipper]] [[Joe McCarthy (manager)|Joe McCarthy]],<ref name="Montville133">[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 133.</ref> Williams hit a league-leading .369 with 25 home runs and 127 RBIs, and was third in MVP voting.<ref name="baseball reference"/> On April 29, Williams hit his 200th career home run. He became just the second player to hit 200 home runs in a Red Sox uniform, joining his former teammate Jimmie Foxx.<ref name="baseball reference"/> On October 2, against the Yankees, Williams hit his 222nd career home run, tying Foxx for the Red Sox all-time record.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ted Williams 1948 Batting Game Log |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=willite01&t=b&year=1948 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> In the Red Sox' final two games of the regular schedule, they beat the Yankees (to force a [[1948 American League tie-breaker game|one-game playoff]] against the Cleveland Indians) and Williams got on base eight times out of ten plate appearances.<ref name="Montville133"/> In the playoff, Williams went 1-for-4, with the Red Sox losing 8–3.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 4, 1948 |title=Cleveland Indians vs Boston Red Sox Box Score: October 4, 1948 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS194810040.shtml |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref>

In 1949, Williams received a new salary of $100,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|100000|1949|r=-3}}}} in current dollar terms).<ref name="Montville, p. 134">[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 134.</ref> He hit .343 (losing the AL batting title by just .0002 to the Tigers' [[George Kell]], thus missing the Triple Crown that year), hitting 43 home runs, his career high, and driving in 159 runs, tied for highest in the league; at one point, he got on base in 84 straight games, an MLB record that still stands today, helping him win the MVP trophy.<ref name="baseball reference"/><ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 135.</ref> On April 28, Williams hit his 223rd career home run, breaking the record for most home runs in a Red Sox uniform, passing Jimmie Foxx.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ted Williams 1949 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=willite01&t=b&year=1949 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> Williams is still the Red Sox career home run leader. However, despite being ahead of the Yankees by one game just before a two-game series against them (last regular-season games for both teams),<ref name="Montville133"/> the Red Sox lost both of those games and the Yankees won the pennant.<ref>{{cite web |title=1949 American League Standings |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1949-standings.shtml |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> They went on to win the first of what would be five straight World Series titles, beginning with 1949. For the rest of Williams's career, the Yankees won nine pennants and six World Series titles, while the Red Sox never finished better than third place.<ref>{{cite web |title=MLB Team History – New York Yankees Season Results |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/history/teams/_/team/NYY |website=[[ESPN]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MLB Team History – Boston Red Sox Season Results |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/history/teams/_/team/Bos |website=[[ESPN]]}}</ref>

====1950–1955====
[[File:Ted Williams 1954 Bowman.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|1954 baseball card]]

In 1950, Williams was playing in his eighth All-Star Game. In the first inning, Williams caught a line drive by [[Ralph Kiner]], slamming into the Comiskey Park scoreboard and breaking his left arm.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rogers III |first1=C. Paul |title=July 11, 1950: Red Schoendienst's 14th-inning homer gives NL a dramatic All-Star win |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-11-1950-red-schoendiensts-extra-inning-homer-gives-national-league-dramatic-win/ |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref> Williams stayed in the game, and he even singled in a run to give the American League the lead in the fifth inning,<ref name=allstar/> but by that time Williams's arm was a "balloon" and he was in great pain, so he left the game.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 167.</ref> Both of the doctors who X-rayed Williams held little hope for a full recovery. The doctors operated on Williams for two hours.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 168.</ref> When Williams took his cast off, he could only extend the arm to within four inches of his right arm.<ref name="Williams169">[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 169.</ref> Williams only played 89 games in 1950, but managed to hit .317 with 28 home runs and 97 RBI.<ref name="baseball reference"/> After the baseball season, Williams's elbow hurt so much he considered retirement, since he thought he would never be able to hit again. [[Tom Yawkey]], the Red Sox owner, then sent Jack Fadden to Williams's Florida home to talk to him. Williams later thanked Fadden for saving his career.<ref>[[#Linn|Linn]], p. 241.</ref>

In 1951, Williams "struggled", hitting .318, with his elbow still hurting.<ref name="Williams172">[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 172.</ref> Despite this, he played in 148 games, 60 more than in the previous season, while hitting 30 home runs, two more than in 1950, and 126 RBI, 29 more than 1950.<ref name="baseball reference" /> Despite his lower-than-usual production at bat, Williams made the All-Star team.<ref name=allstar/> On May 15, 1951, Williams became the 11th player in major league history to hit 300 career home runs. On May 21, Williams passed [[Chuck Klein]] for 10th place, on May 25 Williams passed Hornsby for ninth place, and on July 5 Williams passed [[Al Simmons]] for eighth place [[List of lifetime home run leaders in Major League Baseball|all-time in career home runs]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ted Williams 1951 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=willite01&t=b&year=1951 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> After the season, manager [[Steve O'Neill]] was fired, with [[Lou Boudreau]] replacing him. Boudreau's first announcement as manager was that all Red Sox players were "expendable", including Williams.<ref name="Williams172"/>

Williams's name was called from a list of inactive reserves to serve on active duty in the Korean War on January 9, 1952. Williams, who was livid at his recalling, had a [[Medical certifications for pilots|physical]] scheduled for April 2.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 152.</ref> Williams passed his physical and in May, after only playing in six major league games, began refresher flight training and qualification prior to service in Korea. Right before he left for Korea, the Red Sox had a "Ted Williams Day" in Fenway Park. Friends of Williams gave him a Cadillac, and the Red Sox gave Williams a memory book that was signed by 400,000 fans. The governor of Massachusetts and mayor of Boston were there, along with a Korean War veteran named Frederick Wolf who used a wheelchair for mobility. At the end of the ceremony, everyone in the park held hands and sang "[[Auld Lang Syne]]" to Williams, a moment which he later said "moved me quite a bit."<ref name="Williams174">[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 174.</ref> Private Wolf (an injured Korean veteran from Brooklyn) presented gifts from wounded veterans to Ted Williams. Ted choked and was only able to say,"... ok kid&nbsp;...". The Red Sox went on to win the game 5–3, thanks to a two-run home run by Williams in the seventh inning.<ref name="Williams174"/>

In August 1953, Williams practiced with the Red Sox for ten days before playing in his first game, garnering a large ovation from the crowd and hitting a home run in the eighth inning.<ref name="Williams186">[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 186.</ref> In the season, Williams ended up hitting .407 with 13 home runs and 34 RBIs in 37 games and 110 at bats (not nearly enough plate appearances to qualify for that season's batting title).<ref name="baseball reference"/> On September 6, Williams hit his 332nd career home run, passing [[Hank Greenberg]] for seventh all-time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ted Williams 1953 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=willite01&t=b&year=1953 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref>

On the first day of spring training in 1954, Williams broke his collarbone running after a line drive.<ref name="Williams186"/> Williams was out for six weeks, and in April he wrote an article with Joe Reichler of the ''[[Saturday Evening Post]]'' saying that he intended to retire at the end of the season.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 187.</ref> Williams returned to the Red Sox lineup on May 7, and he hit .345 with 29 home runs and 89 RBI across 386 at bats in 117 games, although [[Bobby Ávila]], who had hit .341, won the batting championship. This was because it was required then that a batter needed 400 at bats, despite [[Lou Boudreau]]'s attempt to bat Williams second in the lineup to get more at-bats. Williams led the league in base on balls with 136, which kept him from qualifying under the rules at the time. By today's standards (plate appearances), he would have been the champion. The rule was changed shortly thereafter to keep this from happening again.<ref name="baseball reference"/><ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 188.</ref> On August 25, Williams passed [[Johnny Mize]] for sixth place, and on September 3, Williams passed Joe DiMaggio for fifth all-time in career home runs with his 362nd career home run. He finished the season with 366 career home runs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ted Williams 1954 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=willite01&t=b&year=1954 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> On September 26, Williams "retired" after the Red Sox's final game of the season.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 189.</ref>

During the off-season of 1954, Williams was offered the chance to be manager of the Red Sox. Williams declined, and he suggested that [[Pinky Higgins]], who had previously played on the 1946 Red Sox team as the [[third baseman]], become the manager of the team. Higgins later was hired as the Red Sox manager in 1955.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 191.</ref> Williams sat out the first month of the 1955 season due to a divorce settlement with his wife, Doris. When Williams returned, he signed a $98,000 contract on May 13. Williams batted .356 in 320 at bats on the season, hitting 28 home runs and driving in 83 runs in 98 games.<ref name="baseball reference"/> For his performance, he was named the "Comeback Player of the Year."<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 91.</ref>

====1956–1960====
On July 17 [[1956 Boston Red Sox season|1956]], Williams became the fifth player to hit 400 home runs, following [[Mel Ott]] in 1941, [[Jimmie Foxx]] in 1938, [[Lou Gehrig]] in [[1936 New York Yankees season|1936]], and [[Babe Ruth]] in [[1927 New York Yankees season|1927]].<ref name="baseball reference"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Ted Williams 1956 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=willite01&t=b&year=1956 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> Three weeks later, at home against the [[1956 New York Yankees season|Yankees]] on August&nbsp;7, after Williams was booed for dropping a fly ball from [[Mickey Mantle]], he spat at one of the fans, who was taunting him on the top of the dugout;<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], pp. 197–198.</ref> Williams was fined $5,000 for the incident.<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 198.</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=August 8, 1956 |title=Williams spits at fans, fined $5,000 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7ZVRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=32oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6673%2C4583931 |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |page=14 |via=[[Google News Archive]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> The following night, against Baltimore, Williams was greeted by a large ovation, and received an even larger one when he hit a home run in the sixth inning to break a 2–2 tie. In the ''Boston Globe'', the publishers ran a "What Globe Readers Say About Ted" section made out of letters about Williams, which were either the sportswriters or the "loud mouths" in the stands. Williams explained years later, "From '56 on, I realized that people were for me. The writers had written that the fans should show me they didn't want me, and I got the biggest ovation yet".<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 199.</ref> Williams lost the batting title to Mickey Mantle in 1956, batting .345 to Mantle's .353, with Mantle on his way to winning the Triple Crown.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 197.</ref>

In [[1957 Boston Red Sox season|1957]], Williams batted .388 to lead the majors, then signed a contract in February [[1958 Boston Red Sox season|1958]] for a record high $125,000 (or $135,000).<ref>{{cite news |date=February 6, 1958 |title=Ted Williams inks contract for record high $125,000 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SxcuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=e0gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4810%2C1005565 |work=[[Deseret News]] |page=24 |via=[[Google News Archive]] |agency=[[United Press International|United Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=February 7, 1958 |title=Amiable Ted Williams signs for $135,000 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Yn1IAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1WsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5343%2C947815 |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |page=18 |via=[[Google News Archive]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> At age forty that season, he again led the American League with a .328 batting average, and also hit 26 home runs and 85 RBI in 129 games.<ref name="baseball reference"/>

When [[Pumpsie Green]] became the first black player on the Red Sox—the last major league team to integrate—in [[1959 Boston Red Sox season|1959]], Williams openly welcomed Green.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Goldstein |first1=Richard |title=Pumpsie Green, First Black Player for Boston Red Sox, Dies at 85 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/17/sports/baseball/pumpsie-green-died.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 17, 2019}}</ref>

Williams ended his career with a home run in his last at-bat on September 28, [[1960 Boston Red Sox season|1960]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 28, 1960 |title=Baltimore Orioles vs Boston Red Sox Box Score |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS196009280.shtml |access-date=December 26, 2024 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> He refused to salute the fans as he returned to the dugout after he crossed home plate or after he was replaced in left field by [[Carroll Hardy]]. An essay written by [[John Updike]] the following month for ''[[The New Yorker]]'', "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu", chronicles this event.<ref name=updike>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1960/10/22/hub-fans-bid-kid-adieu |title=Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu |first=John |last=Updike |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=October 22, 1960}}</ref>

==Career overall==
At the time of his retirement, Williams ranked third [[List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders|all-time in home runs]] (behind [[Babe Ruth]] and Jimmie Foxx), [[List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders|seventh in RBIs]] (after Ruth, [[Cap Anson]], [[Lou Gehrig]], [[Ty Cobb]], Foxx, and [[Mel Ott]]), and [[List of Major League Baseball career batting average leaders|seventh in batting average]] (behind Cobb, [[Rogers Hornsby]], [[Shoeless Joe Jackson]], [[Lefty O'Doul]], [[Ed Delahanty]] and [[Tris Speaker]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Williams Stats, Height, Weight, Research & History Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=willite01 |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com |language=en-us}}</ref> His career batting average of .3444 is the highest of any player who played his entire career in the [[live-ball era]] following 1920.

Most modern statistical analyses place Williams, along with Ruth and [[Barry Bonds]], among the three most potent hitters to have played the game. Williams's baseball season of 1941 is often considered favorably with the greatest seasons of Ruth and Bonds in terms of various offensive statistical measures such as slugging, on-base and "offensive winning percentage."

Williams is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Simon |first1=Andrew |last2=Adler |first2=David |date=March 11, 2019 |title=Like Vinsanity, these MLB careers spanned 4 decades |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/four-decade-players-c300996490 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421205904/https://www.mlb.com/news/four-decade-players-c300996490 |archive-date=April 21, 2019 |website=[[MLB.com]] |publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable"  style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! [[Games played|G]] !! [[At bat|AB]] !! [[Run (baseball)|R]] !! [[Hit (baseball)|H]] !! [[Double (baseball)|2B]] !! [[Triple (baseball)|3B]] !! [[Home run|HR]] !! [[Runs batted in|RBI]] !! [[Total bases|TB]] !! [[Extra base hit|XBH]] !! [[Bases on balls|BB]] !! [[Batting average (baseball)|AVG]] !! [[On-base percentage|OBP]] !! [[Slugging percentage|SLG]] !! [[On-base plus slugging percentage|OPS]] !! [[Fielding percentage|FLD%]]
|-
|2,292 || 7,706 || 1,798 || 2,654 || 525 || 71 || 521 || 1,839 || 4,884 || 1,117 || 2,021 || .344 || '''.482''' || .634 || 1.116 || .974
|}
Note: Bold indicates all-time MLB leader in category.

==Player profile==
===Playing style===
{{Quote box
 |quote  = "All I want out of life is that when I walk down the street, folks will say, 'There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived'."
 |source = — Ted Williams.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 7.</ref>
 |width  = 24em
 |align  = right
}}

Williams was an obsessive student of hitting. He famously used a lighter bat than most sluggers, because it generated a faster swing.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/31/sports/baseball/cubs-kris-bryant-ted-williams-science-of-hitting.html |title=Kris Bryant Takes Lessons from Ted Williams' Batting Bible |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 31, 2016 |last1=Witz |first1=Billy}}</ref> In 1970, he wrote a book on the subject, ''[[The Science of Hitting]]'' (revised 1986), which is still read by many baseball players.<ref name="nytimes.com"/> The book describes his theory of swinging only at pitches that came into ideal areas of his [[strike zone]], a strategy Williams that credited with his success as a hitter; as a result, Williams's bases-on-balls-to-plate-appearances ratio (.2065) is the highest of any player in the Hall of Fame.

Williams nearly always took the first pitch.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1208122-the-best-first-pitch-attackers-in-baseball |title=The Best First-Pitch Attackers in Baseball |website=[[Bleacher Report]] |first=Dan |last=van Wie |date=June 8, 2012}}</ref>

He helped pass his expertise of playing left field in front of the [[Green Monster]] to his successor on the Red Sox, [[Carl Yastrzemski]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Ruzzo |first=Bob |date=December 12, 2014 |title=Hot Stove League: Ted Williams and His Post-Playing Career |url=http://bostonbaseballhistory.com/hot-stove-league-ted-williams-and-his-post-playing-career/ |website=Boston Baseball History}}</ref>

===Relationship with Boston media and fans===
[[File:Ted Williams BBall Digest May 1949 raw.jpg|thumb|Williams in 1949]]

Williams was on uncomfortable terms with the [[Boston]] newspapers for nearly twenty years, as he felt they liked to discuss his personal life as much as his baseball performance. He maintained a career-long feud with ''[[Sport (US magazine)|Sport]]'' due to a 1948 feature article in which the reporter included a quote from Williams's mother. Insecure about his upbringing, and stubborn because of immense confidence in his own talent, Williams made up his mind that the "knights of the keyboard", as he derisively labeled the press, were against him. After having hit for the league's Triple Crown in 1947, Williams narrowly lost the MVP award in a vote where one Midwestern newspaper writer left Williams entirely off his ten-player ballot.<ref name=1947ballot>{{cite news |last1=Stout |first1=Glenn |title=The Case of the 1947 MVP Ballot |url=https://glennstout.com/the-case-of-the-1947-mvp-ballot/ |work=[[The Sporting News]] |date=December 20, 1993}}</ref>

During his career, some sportswriters also criticized aspects of Williams's baseball performance, including what they viewed as his lackadaisical fielding and lack of clutch hitting. Williams pushed back, saying: "They're always saying that I don't hit in the clutches. Well, there are a lot [of games] when I do."<ref>{{cite magazine |last= |date=August 20, 1956 |title=Ted Williams Defies His Critics |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1956/08/20/ted-williams-defies-his-critics |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref> He also asserted that it made no sense crashing into an outfield wall to try to make a difficult catch because of the risk of injury or being out of position to make the play after missing the ball.<ref>[[#Bradlee|Bradlee]], p. 13.</ref>

Williams treated most of the press accordingly, as he described in his 1969 memoir ''My Turn at Bat''. Williams also had an uneasy relationship with the Boston fans, though he could be very cordial one-to-one. He felt at times a good deal of gratitude for their passion and their knowledge of the game. On the other hand, Williams was temperamental, high-strung, and at times tactless. In his biography, Ronald Reis relates how Williams committed two fielding miscues in a doubleheader in 1950 and was roundly booed by Boston fans. He bowed three times to various sections of Fenway Park and made an obscene gesture. When he came to bat he spat in the direction of fans near the dugout. The incident caused an avalanche of negative media reaction, and inspired sportswriter Austen Lake's famous comment that, when Williams's name was announced, the sound was like "autumn wind moaning through an apple orchard."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Sport: Sorry, Fellows! |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,812513,00.html |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=May 22, 1950}}</ref>

Another incident occurred in 1958 in a game against the Washington Senators. Williams struck out, and, as he stepped from the batter's box, swung his bat violently in anger. The bat slipped from his hands, was launched into the stands and struck a 60-year-old woman who turned out to be the housekeeper of the Red Sox general manager Joe Cronin. While the incident was an accident and Williams apologized to the woman personally, to all appearances it seemed at the time that Williams had hurled the bat in a fit of temper.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hurwitz |first1=Hy |date=September 22, 1958 |title=Ted Williams' bat hits woman in stands |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/1958/09/22/ted-williams-bat-hits-woman-stands/xDgSaHRhJOI4aL7IrwuVUM/story.html |work=[[The Boston Globe]]}}</ref>

Williams gave generously to those in need. He was especially linked with [[the Jimmy Fund]] of the [[Dana–Farber Cancer Institute]], which provides support for children's cancer research and treatment. Williams used his celebrity to virtually launch the fund, which raised more than $750&nbsp;million between 1948 and 2010. Throughout his career, Williams made countless bedside visits to children being treated for cancer, which Williams insisted go unreported. Often parents of sick children would learn at check-out time that "Mr. Williams has taken care of your bill". The Fund recently stated that "Williams would travel everywhere and anywhere, no strings or paychecks attached, to support the cause... His name is synonymous with our battle against all forms of cancer."<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web |title=Ted Williams advanced cancer research |url=https://www.jimmyfund.org/about-us/boston-red-sox/ted-williams/ |website=[[The Jimmy Fund]]}}</ref>

Williams demanded loyalty from those around him. He could not forgive the fickle nature of the fans—booing a player for booting a ground ball, and then turning around and roaring approval of the same player for hitting a home run. Despite the cheers and adulation of most of his fans, the occasional boos directed at him in Fenway Park led Williams to stop tipping his cap in acknowledgment after a home run.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Whitley |first1=David |title=Pure Hitter: Ted Williams |url=https://www.espn.com/classic/000706tedwilliams.html |website=[[ESPN Classic]]}}</ref>

Williams maintained this policy up to and including his swan song in 1960. After hitting a home run at Fenway Park, which would be his last career at-bat, Williams characteristically refused either to tip his cap as he circled the bases or to respond to prolonged cheers of "We want Ted!" from the crowd by making an appearance from the dugout. The Boston manager [[Pinky Higgins]] sent Williams to his fielding position in left field to start the ninth inning, but then immediately recalled him for his back-up [[Carroll Hardy]], thus allowing Williams to receive one last ovation as he jogged onto then off the field, and he did so without reacting to the crowd. Williams's aloof attitude led the writer John Updike to observe wryly that "Gods do not answer letters."<ref name=updike/>

Williams's final home run did not take place during the final game of the 1960 season, but rather in the Red Sox's last home game that year. The Red Sox played three more games, but they were on the road in New York City and Williams did not appear in any of them, as it became clear that Williams's final home at-bat would be the last one of his career.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Krell |first1=David |title=September 28, 1960: Ted Williams bids adieu to Boston fans with 521st home run |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/september-28-1960-ted-williams-bids-adieu-to-boston-fans-with-521st-home-run/ |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref>

In 1991, on Ted Williams Day at Fenway Park, Williams pulled a Red Sox cap from out of his jacket and tipped it to the crowd. This was the first time that he had done so since his earliest days as a player.<ref>{{cite news |title=Williams Honored in Boston and Finally Tips His Cap to Fans |url=https://www.deseret.com/1991/5/13/18920433/williams-honored-in-boston-and-finally-tips-his-cap-to-fans |work=[[Deseret News]] |date=May 13, 1991}}</ref>

Williams once had a friendship with Ty Cobb, with whom he often had discussions about baseball. He often touted [[Rogers Hornsby]] as being the greatest right-handed hitter of all time. In [[Al Stump]]'s now discredited biography about Cobb, he claimed that this assertion actually led to a split in the relationship between Cobb and Williams. Once during one of their yearly debate sessions on the greatest hitters of all time, Williams asserted that Hornsby was one of the greatest of all time. Cobb apparently had strong feelings about Hornsby and he threw a fit, expelling Williams from his hotel room. However, this story was later refuted by Williams himself.<ref>{{cite web |last=King |first=Gilbert |title=The Knife in Ty Cobb's Back|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-knife-in-ty-cobbs-back-65618032/ |magazine=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]] |date=August 20, 2011}}</ref>

==Military service==
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Ted Williams
| birth_date    = 
| birth_place   = 
| death_date    = 
| death_place   = 
| burial_label  = 
| image         = Ted_Williams_swearing_into_the_Navy_1942.jpg
| caption       = Williams being sworn into the U.S. Navy Reserve on May 22, 1942
| allegiance    = {{Flagu|United States|1912}}
| branch        = {{Flag|United States Navy|1864|size=23px}}<br />{{Flag|United States Marine Corps}}
| service_years = 1942–46, 1952–53
| rank          = {{Dodseal|USMCO3|25}} [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]]
| commands      = 
| unit          = [[United States Navy Reserve|U.S. Navy Reserve]]<br />[[United States Marine Corps Reserve|U.S. Marine Corps Reserve]]
| battles       = [[World War II]]<br />[[Korean War]]
| awards        = {{ribbon devices|ribbon=Naval Aviator Badge.jpg|width=25}}&nbsp;[[United States Naval Aviator|Naval Aviator Badge]]<br />{{ribbon devices|name=Air Medal ribbon|width=23}}&nbsp;[[Air Medal]] with two Gold Stars<br />{{ribbon devices|name=U.S. Navy Unit Commendation ribbon|width=23}}&nbsp;[[Navy Unit Commendation]]<br />{{ribbon devices|name=American Campaign Medal ribbon|width=23}}&nbsp;[[American Campaign Medal]]<br />{{ribbon devices|name=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon|width=23}}&nbsp;[[Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal]] with Bronze Star<br />{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=23}}&nbsp;[[World War II Victory Medal]]<br />{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=Army of Occupation ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=23}}&nbsp;[[Navy Occupation Service Medal]]<br />{{ribbon devices|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=23}}&nbsp;[[National Defense Service Medal]]<br />{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Korean_Service_Medal_-_Ribbon.svg{{!}}border|width=23}}&nbsp;[[Korean Service Medal]] with two Bronze Stars<br />{{ribbon devices|name=United Nations Service Medal for Korea Ribbon|width=23}}&nbsp;[[United Nations Service Medal]]<br />{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Presidential Unit Citation (Korea).svg{{!}}border|width=23}}&nbsp;[[Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation|ROK Presidential Unit Citation]]
| relations     = 
}}

===World War II===
[[File:Ted Williams while flight training at the Turners Falls MA Airport in 1942.jpg|thumb|Ted Williams (Right) while in Flight Training at Turners Falls, MA Airport]]
Williams served as a [[Naval Aviator]] during World War II and the [[Korean War]]. Unlike many other major league players, he did not spend all of his war-time playing on service teams.<ref name="bullock2004"/> Williams had been classified 3-A by Selective Service prior to the war, a dependency deferment because he was his mother's sole means of financial support. When his classification was changed to 1-A following the American entry into World War II, Williams appealed to his local draft board. The draft board ruled that his draft status should not have been changed. He made a public statement that once he had built up his mother's trust fund, he intended to enlist. Even so, criticism in the media, including withdrawal of an endorsement contract by [[Quaker Oats]], resulted in his enlistment in the U.S. Naval Reserve on May 22, 1942.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Fletcher |first=Zita Ballinger |date=2021-03-30 |title=Ted Williams Goes to War |url=https://www.historynet.com/ted-williams/ |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=HistoryNet |language=en-US}}</ref>

Williams did not opt for an easy assignment playing baseball for the Navy, but rather joined the V-5 program to become a Naval aviator.<ref name=":1" /> Williams was first sent to the Navy's Preliminary Ground School at [[Amherst College]] for six months of academic instruction in various subjects including math and navigation, where he achieved a 3.85 grade point average.

Williams was talented as a pilot, and so enjoyed it that he had to be ordered by the Navy to leave training to personally accept his American League 1942 [[Major League Baseball Triple Crown]].<ref name="bullock2004"/> Williams's Red Sox teammate, [[Johnny Pesky]], who went into the same aviation training program, said this about Williams: "He mastered intricate problems in fifteen minutes which took the average cadet an hour, and half of the other cadets there were college grads." Pesky again described Williams's acumen in the advanced training, for which Pesky personally did not qualify: "I heard Ted literally tore the sleeve target to shreds with his angle dives. He'd shoot from wingovers, zooms, and barrel rolls, and after a few passes the sleeve was ribbons. At any rate, I know he broke the all-time record for hits." Ted went to Jacksonville for a course in aerial gunnery, the combat pilot's payoff test, and broke all the records in reflexes, coordination, and visual-reaction time. "From what I heard. Ted could make a plane and its six 'pianos' (machine guns) play like a symphony orchestra", Pesky says. "From what they said, his reflexes, coordination, and visual reaction made him a built-in part of the machine."<ref>[[#Linn|Linn]], pp. 246–247.</ref>

Williams completed pre-flight training in [[Athens, Georgia]], his primary training at [[Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base|NAS Bunker Hill]], Indiana, and his advanced flight training at [[NAS Pensacola]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-11-12 |title=Boston Red Sox: Remembering Ted Williams on Veteran’s Day |url=https://chowderandchampions.com/2016/11/11/boston-red-sox-remembering-ted-williams-veterans-day/ |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=Chowder and Champions |language=en-us}}</ref> He received his gold [[United States Aviator Badge|Naval Aviator wings]] and his commission as a second lieutenant in the [[U.S. Marine Corps]] on May 2, 1944.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vilona |first=Bill |title=Blue Wahoos Historic Ted Williams Bobblehead Night Honors His Military Legacy In Pensacola |url=https://www.milb.com/news/blue-wahoos-ted-williams |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=MiLB.com |language=en}}</ref>

Williams served as a [[flight instructor]] at NAS Pensacola teaching young pilots to fly the complicated [[F4U Corsair]] [[fighter plane]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=lyoneair |date=2018-06-04 |title=American Icons Confront the Red Menace Over Korea |url=https://lyonairmuseum.org/blog/american-icons-confront-red-menace-over-korea/ |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=Lyon Air Museum |language=en-US}}</ref> Williams was in Pearl Harbor awaiting orders to join the Fleet in the [[Western Pacific Ocean|Western Pacific]] when the [[War in the Pacific]] ended. He finished the war in Hawaii, and then he was released from active duty on January 12, 1946, but he did remain in the [[United States Marine Corps Reserve|Marine Corps Reserve]].<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

===Korean War===
[[File:Ted Williams (210331-N-N1526-004) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|Williams aboard the [[USS Haven (AH-12)|USS ''Haven'' (AH-12)]] in 1953]]
On May 1, 1952, 14 months after his promotion to [[Captain (United States O-3)|captain]] in the Marine Corps Reserve, Williams was recalled to active duty for service in the [[Korean War]].<ref name="Fortitudine">{{cite journal |last1=Aquilina |first1=Robert V. |year=2003 |title=The 'Splendid Splinter' Dies at 83 |url=https://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Publications/Fortitudine%20Vol%2029%20No%204.pdf |journal=[[United States Marine Corps History Division|Fortitudine]] |publisher=[[Marine Corps Historical Center]] |volume=XXIX |issue=4 |access-date=March 11, 2015}}</ref> He had not flown any aircraft for eight years but he turned down all offers to sit out the war in comfort as a member of a service baseball team. Nevertheless, Williams was resentful of being called up, which he admitted years later, particularly regarding the Navy's policy of calling up Inactive Reservists rather than members of the Active Reserve.

Williams reported for duty on May 2, 1952. After eight weeks of refresher flight training and qualification in the [[F9F Panther]] [[jet fighter]] with [[VMF-223]] at the [[Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point]], [[North Carolina]], Williams was assigned to [[VMF-311]], [[Marine Aircraft Group 33]] (MAG-33), based at the [[Pohang Airport|K-3 airfield]] in [[Pohang]], South Korea.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

On February 16, 1953, Williams, flying as the wingman for [[John Glenn]] (who would become the first American to [[Mercury-Atlas 6|orbit the earth]]), was part of a 35-plane raid against a tank and infantry training school just south of [[Pyongyang]], North Korea. As the aircraft from [[VMF-115]] and VMF-311 dove on the target, Williams's plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire, a piece of [[flak]] knocked out his hydraulics and electrical systems, causing Williams to have to "limp" his plane back to K-13 air base where he made a [[belly landing]]. For his actions of this day, he was awarded the [[Air Medal]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Condon |first1=John P. |url=https://archive.org/details/CorsairsToPanthers |title=Corsairs to Panthers U.S. Marine Aviation in Korea |last2=Merskey |first2=Peter B. |publisher=[[Marine Corps Historical Center]] |year=2002 |isbn=978-1499550740 |pages=41–43}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>

Williams flew 39 combat missions in Korea, earning the Air Medal with two [[5/16 inch star|Gold Stars]] representing second and third awards, before being withdrawn from flight status in June 1953 after a hospitalization for pneumonia. This resulted in the discovery of an [[inner ear]] infection that disqualified him from flight status.<ref>[[#Mersky|Mersky]], p. 190.</ref> [[John Glenn]] described Williams as one of the best pilots he knew.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 5, 2002 |title=Glenn: 'No one more dedicated to this country' |url=https://www.espn.com/classic/obit/s/2002/0705/1402612.html |publisher=[[ESPN Classic]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> In the last half of his missions, Williams was flying as Glenn's wingman.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Scott |first1=Nate |title=Ted Williams flew as John Glenn's wingman during the Korean War |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/12/ted-williams-flew-as-john-glenns-wingman-during-the-korean-war |work=[[USA Today]] |date=December 9, 2016}}</ref>

Williams likely would have exceeded 600 career home runs if he had not served in the military, and might even have approached Babe Ruth's then record of 714. He might have set the record for career RBIs as well, exceeding [[Hank Aaron]]'s total.<ref name="bullock2004">{{cite book |author=Bullock |first=Steven R. |url=https://archive.org/details/playingfortheirn0000bull |title=Playing for Their Nation: Baseball and the American Military during World War II |publisher=[[University of Nebraska Press]] |year=2004 |isbn=0803213379 |pages=112–115, 128–129 |url-access=registration}}</ref> While the absences in the Marine Corps took almost five years out of his baseball career, he never publicly complained about the time devoted to service in the Marine Corps. His biographer, Leigh Montville, argued that Williams was not happy about being pressed into service in South Korea, but he did what he thought was his patriotic duty.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2004-05-07 |title=BOOKS OF THE TIMES; Whether Sweet or Cranky, He Was Always a Slugger (Published 2004) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/07/books/books-of-the-times-whether-sweet-or-cranky-he-was-always-a-slugger.html |access-date=2025-08-14 |language=en}}</ref>

Following his return to the United States in August 1953, he resigned his Reserve commission to resume his baseball career.<ref name=Fortitudine/>

==Post-retirement==
{{MLBBioRet
|Image = Red_Sox_9.svg
|Name = Ted Williams
|Number = 9
|Team = Boston Red Sox
|Year = 1984
}}

After retirement from play, Williams helped Boston's new left fielder, [[Carl Yastrzemski]], in hitting, and was a regular visitor to the Red Sox' [[spring training]] camps from 1961 to 1966, where he worked as a special batting instructor.<ref>{{Cite web |title='IN LEFT FIELD FOR BOSTON...IS CARL YASTRZEMSKI.' AS TED WILLIAMS' REPLACEMENT CARL IS A THREAT BOTH TO PITCHERS AND ANNOUNCERS |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1961/04/03/in-left-field-for-boston |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=vault.si.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=WILLIAMS IS GONE, JENSEN IS BACK, AND THE QUESTION IS: HOW MUCH OF WILLIAMS' SOCK CAN JENSEN FILL? PROBABLY ENOUGH TO HELP MAKE BOSTON A BETTER CLUB OVER-ALL |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1961/04/10/boston-red-sox |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=vault.si.com}}</ref> He served as executive assistant to Tom Yawkey (1961–65), then was named a team vice president (1965–68) upon his election to the Hall of Fame. He resumed his spring training instruction role with the club in 1978.<ref name=":3" />

Beginning in 1961, he would spend summers at the Ted Williams Baseball Camp in [[Lakeville, Massachusetts]], which he had established in 1958 with his friend Al Cassidy and two other business partners. For eight summers and parts of others after that, he would give hitting clinics and talk baseball at the camp.<ref name="Montville19"/> It was not uncommon to find Williams fishing in the pond at the camp. The area now is owned by the town, and a few of the buildings still stand. In the main lodge, one can still see memorabilia from Williams's playing days.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meeuwesen |first=Jan |date=2023-04-04 |title=15 Best Things to Do in Lakeville (MA) |url=https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-things-to-do-in-lakeville-ma/ |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=The Crazy Tourist |language=en-US}}</ref>

Williams served as manager of the [[Washington Senators (1961–71)|Washington Senators]] from [[1969 Washington Senators season|1969]] to [[1971 Washington Senators season|1971]], then continued with the team when they became the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] after the 1971 season. Williams's best season as a manager was 1969s when he led the expansion Senators to an 86–76 record in the team's only winning season in Washington. He was chosen "Manager of the Year" after that season.<ref name=":2" /> Like many great players, Williams became impatient with ordinary athletes' abilities and attitudes, particularly those of pitchers, whom he admitted he never respected. Fellow manager [[Alvin Dark]] thought that Williams "was a smart, fearless manager" who helped his hitters perform better. Williams's issue with Washington/Texas, according to Dark, was when the ownership traded away his third baseman and shortstop, making it difficult for the club to be as competitive.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dark |first1=Alvin |url=https://archive.org/details/whenindoubtfirem0000dark |title=When in Doubt, Fire the Manager: My Life and Times in Baseball |last2=Underwood |first2=John |publisher=[[E. P. Dutton]] |year=1980 |isbn=0525232648 |location=New York |pages=112–113 |url-access=registration}}</ref>

On the subject of pitchers, in Ted's autobiography written with [[John Underwood (sportswriter)|John Underwood]], Ted opines regarding [[Bob Lemon]] (a sinker-ball specialist) pitching for the Cleveland Indians around 1951: "I have to rate Lemon as one of the very best pitchers I ever faced. His ball was always moving, hard, sinking, fast-breaking. You could never really uhmmmph with Lemon."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=Dan |date=2023-07-26 |title=The 20 Greatest Indians of All-Time |url=https://baseballegg.com/the-20-greatest-cleveland-indians-of-all-time/ |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=Baseball Egg |language=en-US}}</ref>

Williams was much more successful in fishing. An avid and expert [[fly fishing|fly fisherman]] and deep-sea fisherman, he spent many summers after baseball fishing the [[Miramichi River]], in [[Miramichi, New Brunswick]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Pete |date=2002-07-06 |title=Great Hitter Could Also Catch (Fish) |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jul-06-sp-tedsider06-story.html |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1982-08-10 |title=PLAYERS; THE 2 LOVES OF TED WILLIAMS (Published 1982) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/10/sports/players-the-2-loves-of-ted-williams.html |access-date=2025-08-14 |language=en}}</ref> Williams was named to the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |title=IGFA Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://igfa.org/fishing-hall-of-fame-1/ |website=[[International Game Fish Association]]}}</ref> Williams was also known as an accomplished hunter; he was fond of [[pigeon-shooting]] for sport in Fenway Park during his career, on one occasion drawing the ire of the [[MSPCA-Angell|Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals]].<ref>{{cite news |date=May 25, 1957 |title=Ted Williams Accused of Killing Pigeons |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=99k0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=8kMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6394,2747351 |newspaper=[[Rome News-Tribune]] |page=5 |via=[[Google News Archive]] |agency=[[International News Service]]}}</ref>

Williams reached an extensive deal with [[Sears, Roebuck and Company|Sears]], lending his name and talent toward marketing, developing, and endorsing a line of in-house sports equipment<ref>{{Cite web |last=Talbot |first=Paul |title=The Forgotten Marketing Brilliance Of Sears |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultalbot/2018/10/18/the-forgotten-marketing-brilliance-of-sears/ |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>—such as the "Ted Williams" edition Gamefisher aluminum boat and 7.5&nbsp;hp "Ted Williams" edition motor, as well as fishing, hunting, and baseball equipment. Williams continued his involvement in the Jimmy Fund, later losing a brother to leukemia, and spending much of his spare time, effort, and money in support of the cancer organization.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of our partnership Boston Red Sox & The Jimmy Fund Support Cancer Research |url=https://www.jimmyfund.org/about/partnerships/boston-red-sox/history-of-partnership |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=www.jimmyfund.org |language=en}}</ref>

In his later years, Williams became a fixture at autograph shows and card shows after his son (by his third wife), [[John Henry Williams (baseball)|John Henry Williams]], took control of his career, becoming his de facto manager.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2002-07-15 |title=A Famous Father And His Son - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-famous-father-and-his-son/ |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The younger Williams kept his father constantly signing memorabilia as a way to maximize earnings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ESPN.com: MLB - Ted Williams, son had complicated relationship |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/2002/0712/1405177.html |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=www.espn.com}}</ref>

One of Williams's final, and most memorable, public appearances was at the [[1999 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1999 All-Star Game]] in Boston.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Haller |first=Doug |date=2024-07-16 |title=Ted Williams created an MLB All-Star Game moment for the ages 25 years ago |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5618681/2024/07/15/ted-williams-1999-mlb-all-star-game/ |access-date=2025-08-14 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Able to walk only a short distance, Williams was brought to the pitcher's mound in a golf cart. He proudly waved his cap to the crowd—a gesture he had never done as a player. Fans responded with a standing ovation that lasted several minutes. At the pitcher's mound he was surrounded by players from both teams, including fellow Red Sox player [[Nomar Garciaparra]], and was assisted by [[Tony Gwynn]] in throwing out the first pitch of that year's All-Star Game.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tony Gwynn led Ted Williams to All-Star mound |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/tony-gwynn-led-ted-williams-to-all-star-mound-c178458244.html |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=www.mlb.com }}{{Dead link|date=April 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> Later in the year, he was among the members of the [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]] introduced to the crowd at [[Turner Field]] in Atlanta prior to Game 2 of the [[1999 World Series|World Series]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Century Team by Mastercard: A Legendary List on Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/limc100.shtml |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:Portrait of Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams Sarasota, Florida.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Williams in 1949]]
On May 4, 1944, Williams married Doris Soule, the daughter of his hunting guide. Their daughter, Barbara Joyce ("Bobby-Jo"), was born on January 28, 1948, while Williams was fishing in Florida. They divorced in 1954.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Burnett |first1=James |last2=Most |first2=Doug |date=September 2002 |title=Williams Family Values |url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/williams_family_values/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313133257/http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/williams_family_values/ |archive-date=March 13, 2012 |magazine=[[Boston (magazine)|Boston Magazine]]}}</ref> Williams married the socialite model Lee Howard on September 10, 1961, and they were divorced in 1967.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Milestones |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,836549,00.html |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=October 21, 1966 |quote=Divorced: Ted Williams, 48, terrible-tempered baseball great; by Lee Howard Williams, 41, ash-blonde ex-fashion model, his second wife; on grounds that "he made life unbearable with constant obscene criticism" (like cursing at her and kicking the tackle box while they were fishing); after five years of marriage, no children; in Miami.}}</ref>

Williams married Dolores Wettach, a former Miss [[Vermont]] and ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'' model, in 1968. Their son [[John Henry Williams (baseball)|John-Henry]] was born on August 27, 1968, followed by daughter Claudia, on October 8, 1971. They were divorced in 1972.<ref>[[#Linn|Linn]], pp. 355-357.</ref>

Williams lived with Louise Kaufman for twenty years until her death in 1993. In his book, Cramer called her the love of Williams's life.<ref>[[#Linn|Linn]], p. 86.</ref> After his death, her sons filed suit to recover her furniture from Williams's [[Condominium (living space)|condominium]] as well as a half-interest in the condominium that they claimed that he gave her.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2002/12/15/williams-children-seek-insurance-money/ |title=Williams children seek insurance money |newspaper=[[Tampa Bay Times]] |date=December 15, 2002 |first=Carrie |last=Johnson}}</ref>

Williams had a strong respect for General [[Douglas MacArthur]], referring to him as his "idol".<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], p. 12.</ref> For Williams's 40th birthday, MacArthur sent him an oil painting of himself with the inscription "To Ted Williams—not only America's greatest baseball player, but a great American who served his country. Your friend, Douglas MacArthur. General U.S. Army."<ref>[[#Montville|Montville]], pp. 13–14.</ref>

Politically, Williams was a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]],<ref name="politico.com">{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/03/28/richard-nixon-ted-williams-226240/|title=The Year Nixon and Baseball Were Both Winners in Washington|magazine=[[Politico]]|date=March 28, 2019 |first=Frederic J. |last=Frommer}}</ref> and was described by one biographer as, "to the [[right wing|right]] of [[Attila the Hun]]" except when it came to [[civil rights]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/red-sox-great-ted-williams-given-warts-all-american-masters-portrait-1128753 |title=Red Sox Great Ted Williams Given Warts-and-All Portrait for 'American Masters' |newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=July 21, 2018 |first=Marisa |last=Guthrie}}</ref> Another writer similarly noted that, while in the 1960s he had a liberal attitude on civil rights, he was far right on other cultural issues of the time, calling him "ultraconservative in the tradition of [[Barry Goldwater]] and [[John Wayne]]”.<ref name="politico.com"/>

[[File:Ted Williams 1998.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Williams in 1998]]
Williams campaigned for [[Richard Nixon]] in the [[1960 United States Presidential Election]], and, after Nixon lost to [[John F. Kennedy]], refused several invitations from President Kennedy to gather together in [[Cape Cod]]. He supported Nixon again in [[1968 United States Presidential Election|1968]], and, as manager of the Senators, kept a picture of him on his desk, meeting with the President several times while managing the team. In 1972, he called Nixon, "the greatest president of my lifetime".<ref name="politico.com"/> In the following years, Williams endorsed several other candidates in [[Republican Party presidential primaries]], including [[George H. W. Bush]] in [[1988 Republican Party presidential primaries|1988]] (for whom he also campaigned in [[New Hampshire]]),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lippman Jr. |first=Theo |date=July 13, 2002 |title=Williams went to bat for first Bush's win |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2002-07-14-0207130248-story.html |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]}}</ref> [[Bob Dole]] in [[1996 Republican Party presidential primaries|1996]], and [[George W. Bush]] in [[2000 Republican Party presidential primaries|2000]].<ref>{{cite news |date=January 19, 2000 |title=Ted Williams Endorses Bush |url=https://apnews.com/article/b3c03608c40da09ddfe5788bd6845627 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405225414/https://apnews.com/article/b3c03608c40da09ddfe5788bd6845627 |archive-date=April 5, 2023 |work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

Williams was called an atheist by several biographers, though Williams disproved this in his autobiography by stating that he did believe in God. He was raised in a Christian household but did not publicly emphasize his religious beliefs throughout his life.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 7.</ref> He often described himself as a spiritual person. His experiences during World War II, particularly his time as a Marine pilot, may have influenced his views on life and faith. In numerous interviews and his autobiography, Williams refers to God and his strained relationship with theism due to his mother's constant work with the church.<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 14.</ref> As quoted in his autobiography ''My Turn at Bat'', Williams stated: "I have a God given talent. God gets you to the plate, but it's up to you what happens when you get there".<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 3.</ref> He concludes his sentiment later with "I'm not a religious man, but I do believe in God. I believe that he has given me a gift, and I try to use it as best I can."<ref>[[#Williams|Williams & Underwood]], p. 137.</ref>

Williams's brother Danny and his son John-Henry both died of [[leukemia]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sukiennik |first1=Greg |date=March 7, 2004 |title=John Henry Williams, Ted Williams' Son, Dies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2004/03/08/john-henry-williams-ted-williamss-son-dies/861ce4dc-e120-4445-a779-be73173caba6/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

==Death==
[[File:Lipofsky Ted Williams Tribute Fenway park.jpg|thumb|upright=1.13|Ted Williams tribute by the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on July 22, 2002]]
In his last years, Williams suffered from [[cardiomyopathy]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=writer |first=RON WORD, Associated Press |title=Williams rushed to hospital |url=https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/sports/2002/01/25/williams-rushed-to-hospital/50398708007/ |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=New Bedford Standard-Times |language=en-US}}</ref> He had a [[pacemaker]] implanted in November 2000,<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Ted Williams Receives Pacemaker |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=100197&page=1 |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref> and he underwent [[Cardiac_surgery#Open-heart_surgery|open-heart surgery]] in January 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ESPN Classic - Doctors say Williams' surgery went well |url=https://www.espn.com/classic/s/2001/0115/1018021.html |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=www.espn.com}}</ref> After suffering a series of [[stroke|strokes]] and [[congestive heart failure]], he died of [[cardiac arrest]] at the age of 83 on July 5, 2002, at Citrus Memorial Hospital, [[Inverness, Florida|Inverness]], Florida, near his home in [[Citrus Hills, Florida|Citrus Hills]], Florida.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ted Williams, Baseball's Last .400 Hitter, Is Dead at 83 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/05/obituaries/ted-williams-baseballs-last-400-hitter-is-dead-at-83.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 5, 2002}}</ref>

Though his will stated his desire to be cremated and have his ashes scattered in the [[Florida Keys]], Williams's son John-Henry and younger daughter Claudia chose to have his remains [[cryonics|frozen cryonically]].<ref name="cbs"/>

Ted's elder daughter, Bobby-Jo Ferrell, brought a suit to have her father's wishes recognized. John-Henry's lawyer then produced an informal "family pact" signed by Ted, Claudia, and John-Henry, in which they agreed "to be put into biostasis after we die" to "be able to be together in the future, even if it is only a chance."<ref name="cbs">{{cite news |date=August 12, 2003 |title=Ted Williams Frozen in Two Pieces |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ted-williams-frozen-in-two-pieces/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824115521/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/12/20/national/main533849.shtml |archive-date=August 24, 2007 |work=[[CBS News]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Bobby-Jo and her attorney, [[Spike Fitzpatrick]] (former attorney of Ted Williams), contended that the family pact, which was scribbled on an ink-stained napkin, was forged by John-Henry and/or Claudia.<ref name="sptimes">{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Carrie |date=July 20, 2002 |title=Williams' shift from will must be proved |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2002/07/20/williams-shift-from-will-must-be-proved/ |newspaper=[[Tampa Bay Times]]}}</ref> Fitzpatrick and Ferrell believed that the signature was not obtained legally. Laboratory analysis proved that the signature was genuine.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 19, 2003 |title=Prosecutors won't file criminal charges |url=https://www.espn.in/mlb/news/story?id=1598546 |work=[[ESPN]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |archive-date=September 18, 2023 |access-date=September 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230918103240/https://www.espn.in/mlb/news/story?id=1598546 |url-status=dead }}</ref> John-Henry said that his father was a believer in science and was willing to try cryonics if it held the possibility of reuniting the family.<ref name="nytimes">{{Cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |title=Williams Children Agree to Keep Their Father Frozen |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 21, 2002 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/21/sports/baseball-williams-children-agree-to-keep-their-father-frozen.html}}</ref>

Though the family pact upset some friends, family and fans, a public plea for financial support of the lawsuit by Ferrell produced little result.<ref name="nytimes"/> Citing financial difficulties, Ferrell dropped her lawsuit on the condition that a $645,000 trust fund left by Williams would immediately pay the sum out equally to the three children.<ref name="nytimes"/>

In ''Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero'', author [[Leigh Montville]] claims that the family cryonics pact was a practice Ted Williams [[autograph]] on a plain piece of paper, around which the agreement had later been handwritten. The pact document was signed "''Ted Williams''", the same as his autographs, whereas he would always sign his legal documents "''Theodore Williams''", according to Montville. However, his daughter Claudia who was part of the pact with John-Henry, testified to the authenticity of the document in an [[affidavit]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sandomir |first1=Richard |title=Note Dated 2000 Says Williams Wanted His Remains Frozen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/26/sports/baseball-note-dated-2000-says-williams-wanted-his-remains-frozen.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 26, 2002}}</ref>

Williams's body was subsequently decapitated for the neuropreservation option from [[Alcor Life Extension Foundation|Alcor]].<ref>https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/3173467, Ted Williams: Note Discordante, August 14 2023, Le Soleil</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Bradlee Jr. |first=Ben |date=December 2, 2013 |title=What It Took to Get Ted Williams' Head off His Body |url=https://deadspin.com/what-it-took-to-get-ted-williamss-head-off-his-body-1475054922 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627155802/https://deadspin.com/what-it-took-to-get-ted-williamss-head-off-his-body-1475054922 |archive-date=June 27, 2016 |work=[[Deadspin]]}}</ref> Following John-Henry's unexpected illness and death from [[acute myeloid leukemia]] on March 6, 2004, his body was also transported to Alcor, in fulfillment of the family agreement.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 13, 2004 |title=John Henry Williams dies of leukemia at 35 |url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=1753358 |website=[[ESPN]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

==Awards and recognition==

Williams was named [[The Sporting News MLB Player of the Year Award|''The Sporting News'' MLB Player of the Year]] in 1941, 1942, 1947, 1949, and 1957,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Major League Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News – Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_snml.shtml |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref> and was honored as the [[AP Athlete of the Year|Associated Press Athlete of the Year]] in 1957.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Associated Press Athlete of the Year Award – Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_apr.shtml |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref>

In 1954, Williams was inducted by the [[San Diego Hall of Champions]] into the Breitbard Hall of Fame, which honors San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Williams, Class of 1954 |url=https://www.sdhoc.com/awards/hall-of-fame/baseball/ted-williams |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002174619/http://www.sdhoc.com/awards/hall-of-fame/baseball/ted-williams/ |archive-date=October 2, 2009 |website=[[San Diego Hall of Champions]]}}</ref> In 2002, he was elected to the [[Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chapin |first1=Dwight |title=Museum honors Hispanics |url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/museum-honors-hispanics-2871046.php |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=February 20, 2002}}</ref>

In 1999, Williams was ranked as number 8 on ''[[The Sporting News]]'' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, where he was the highest-ranking left fielder.<ref>{{cite news|title=Baseball's 100 Greatest Players: No. 8, Ted Williams |newspaper=[[The Sporting News]] |date=April 26, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050222212101/http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/100/index-8.html|archive-date=February 22, 2005 |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/100/index-8.html}}</ref> That same year, he was one of 30 players elected to the [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The All-Century Team |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/mlb_history_moreinfo.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119065808/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/mlb_history_moreinfo.jsp |archive-date=January 19, 2010 |access-date=February 15, 2007 |website=[[MLB.com]] |publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]}}</ref> In 2020, ''[[The Athletic]]'' ranked Williams at number 6 on its "Baseball 100" list, complied by sportswriter [[Joe Posnanski]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Posnanski |first1=Joe |title=The Baseball 100: No. 6, Ted Williams |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1714075/2020/04/01/the-baseball-100-no-6-ted-williams/ |magazine=[[The Athletic]] |date=April 1, 2020}}</ref> In 2022, as part of their SN Rushmore project, ''[[The Sporting News]]'' named Williams on their "Boston Mount Rushmore of Sports", along [[Boston Celtics]] basketball player [[Bill Russell]], [[Boston Bruins]] hockey player [[Bobby Orr]], and [[New England Patriots]] football player [[Tom Brady]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Trocchi |first1=Bill |title=Boston's Mount Rushmore of Sports: Tom Brady, Bill Russell, Ted Williams, Bobby Orr voted best of the best
|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/bostons-mount-rushmore-sports-tom-brady-bill-russell-ted-williams-bobby-orr/eghhfjzkq6zf1oyj2tcdqahz |work=[[The Sporting News]] |date=July 25, 2022}}</ref>

Williams was inducted into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] on July 25, 1966.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ted Williams at the Baseball Hall of Fame |url=http://baseballhall.org/hof/williams-ted |website=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]]}}</ref> In his induction speech, Williams included a statement calling for the recognition of the great [[Negro leagues]] players: "I've been a very lucky guy to have worn a baseball uniform, and I hope some day the names of [[Satchel Paige]] and [[Josh Gibson]] in some way can be added as a symbol of the great Negro players who are not here only because they weren't given a chance." Williams was referring to two of the most famous names in the Negro Leagues, who were not given the opportunity to play in the Major Leagues before [[Jackie Robinson]] broke the color barrier in 1947. Gibson died early in 1947 and thus never played in the majors; and Paige's brief major league stint came long past his prime as a player. This statement from the Hall of Fame podium was "a first crack in the door that ultimately would open and include Paige and Gibson and other Negro league stars in the shrine." Paige was the first inducted in 1971. Gibson and others followed, starting in 1972 and continued on and off into the 21st century.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Burkett |first1=Samantha |title=Ted Williams Elected to the Hall of Fame |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/inside-pitch/ted-williams-inducted-to-baseball-hall-of-fame |website=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]]}}</ref>

On November 18, 1991, President [[George H. W. Bush]] presented Williams with the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]], the highest civilian award in the United States.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2018/10/27/ted-williams-met-george-h-w-bush-in-combat-pilot-training-and-their-friendship-endured/|title=Ted Williams met George H.W. Bush in combat pilot training, and their friendship endured|date=October 27, 2018 |first=Anne |last=Keene |newspaper=[[The Dallas Morning News]]}}</ref>  Following his retirement [[Harvard University]] offered Williams an honorary degree on multiple occasions. However, he refused every time, feeling as if he never belonged in a place with such educated people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The greatest hitter who ever lived on |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/12799493/ted-williams-legacy-preserved-daughter-claudia-williams |access-date=2026-03-21 |website=ESPN.com |language=en-US}}</ref> An avid fisherman Williams was inducted into the [[IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame]] in 1999, and the Catskill Fly Fishing Hall of Fame in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-31 |title=Ted Williams |url=https://cffcm.com/hall-of-fame/2022/1/20/ted-williams |access-date=2026-03-21 |website=Catskill Fly Fishing Museum |language=en-US}}</ref>

The [[Ted Williams Tunnel]] in Boston, Massachusetts, carrying {{Convert|1.6|mi|km|}} of the final {{Convert|2.3|miles|km|}} of [[Interstate 90]] under [[Boston Harbor]], opened in December 1995, and Ted Williams Parkway ([[California State Route 56]]) in [[San Diego County, California]], opened in 1992, were named in his honor while he was still alive. In 2016, the major league [[San Diego Padres]] inducted Williams into [[San Diego Padres Hall of Fame|their hall of fame]] for his contributions to baseball in San Diego.<ref>{{cite news |last=Acee |first=Kevin |date=June 30, 2016 |title=Padres honoring Ted Williams is right on many levels |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/jun/30/padres-honoring-ted-williams-is-right-on-many/ |newspaper=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]}}</ref>

In 2002, the [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marines]] began giving out the annual "Ted Williams Globe & Anchor Award." The honor is given out to a non-Marine who has shown commitment and dedication to excellence, as well as the hard work and guts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boxing News: Marines to present 1st Ted Williams award to boxer Micky Ward |url=https://www.boxing247.com/news/tr0211.php |access-date=2026-03-21 |website=www.boxing247.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-11-10 |title=Boston honors Marine heroes |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2009/11/10/boston-honors-marine-heroes/ |access-date=2026-03-21 |website=Boston Herald |language=en-US}}</ref>

Outside [[Fenway Park]], there are two statues honoring Williams. The first was unveiled in 2004, depicting him placing his cap on the head of a young boy.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fernandes |first1=Doug |title=Williams statue unveiled |url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2004/04/16/williams-statue-unveiled/28800521007/ |work=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]] |date=April 16, 2004}}</ref> The second was ''[[The Teammates (statue)|The Teammates]]'' statue, unveiled in 2010, where he is depicted alongside teammates and friends [[Bobby Doerr]], [[Dom DiMaggio]], and [[Johnny Pesky]].<ref>{{cite news |date=June 9, 2010 |title='Teammates' unveiled |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/boston/red-sox/print/_/id/3534 |work=[[ESPN]]}}</ref>

The [[Tampa Bay Rays]] home field, [[Tropicana Field]], installed the [[Ted Williams Museum]] (formerly in [[Hernando, Florida]], 1994–2006) behind the left field fence. From the Tampa Bay Rays website: "The Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame brings a special element to the Tropicana Field. Fans can view an array of different artifacts and pictures of the 'Greatest hitter that ever lived.' These memorable displays range from Ted Williams' days in the military through his professional playing career. This museum is dedicated to some of the greatest players to ever 'lace 'em up,' including [[Willie Mays]], Joe DiMaggio, [[Mickey Mantle]], [[Roger Maris]]."<ref>{{cite web |title=Ted Williams Museum & Hitters Hall of Fame |url=http://www.tedwilliamsmuseum.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117122946/http://www.tedwilliamsmuseum.com/ |archive-date=November 17, 2017 |url-status=usurped |website=Ted Williams Museum}}</ref>

In 2013, the [[Bob Feller Act of Valor Award]] honored Williams as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the United States Marine Corps during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WWII HOF Players – Act of Valor Award |url=https://actofvaloraward.org/hof-players/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008204152/https://actofvaloraward.org/hof-players/ |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |access-date=August 18, 2021 |website=[[Bob Feller Act of Valor Award]]}}</ref>

==Military and civilian decorations and awards==

Williams received the following decorations and awards:<ref>{{cite web| website = The Official Site of Ted Williams |url=https://tedwilliams.com/about-ted-williams/ |title=Ted's Bio}}</ref>

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
| colspan="3"|[[File:Naval Aviator Badge.jpg|200px]]
|-
| colspan="3"|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=award-star|ribbon=Air Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=U.S. Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Presidential_Medal_of_Freedom_(ribbon).svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army of Occupation ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Korean_Service_Medal_-_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Presidential Unit Citation (Korea).svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Republic of Korea War Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
| colspan="6"|[[Naval Aviator insignia]]
|-
!1st row
|[[Air Medal]] with two [[5/16 inch star|{{frac|5|16|}}" Gold Stars]]
|[[Navy Unit Commendation]]
|[[Presidential Medal of Freedom]]
|-
!2nd row
|[[American Campaign Medal]]
|[[Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal]] with one [[Service star|{{frac|3|16}}" bronze star]]
|[[World War II Victory Medal]]
|-
!3rd row
|[[Navy Occupation Service Medal]]
|[[National Defense Service Medal]]
|[[Korean Service Medal]] with two {{frac|3|16}}" bronze stars
|-
!4th row
|[[Presidential Unit Citation (Korea)|Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation]]
|[[United Nations Korea Medal|United Nations Service Medal]]
|[[Republic of Korea War Service Medal]]
|}

==See also==
* [[DHL Hometown Heroes]]
* [[Major League Baseball titles leaders]]
* [[Triple Crown (baseball)|Major League Baseball Triple Crown]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career bases on balls leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career on-base percentage leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career OPS leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career times on base leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball individual streaks]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players who played in four decades]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Book sources===
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book|last=Bradlee|first=Ben Jr.|title=The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|year=2013|isbn=978-0316614351|url=https://archive.org/details/kidimmortallifeo0000brad_w7t4 |ref=Bradlee}}
* {{cite book |author=Linn, Ed |author-link=Ed Linn |title=Hitter: The Life And Turmoils of Ted Williams |publisher=Harcourt Brace and Company |year=1993 |isbn=0156000911 |url=https://archive.org/details/hitterlifeturmoi00linn_0 |url-access=registration |ref=Linn}}
* {{Cite book|last=Mersky |first=Peter B. |title=U.S. Marine Corps Aviation: 1912 to the Present |year=1983 |publisher=Nautical and Aviation Publishing Company of America |isbn=0933852398 |ref=Mersky |url=https://archive.org/details/usmarinecorpsavi00mers |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book|author=Montville, Leigh |author-link=Leigh Montville |title=Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero|publisher=Doubleday|year=2004|isbn=0385507488|url=https://archive.org/details/tedwilliamsbiogr00mont |url-access=registration |ref=Montville}}
* {{cite book |author=Nowlin, Bill |title=The Kid: Ted Williams in San Diego |publisher=Rounder Books |year=2005 |isbn=978-1579400941 |url=https://archive.org/details/kidtedwilliamsin0000unse |url-access=registration |ref=Nowlin}}
* {{cite book |author=Reis, Ronald |title=Ted Williams |publisher=Infobase Publishing |year=2008 |isbn=978-0791095454 |url=https://archive.org/details/tedwilliams0000reis |url-access=registration |ref=Reis}}
* {{Cite book|last=Seidel |first=Michael |title=Ted Williams: A Baseball Life |year=2000 |url=https://archive.org/details/tedwilliamsbaseb0000seid_u2s8 |url-access=registration |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-0803293083 |ref=Seidel}}
* {{cite book |author1=Williams, Ted |author2=Underwood, John |title=My Turn at Bat: The Story of My Life |publisher=Fireside Classics |year=1969 |isbn=978-0671634230 |url=https://archive.org/details/myturnatbatstory00will |url-access=registration |ref=Williams}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
===Articles===
* {{cite magazine |last=Underwood |first=John |author-link=John Underwood (sportswriter) |title=Going Fishing with the Kid |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2015/02/07/si-60-going-fishing-kid-ted-williams-florida-keys |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=August 21, 1967}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Cramer |first=Richard Ben |author-link=Richard Ben Cramer |url=http://www.esquire.com/features/biography-ted-williams-0686 |title=What do you think of Ted Williams now? |magazine=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] |date=June 1986}}
* {{cite news |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/williams_tribute/ |title=A tribute to the Splendid Splinter |first=Jim |last=Huber |author-link=Jim Huber |date=July 2002 |website=[[CNN Sports Illustrated]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020930215735/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/williams_tribute/ |archive-date=September 30, 2002 |via=[[Wayback Machine]] |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite news |first=Dan |last=Shaughnessy |author-link=Dan Shaughnessy |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2018/08/29/ted-williams-would-turning-now-but-his-legend-never-gets-old/IspyYOMI7emrzFgnR47oAP/story.html |title=Ted Williams would be turning 100 now, but his legend never gets old |newspaper=[[Boston Globe]] |date=August 29, 2018 |access-date=August 30, 2018 |url-access=limited}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/ted-williams-greatest-hitter-ever-lived-documentary/10293/ |title=Ted Williams: 'The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived' – About the Film |publisher=[[PBS]] |date=June 7, 2018 |quote=Premiere date: July 23, 2018}}

===Books===
====By Williams====
<!--Williams's autobiography is one of the cited books; because of that, it is not listed here.-->
* {{cite book |author1=Williams, Ted |author2=Underwood, John |title=The Science of Hitting |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=1971 |url=https://archive.org/details/scienceofhitting00will |url-access=registration |isbn=978-0671621032}}
* {{cite book |author1=Williams, Ted |author2=Underwood, John |title=Ted Williams' Fishing the Big Three: Tarpon, Bonefish, Atlantic Salmon |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=1982 |url=https://archive.org/details/tedwilliamsfishi00unde |url-access=registration |isbn=978-0671244002}}
* {{cite book |author1=Williams, Ted |author2=Prime, Jim |title=Ted Williams' Hit List: The Best of the Best Ranks the Best of the Rest |publisher=Masters Press |year=1996 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781570281808 |url-access=registration |isbn=978-1570281808}}

====Others====
* {{cite book |author=Holway, John |title=The Last .400 Hitter: The Anatomy of a .400 Season |publisher=Brown & Benchmark Pub |year=1991 |isbn=978-0697141293 |url=https://archive.org/details/last400hitterana0000holw |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |author=Halberstam, David |title=The Teammates: A Portrait of Friendship |publisher=Hyperion |year=2003 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/teammates00halb_0 |isbn=978-0786888672}}
* {{cite book |last1=Halberstam |first1=David |title=Summer of '49 |year=2006 |publisher=HarperPerennial |isbn=978-0060884260 |url=https://archive.org/details/summerof49ps00halb |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last1=Leavengood |first1=Ted |title=Ted Williams and the 1969 Washington Senators: The Last Winning Season |year=2009 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0786441365 |url=https://archive.org/details/tedwilliams196900leav |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last1=Nowlin |first1=Bill |title=521: The Story of Ted Williams' Home Runs |year=2013 |publisher=Rounder Books |isbn=978-1579402402 |url=https://archive.org/details/521storyoftedwil0000bill |url-access=registration}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Baseballstats |mlb=124341 |espn=28096|br=w/willite01|fangraphs=1014040|brm=willia002the |retro=W/Pwillt103}}
* {{bbhof|williams-ted}}
* [https://tedwilliams.com Official Website]
* {{sabrbio|ted-williams}}
* {{IMDb name|0931775}}

{{S-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{succession box| before = [[Lou Gehrig]] | title = [[American League]] [[Major League Baseball Triple Crown#Hitting Triple Crown|Triple Crown Winner]]| years = 1942 and 1947 | after = [[Mickey Mantle]]}}
{{succession box| before = [[Mickey Vernon]] | title = [[Hitting for the cycle]]| years = July 21, 1946 | after = [[Bobby Doerr]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Navboxes|list=
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Ted}}
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