Ted Williams
Baseball Great Ted Williams Dies
July 5, 2002
Baseball legend and former Boston Red Sox great Ted Williams died Friday at the age of 83.
The Hall of Famer hit .344 in his 19-year career with the Red Sox with 521 home runs and 1,839 RBI. He won the American League batting title six times and baseball's Triple Crown twice, in 1942 and 1947. He flirted with a .400 average again in 1957, batting .388. He served in the Marines during the 1943-44-45 seasons and was recalled to duty during the Korean War.
Williams was inducted to Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1966.
As a rookie in 1939, he hit .327 with 31 homers and 145 RBIs, easily the top batting statistics ever for a rookie. Williams was batting .3996, which would have rounded off to.400, going into the final day of the 1941 season. It was suggested that he sit out the day's doubleheader, but Williams refused. Instead, he played both games and went 6- for-8 to lift his average to .406.
"Teddy Ballgame" went on to manage the Washington Senators and Texas Rangers in 1969-72 and maintained a lifetime connection with the Red Sox.
The Red Sox retired his number 9 in 1984.

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