Ted Williams explains who is the number 1 baseball player he ever saw
Вставка
- Опубліковано 28 кві 2024
- I have a second page. Please go to that page and subscribe to it. This is the link - / @michaeljordanfansaret...
If you would like to go on a podcast send me an email - TheTelephoneUniverse@Gmail.com
Please subscribe to this page. It takes time to get you guys these nice videos.
I also hope you press the like button. And I hope you press the notification button. - Спорт
Just so you all know, I have another UA-cam page called Michael Jordan fans are the worst sports fans of all time. Please subscribe to the page. This is the link to the page - www.youtube.com/@michaeljordanfansaretheworst
Ted could have sat out the final 2 games of the 1941 season and preserved his 400 average. Not Ted. He played both, went 6 for 8 and ended the season at .406. That tells you what you need to know about Mr. Williams
I read about an interview with Ted Williams, years ago, about that doubleheader. The other teams manager told Ted, we are going to pitch to you, just as if was any other day My opinion, that manager realized how significant the it was to be flirting with a .400 batting average. That is a show of RESPECT!!!!
He wasn't 400. He was something like .3998 or (w/e) and it would have rounded up to .400. The manager wanted to sit him and Ted says It's not .400 I am playing. The catcher for the Phil A's told him: Mr. Mack says we are going to pitch to you. We aren't going to give you anything, but we are going to pitch to you.
@@MrK623 Thanks for the update.
@@timothymcknight9485 Did not see your reply.
@MrK623 Yes. I was aware of the sub 400 average that would round up and the opposing team was going to pitch to him normally. Ted wanted to do it the right way. Not take the easy way out
Not only was Williams a great hitter, he was a great jet fighter pilot, and a world class fly fisherman.
Who fishes for Flies?😂
Also a very good photographer from what I’ve read.
I met Ted Williams in 1996, near his house in Florida, when he held a luncheon at a rehab center,
after recovering from a stroke! I had a rental property in the next town, Beverly Hills & heard about
it on the local radio! I had a free lunch, met, shook his hand & had a picture taken & spent an hour
listening to his stories! I'm not a big baseball fan, but have always admired Ted's life story! R.I.P. Ted!
And a great PROPELLER fighter pilot too. He flew fighter planes in WW2 in addition to Korea.
Ted Williams is the ONLY athlete in 2 Halls of Fame. Baseball and fishing.
Had a friend who got in a mini bike accident and loss the use of his legs. He went to a baseball card show and asked Ted Williams for his autograph. Ted said sure. Pulled out his checkbook and wrote him a check for $25 and signed it on the signature line. In the memo on the check he wrote “Hitting Lessons.”
Ted said “You can cash that, but I would recommend holding on to that.”
LEGEND!!
Along with Arnold Palmer he probably had the best looking autograph in all of sports, too. I wish I had penmanship like them.
You should look up Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford's autograph.....He has one of the best
@@clarkfry7792 he signed my ball over 30 years ago. indeed it's a nice sig.
My father served in the Marines in WW 2 and said that Ted Williams was a legend in his own time there. He apparently had the best eye test score ever up to that point in the USMC. Every man wanted to be John Wayne while John Wayne wanted to be Ted Williams
John Wayne did not want to be a soldier, just act like one.
@@leonpse John Wayne was a little old for WWll....
@@faroutgolf3650 Self-centered, too!
I've read he set aerial target gunnery records.
@@faroutgolf3650 James Stewart was just one year younger than Wayne, and he served. He flew in bombing missions over Germany.
Ted was known to be prickly at times but I really liked him in this interview. Came across as very humble and positive toward his peers.
I heard it the same way. One of the top 3 hitters of all time in my book.
Williams showed up for the troops in Korea. My father in law said he disappointed the troops. It was obvious he did not want to be there. With regards to this interview, he was great. Baseball is him.
@@saulchapnick1566 Not sure what you mean by he showed up for the troops in Korea (and disappointed them)?
@@kenkeast8519 many stars and celebrities went overseas to entertain the troops. The rapport between them was strong. That wasn’t the case with Ted Williams. I an not judging him. Many of these players were under contract to entertain the troops.
@@saulchapnick1566 That's what I thought, but I can't find any information on Williams being in Korea other than when he was recalled to active duty.............did he have "double-duty" ...............as an aviator, but then also have to do some appearances for other troops?
Ted Williams, Marine World War II & Korean War Fighter Pilot Veteran...thank you for your service sir.🇺🇸
During his peak years, no less.
The real John Wayne
The only thing missing was the MoH. And never once did he complain about the military. He said John Glenn was his personal hero. God, what a man !
That's what I was thinking.
Perfect swing, and he could fly an F-86. What a guy!!
Do you mean the F9F Panther, friend?
@CardinalRG You are correct! I wrongly assumed that Ted would only fly the best. Lol
He was humorless. Ask Stuttering John.
I am 71 and I am glad I was a kid and saw most of the players he mentions. The first live game I saw was between Cleveland and the Angels, the second Yankees against the Angels with Whitey Ford on the Mound and Micky Mantle ( my favorite Player) in Centerfield. The next night we saw the Dodgers vs the Giants with Sandy Koufax, my brothers favorite player. I know there are great players today, but I think Baseball was better back then.
it was most certainly better, by far.
Without a doubt!
First game I ever saw in person was at dodger stadium in 1966
Sandy was starting.
Koufax & Drysdale
That’s how I spent the summer of 66’
At dodger stadium every homestand.
I would plot the starting rotation in advance to make sure that it was either going to be Sandy or Don starting.
I was 16 and the summer of ‘66 was the happiest time of my life.
Life was simpler then. Sigh.
@@Amaberean I agree with that. I was 13 at that time.
@@coleparker Don’t you just miss it? Doesn’t matter how (or better) todays players supposedly are.
What they CAN’T replicate today is the settings and the “times”.
I don’t go to games any more. With the new rules it’s a totally different game altogether.
For example, with the “pitch clock”, extra innings “runner” starting at 2nd base, etc, they destroyed the biggest advantage that baseball had over other sports.
It was TIMELESS. The only game without a clock. From the first pitch to the last it gave the illusion that time itself was endless. Until the last pitch or last at bat you were suspended in world all its own. I’ll wax poetic here for a second. It was like we all were Peter Pan in a timeless “Never Neverland”. The closest one could get to eternity in this world.
In todays Baseball it’s Rush, Rush, Rush, so many seconds to make a pitch, can’t step out of the Box, limited throws to first base (which is GIVING the runner Second after your throw-overs are depleted.)
And not to mention PULLING pitchers when they’re working on a NO HITTER!
I completely stopped watching it about 5 years ago. They KILLED it.
Every Ted Williams interview you see he's always full of praise for other great players
Always.
I'm a die hard Yankees fan. I LOVE listening to Mr Williams. People have accused him of being braggadocios. I find him just the opposite. He was/is the greatest hitter ever. He recognizes so many that we at least close to him. True student of the game.
He was compulsively honest!
@@roscoefoofoo Yes, he was honest and direct. He knew he was great and he said so. He knew others were great and he said so.
The argument could be made that Ty Cobb was the best hitter ever. His stats are amazing and 4th all time stolen bases
In any case, it ain't bragging if you can do it.
He was so gracious to other players. And in his HOF speech he mentioned the great players in the negro leagues. What a man! The real John Wayne.
I loved seeing Mays, Mantle, Aaron, and Frank Robinson. I saw films of Ted Williams and Dimaggio. Ted Williams had a perfect swing. Got to add Stan the man Musial. I saw him play too. All of the above are some of the greatest to ever play the game.
and then there was Sandy Koufax.
Roberto Clemente
In this video, Ted praises Stan.
Maybe they’ll all show up in the Field of Dreams ball park.
There will be a million people trying to get in.
Had Ted not served for the U.S. military for those years, his MLB career would have been that much more impressive, at least in terms of the statistics. Ironically, his stepping away from baseball temporarily to serve his country makes him look that much more impressive. Ted Williams is definitely one of the best guys to ever play the game. The best hitter in the game according to many.
He’s right on DiMaggio. JoeD lost 3 years to WW2, but as a right handed hitter in enormous Yankee Stadium, Bill James said he had the largest home field disadvantage in baseball history probably costing 120 HR’s. He would have been high 500’s without WW2 and in any other ballpark. that with his average and 360ish strikeouts his whole CAREER and playing in huge Yankee Stadium CF getting to everything. JoeD is underrated.
Remember, Willie Mays played in the cavernous Polo Grounds in NY( left center 450 ft, center 483 ft, right center 450 ft) , then shifted to the notorious swirling winds of SF Candlestick Park (left center 397 ft, center 420 ft, right center 397 ft) - both tougher HR-hitting fields than Yankee Stadium. Mays also lost 2 years to Korean War service. DiMaggion is top-notch, but James' claims about field disadvantages seem at least a bit exaggerated.
@@waldolydecker8118 Polo grounds was 279 to the foul pole and a good chunk of left center was very close while it jutted out. There was a lot of space to pull the ball and get an easy HR. He played there only 5 yrs and averaged 36/year. Candlestick was 330 at pole and 397 in left center. not big shots. he didn’t have Dimaggios Yankee Stadium 450 left center his whole career
Ted himself voted Joe the greatest living ball player the year DiMaggio won it. Mays, Mantle, DiMaggio, Williams, Stan the man,etc., etc., etc. These are the players and teams I miss dearly and that era will always be baseball to me. It was almost a religion. Still has a place in my heart that conjures so many memories. What the hell happened ?
@@damohanson5393free agency amd steriods
You may be right but I doubt it. I don’t think Joe would ever have reached the 500 hr plateau.
He was a very heavy smoker when he played and I think he would have started slowing down and breaking down before he would have gotten there.
Just my opinion.
Ted's career numbers would have been much higher if he hadn't stopped playing twice to serve in WWII and the Korean War. To me, he is the best hitter that ever played the game.
Roberto Clemente was best player I ever saw. I'm 79. Watched a lot of great players starting in 1959. Clemente was the best.
Wow, must’ve been great back then.
Should baseball retire his 21 number like Robinson.
He really impacted Latinos in baseball.
Ted Williams has my enduring respect. He was a fabulous ball player but more importantly he was totally honest with his views in life. He told it like it was and didn’t let color influence his opinions.
Amen.
Truth. At some point one of the "Knights of the Keyboard" asked a question about Willie Mays passing his home run total and Williams' response was - and I quote: "you go, Willie">
Ted William's book on hitting was one of the best reads about the inner workings of baseball. I read The Art and Science of Hitting as a high school baseball player and had my best year at the plate for my team in 1989, playing a part in wining a State Championship. What a sharp mind and a great teacher!
@ ad 18 - He even said that Phillies' Hall of Famer, Mike Schmidt, amazed him by hitting more tham 500+ homeruns by swinging "down' . . . . .
He’s a direct and honest man from a harder era. One of the mentally strongest and most talented great Americans.
That's the thing that strikes me most. A genius in three competencies. Greatest hitter. Survivor in two wars' most dangerous job. And world class in Fishing's most cerebral division. And friends with the best men in each class. Hard to compare oneself with in my case. So I don't.
Ted was always very complimentary towards other players in any interview I’ve ever seen.
But he only drank half a cup of coffee. If he was caffeined out he might have criticized other players
@@hyzercreek What? if he... might have..? What is your point. My point is, and I'll take your word for it, he did only drank a half of cup of coffee and he didn't criticize other players.
Men who are supremely competent just love to see it in action anywhere it happens, whomever is the possessor, as long as the owner is a good man. A humble man is pretty much always a good man.
It was 1951 i was 8 allie reynolds had a no hitter 2 outs bottom of the 9th ted williams up hits a popup yogi berra drops it and next pitch another popup this time berra catches it.a no hitter.i was sitting 3rd base.i can remember it like yesterday
Ted's lifetime on-base percentage is a mind-boggling .482. If MLB had allowed sacrifice flies in 1941 he would have batted .413 that year. The greatest hitter of all time.
nothing comes close to early 2000's Barry Bonds. The most feared hitter of all time.
@@user-xu5xj3ym4k Before steroids Bonds had a .290 career batting average, a .402 on-base percentage, and a .554 slugging percentage. Williams had a .344 career batting average, a .482 on-base percentage, and a .634 slugging percentage. Even counting his steroid years, Bonds is well behind Williams in all three categories.
Williams was better and didn’t JUICE.
@@TheYaegerjeusmc Bonds never failed a drug test, accusations of juicing are all hearsay, and the same hearsay was said about Williams. Weird that you think steroids were invented in the 90's and not around when Williams played.
Besides, Bonds faced far better pitchers, and they were all scared of him. William's numbers are smaller than Bond's numbers.
@@TheYaegerjeusmc also, even Hank Aaron admitted to using steroids in 1969. Read the book "I had a Hammer" and maybe you wont be such a noob about baseball history. Doping was widespread in the 60's more so than the 90's.
ADD BACK TED'S 4 YEARS IN THE MARINES AND HIS LIFETIME RECORDS WOULD BE EVEN BETTER.
Left the game during the prime of his career, and still hit 500 home runs. Also, the last hitter to hit over .400 for a full year.
Plus missed yr because of war
@@richardmorris6365 Yes, exactly.
Ted missed almost 5 seasons, he was slower than molasses and Boston writers were vindictive morons. E.G. One year Ted won the triple crown and one Boston writer did not give him a single vote. And they voted for 1-10. Triple crown and not a tenth place vote- Disgusting and petty
Ted Williams has a baseball instructional book that teaches mechanics of hitting….every kid should have one
I"m 64 , when i was a kid an old guy told me babe ruth was the greatest ballplayer ever, i figurered he was just talking about home runs , but he kept bringing up other stuff, i can't remember all he said but when i left i was convinced he was right . baseball is a game of stats, babe needs to be revisited .
Babe doesn't need to be revisited - he's generally regarded by all to be the best baseball player who ever lived.
The first MLB game I attended was the 1960 opening day game at Griffith stadium in DC. The Senators played the Boston Red Sox in what was Ted Williams' final season. The Senators won the game 10-1, and the one run was a Williams homer out of the park!!
My dad stood and applauded and I didn't know why since it was the opposition. He explained that it was in appreciation for a great player.
As a footnote, I also witnessed a MLB record that day that still stands today! Washington's pitcher was Camilo Pascual who just happened to strike out 15 Red Sox which stands as the record for strikeouts in an opening day game to this day.
I'm pretty excited about that!
That’s pretty cool. My dad always talks about his first game from August of that season, at Fenway, when they celebrated Ted Williams’ birthday.
and Pascual is still alive.
Great story. As a Mets fan we always cheered on Willie Mays of the SF Giants
Awesome memory, you’re very lucky to have seen it. I remember the day I saw a rare occurrence. I was 16 and got cheap tickets but good seats to a dodger game. They’re playing the expos and Mike Morgan and Dennis Martinez are pitching. Pops is going to trust me to drive to the ravine with a buddy. We lived in oc. Sunday day game, bueatiful day. El presidente pops a perfect game. Only time in my life I rooted against my boys, well only 4 innings. Both pitchers were perfect through 5. Morgan went 9 innings for a complete game but Martinez through the perfecto. Plus he was the first no USA born player to it Listening to vin call it on ear piece while you’re watching a game like was perfect in of itself. Love baseball. Truly lucky we were to see such things in person.
I remember Pascual beating the Yankees 1-0. On Pascual's home run.
Teds respect for DiMaggio' is pure class as his observations of Mantle Mays etc
I grew up as a Red Sox fan in Massachusetts, but was too young to have ever seen him play ... the Yaz era was when my fandom kicked in. But Ted was such an all-time legend and I love coming across his interviews cuz he was so articulate and so honest. In my mind I will always think of him as the real-life John Wayne. He was truly a great American.
You got that exactly right.
In my humble opinion, Ted Williams is the best hitter in the history of baseball. I encourage everyone to review his lifetime stats and factor in the total time he was in the USMC, both WWII and Korea. Nobody else comes close. Sure, he wasn’t easy to deal with, at least that’s what the baseball press corps felt, but he was the best. DiMaggio, Mays, Mantle, Robinson, Musial, and Aaron were great ball players. That’s true. Yes, several had careers beyond the time of Ted. But that’s not the point, the point is, career to career, Williams is the best.
The modern era? Everybody was so juiced up fuggitaboutit.
Man he really would be unhappy with today's MLB mess.
Aren't we all?
Rest in peace Mr Ted Williams God bless 🙏 to you and your families 😊❤
God I wish I could've seen this Man play baseball. There will never be another Ted!
I read in a book once that during Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak, T.W. still outhit him for batting average.
Not only that, but for the first century, really, of MLB history (1876-1976), there wasn't an emphasis in on base %. Even box scores and lists of stats up until then mostly treated walks as a function of poor control by the pitcher and not discipline by the batter. It was a crusade of analysts like Bill James and Pete Palmer in the late 1970s and on into the 1980s to educate both fans and the teams themselves to recognize that certain hitters are more patient than others at the plate and consciously deciding not to swing at pitches out of the strike zone. This is why it wasn't until modern statistical research that we found out that whereas DiMaggio had hits in 56 consecutive games, Ted set the all time record for most consecutive games reaching base - in 1949 he had a streak of 87 consecutive games reaching base either by hits or walks. That's more than half a season!
But didn't Joe hit for another 27 consecutive games starting the following game after the end of the 56 game streak? Just saying that's pretty insane...
@@karlepaul6632 He followed up the 56 game streak with a 16 game streak after the first one got stopped. There was also some controversy surrounding one of Joe's games, I think it was #41 in the original streak. Roller down to 3rd base, fielder threw wildly to first, it was Joe's last at bat of that game and the only time he reached base. The official scorer called it an infield hit, kept the streak alive, say no more. Several days later the scorer admitted that every time he had ever seen that play he had always ruled it an error but in that one case he ruled it a hit specifically for the purpose of keeping DiMaggio's streak alive. But the ruling stood.
That’s actually inconsequential. Joe hit 408 during his streak . Ted hit 406 for the Season !! Joes average that season was 357. Pretty good but a far cry from 406. The streak is a bit more about luck than pure hitting skill . Ted almost always had higher on base. Slugging % , batting average ,walks , He was even that year the better hitter . DiMaggio definitely the better all around player.
@@karlepaul6632 Big reason he won MVP
His humility just makes me think him that much greater.
And a fighter pilot in 2 wars..... great man
Very well spoken I wish we had more players and thoughts like that today😊 rest in peace
So well-spoken, every other word doesn't include, "you know."
Or "like"...
Or genuinely/actually/literally/honestly
Ted gives one of the very best acceptance speech at the HOF, exhorting the inclusion of black players. The Hall would never hold out afterwards, must see speech.
He was a Veteran of both WW2 and the Korean wars. We'll never know how truly great he was.
Ted Williams was definitely underrated. A lot of people today grew up during the wrong time. In the history of baseball, those guys were the best.
Williams has never been underrated.
you can't be serious? how old are you? Williams was NEVER underrated, ever.
He’s not underrated. He’s literally regarded unanimously as the greatest hitter of all time.
@@Jason_Voorh3es kids now days think they’re old farts who couldn’t compete in todays game.
Still are.
I was around Washington when he became the Senators manager. It was a thrill as a 13 year old just to see Ted Williams in the dug out, or bring the line up card out to the Umpires.
Class dude. He had the perfect swing.
Willie Mays my #1. He could do it all. Honorable mention Satchel Paige
I saw this legend,at Shands Hospital in Gainesville Florida back in the 80s,they had a back entrance for celebrities, I worked there and was taking a smoke break,and his son or grandson was driving a Cadillac Mr. Williams said too my me you need to give up the cigarettes,at first I didn’t realize who he was a friend later told me.
I saw Ted Williams in the late 80’s. They asked him what he would hit then with better athletes but a livelier ball. He said probably around 300. The interviewer pointed out that he had hit 400 in his prime. Was it that pitchers had gotten better? No. He said it’s just that I’m 70 years old now.
I've heard that. And he wasn't kidding.
Before he died, I saw an interview in which he said that he had been having dreams about batting against Randy Johnson....because he thought Johnson may have given him some trouble, with his height being so much different than other pitchers
Can anyone explain why Hank Aaron doesn't get enough credit for being a great hitter? Yes he hit for power, but dang, he was a hitter.
He had 3771 hits. So even if you took away all 755 homeruns he still got 3016 hits.
@mikekinsella2822 I have never understood why Hank doesn't get the credit for being a hitter. Hank was just a pure hitter, in my opinion.
Hank was just so consistent for so long. Not like all time greats but all those years he was excellent.
He played for Braves? Just like Stan who was Cardinal. Small market teams you don’t get as much publicity. New York guys get all the love.
Grew up in Wisconsin and a saw plenty of Aaron . Great hitter , great base runner , above average fielder . Wasn’t flashy and played in a small market . As good as Mays in my book , and I saw all the great NL players of the ‘50’s and 60’s . I’d also put Clemente in that group .
I met Ted Williams once, shook his hand. What a highlight!
Envious I am .
@@damohanson5393 It was a hot stove league dinner. I met some other ball players, Roger Craig and Enid Slaughter come to mind.
So did I in 1996!
I've had a couple such experiences, but no baseball ones. One of mine is the highest scoring Marine Aviator ever, and Guadalcanal savior Joe Foss. For a follow on he was the first commissioner of the AFL, Now the NFL's AFC. HE signed me up for a Life membership in the NRA on the spot, no sales required.
@@flparkermdpc Not my cuppa, but there’s a connection with Teddy Ballgame. He was an aviator I believe, but I don’t know which branch.
Teddy Ball Game is the Greatest Patriot ever to play professional sports. I learned the Ted Williams technique in high school with great success and taught it in little league albeit a simplified approach. The message is Ted Williams batting techniques are lessons to pass to each generation.
Let's remember Ruth was not only a great hitter, he was also a great pitcher.
Like Ohtani!
Teddy Ballgame may be the greatest hitter ever. 💯
Yes, my #2 is George Brett ...
Lol, George Brett. His OPS+ of 135 is not in the top 120 all-time. Hit the books.
@@razorback9926 Yes true, but nobody has challenged the .400 since Williams ...
Brett came the closest ... that's my point ...
Batting average is the single most useless stat in baseball. It treats a single and home run the same, both 1-1.
Ichiro (.311) had a high batting average, but his OBP was lower than Adam Dunn, even though Dunn had a .237 average.
Teddy Ballgame had a sky-high OPS+, second all-time to Ruth. His OBP was .482 which is nearly 50% reaching base.
@@razorback9926 Hey just so you know you can go on my program and go over the topic of analytics if you want then.
I had the honor of seeing Ted Williams play against the Washington Senators in Griffith stadium, he had eyes like a hawk, and the smoothest swing ever. The best hitter there ever was, #1 all time best player, with the best ethics.
You can't teach a player to hit, but you can coach technics. Not just stance, finding the right bat, and bat grip, but a mental attitude. Keep your eye on the ball was all most coaches ever told me, but it was a female teacher that taught me to believe I could. Most coaches try to change too many batting problems at the same time. This can also relate to other issues, but I'm sticking to batting. I coached for a very few years, but always had a winning team. I find too coaches want to work on stance, position at the plate, bat choice, bat grip, ball awareness at the same time. I took one step at a time and watch them carefully and recommend 1 improvement at a time. Once they master that, we move on. Sometimes the problem is coaching those that have had several coaches before. I've also coached players that technically looked all wrong, but had some of the best stats, I didn't try to fix what wasn't broken. Some people are just amazing, but they may need more guidance than coaching. Sorry, I'm an old man just going down memory lane. I've never met one pro player or coach in my life, but dearly loved the game.
Ralph Kiner was asked, "Who's the greatest ballplayer you ever saw?" He responded immediately "Joe DiMaggio", but then added, "Old-timers I knew said Ruth was better." That's always the way with baseball. Those long shadows eat up the field.
DiMagg was the better pure fielder than Ruth.
@@ohger1 But he couldn't hit like Ruth.
@@vestibulate or pitch
Years ago when I worked at restaurant in La Jolla, Calif Joe DiMaggio and a friend were seated at my table. I certainly knew who he was even tho he was older and I decided against asking for an autograph so he could eat in peace . I have second guessed that my entire life especially being such a baseball fan. ! He was extremely nice and polite.
I met Joe almost 30 years ago. It wasn't at a restaurant, though, so I asked him for his autograph! He was kind enough to sign a ball for me which I will always treasure. Such an interesting life filled with both great successes and sadness. After Marilyn died, he placed flowers on her grave every week for years. She really was the love of his life even though they couldn't make the marriage work.
He probably appreciated that at the time, too, and may recall it, if living as one of those few times not being interrupted. Especially when he was with MM.
Ted kicked ass both on the baseball field and on the battlefield-one of the most badass Americans ever!
He shows his strength of character here. It's not surprising he had great strength of character, he was a fighter pilot in WW2 and Korea. (He didn't see combat in WW2 but set records in aerial target gunnery. He did see combat in Korea, flying the Panther fighter jet.) A key to his success as a hitter and a fighter pilot was reportedly his extraordinary eyesight. I've read he stated that when he fired his guns he could see the ripples of his bullets passing through the air.
Redford wore #9 in "The Natural" for Ted Williams. If it's good enuff for Roy Hobbs, it's good enuff for me. ⚾
Such a Magnanimous man when praising rival .players ...Class act .
Greatest hitter in baseball. Imagine his stats had he sat out TWO wars.
Williams the best hitter, Mays the best player.
Ruth, greatest all around player. Could hit with power, .342 lifetime BA. and could pitch.
Ohtani?
@@SeptemberChild1835 How many years has O played in MLB compared to Ruth . . .
@@SeptemberChild1835 Ohtani's good, but he's not even remotely close to Ruth as a hitter or pitcher. Ruth's career batting average was .342 compared to Ohtani's .279. Ruth's career pitching record was 94-46 with a 2.28 ERA. Ohtani is 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA. Ruth truly excelled at both hitting and pitching...
I’m a Redsox fan thru and thru. Ted was an American hero but when wasn’t defended freedom he was greatest hitter ever. Pain in the ass probably but it was because he expected perfection from himself and everyone else around him to work as hard as possible to get there as well. Mr. Williams is an amazing man.
Go Ted. Go BoSox with Ted. And this is from a sick, sick Bronx Bombers fan for life.
One thing about being old, I saw most of those players play.
My favorite baseball player of all time. I’m only 26 and I never seen him live, but his story and stats are just amazing. Idc what era he played in I believe him to be the greatest all around hitter ever. Contact, power, walks, ( take away Barry bonds * )
if he was born in the 2000’s and grew up hitting an adjusting the way players are today I still believe he would have the career he’s had. A truly great player who was robbed of half his prime and 4/5 more MVP’s
Without even looking, I’m going to say Willie Mays.
Imagine what Willie Mays or Ted Williams would command $$$ in today's market
Joe D
wow, such incredible humility for arguably the greatest hitter ever. this was awesome.
What great radio Ted Williams had
Ted Williams last at bat, he hit a home run. Ran the bases and went straight to the locker-room got dressed and left. Fan were waiting for him to come back and take a bow. I watched the game on television. I had an autographed news clipping of the homerun. I gave it to my barber.
Can you imagine what his contract would be if he were in his prime now.
A great player and a great man!
Ted Williams was a straight shooter. There's a 90s interview, with a local Boston sports reporter, with Ted, Bobby Orr and Ted Williams. Ted and Bobby Orr were great friends. Ted Williams was so appreciative of athletic talent. It was great to see a guy who straight up admired great athletes. Ted thought the world of Bobby Orr and was excited to meet Larry Bird.
Great interview with a great ballplayer.
In the 50’s Ted was accused of shooting pigeons in Fenway Park. I watched a game in Baltimore soon after, he came to the plate and was booed (which was routine for Baltimore, at the plate he turned the bat around and prentended he was jacking a round in the chamber. The crowd. gave him a standing ovation. I read many articles by Mr.Williams and I never read one adverse word he might have e said about another player. A two war veteran the best hitter in all of baseball!
I'm only 61 so I didn't see those guys but I did see Roberto Clemente he's my favorite.
I'm your age too and the first World Series I remember running home from school to watch was Pittsburgh/Baltimore in 1971. Roberto Clemente was my favourite player too. His death hit me hard as a little kid.
The Great One.
Great American. The best compliment I can give anyone, and this right here is a GREAT American!
AMEN!!
I admire the way in which Ted talks about other players and their greatness, he is an honorable man.
He likes to kill animals for fun then.
We must consider Ty Cobb and Stan Musial along with Ted Williams as the best hitters in the game. Close second place would be Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio.
He and John Wayne have almost the exact same voice.
But Williams deserved his voice a lot more.
Ted hit .406 but the MVP went to DiMaggio who had a 56 game hitting streak.
To hit .400 means basically 2 hits a every game. For a hitting streak, that’s one hit.
As a kid growing up in NYC, Mickey Mantle was my idol, Mayes was unbelievable too but the Giants left for California, Williams by far the best hitter I had the pleasure to see in person at Yankee Stadium. He was also a class act.
Around 1949 or 1950 there was serious talk between the Yankees and the Red Sox about a straight up 1 for 1 swap, Williams for Joe D. Luckily for the Sox that deal never happened because DiMaggio retired after 1951 and Ted still had several excellent seasons left in his career. I can see why NY wanted to pursue this trade, though. Despite the Yanks always having outstanding pitching staffs, especially with plenty of good left handed pitchers, I mean that was a big part of why they won so many titles, Ted hit very well in Yankee Stadium. It would have been a good park for his hitting style. That short porch in right field would have received a lot of Williams homers!
You are one of many who bring up "class act!" You would never know it if you listened to Boston sportswriters who were the jesters in Ted's court.
You are one of many who bring up "class act!" You would never know it if you listened to Boston sportswriters who were the jesters in Ted's court.
@@flparkermdpc it is possible that both descriptions are true, Ted Williams was respectful of other professionals and their accomplishments on the field and was a difficult interview with local press. I recall how outraged the NYC press was when Micky signed a six figure contract for $100,000. Looking back the same reporters would be going nuts with today’s contracts.
Ted the greatest hitter that ever lived. Babe, Joe D, Willie M, Hank A. greatest players.
Stan Musuals numbers are just mind-boggling.
Musial*
@@michaeljames4630 lol, right
No they're not
@fidge54 Well, then you know nothing about baseball.
His 1948 season needs more attention.
His leads over the player in second place in most categories were chasms.
He dominated baseball, WWII and the Sears catalog. His name was on every kind of sporting equipment and dress suits. I had a Ted Williams weight set from Sears. I got it for Christmas. My friends dad had all kinds of Ted Williams fishing and camping equipment. He even had a Ted Williams canoe.
Did you have a Ted Williams freezer?😊
@@dan-vv8gs Was there a Ted Williams freezer? That was probably for putting all the wild meat people hunted with Ted Williams guns.
I think Ted Williams was the most humble and gracious baseball player in the game too - RIP. I don’t know when this video was made, but we can’t leave out a few players from the 80s as well and there were many of them. Like Gwynn, Schmidt, Brett and Parker to just name some.
He named all the apostle's of baseball in this interview.
Except Ty Cobb!! And Bob Costas never mentioned Ty Cobb either for a reason: Ty was the ONLY baseball player that could hit better than Ted Williams. Ty was a monster at the plate with a bat in his hands!
@@nikolaivista920 he doesn't always get the love due to his aggressive ness. He didn't mention Ruth or Gerhig either.
@@Spacejunk57 Ted did mentioned both Ruth and Gehrig at the tail end of the interview. Watch again with subtitles. And Cobb's aggressiveness is what made him lethal! Everybody praises Michael Jordan for being ruthless and aggressive. But most people, like you, don't praise Ty Cobb for being ruthless and aggressive. It's about charisma and Ty Cobb did not have any charisma. One of many reasons why he was disliked (along with being a @sshole!).
@@nikolaivista920 Cobb was one of the best but he was a mean S. O. B.
@@Spacejunk57 Is not a personality contest. Or a title for who is the nicest person. If that was the case, then Derek Jeter is the best hitter ever!! I am not a Cobb fan. He was a terrible person. No doubt. But, Ty Cobb is the best hitter ever!!! Better than Williams. Just look at the stats. And they both played until the age of 41.
I too read his book the Art and Science of Hitting when I was a senior in high school. I had my best year at the plate. Confidence, confidence, hit good pitches, and more confidence. You gotta spit on the ground and believe you're the best hitter on the field. The power of the mind is incredible. "Come on meat, throw me that weak a** sh**"
It's so sad to watch the way America was and then see the way America is.
Most great professionals are prickly
Always striving to improve
Imagine if he hadn’t missed 4 seasons in his prime to serve in the war.
Semper Fi my Brother!
No question in my mind, he and the Babe were the best 2 pure hitters ever.
often I think of who were the best 1 - 2 hitters; the on-base guy, then the slugger. Easy to be impressed in person (as a boy) Vada Pinson & Frank Robinson
Such a talented and smart hitter. They shoulda' saved his brain to see what made him so talented. Oh, wait...
If not for his military time, he'd be even more in the GOAT convo and probably the leader in the clubhouse w/ Ruth, Mays, and yes, Bonds
For me, Teddy Ballgame is the best pure hitter of all time… his swing was pure beauty… and he had an eye for the ball like no other, maybe Tony Gwynn or DiMaggio compare, but he’s the best… and my favorite player, eventhough I was born in the 1980’s, I’ve always loved Ted Williams.
you may not always agree with his politics or manner of speech, but he was a stand-up guy.
advocated for black players during his hall of fame speech.
he probably understood it more than most, he was, after all, the son of a Mexican woman.
Honestly it's incredible to see him in color television, I associate him with such a different era