MESSAGE BOARD
Ted Williams, 1918-2002
Legendary Red Sox Hall of Famer Ted Williams, the last baseball player to hit above .400, has died. Share your thoughts about The Kid.
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Ted: There just will never be another you.
Alfred, Lancaster, CA
I was born in 1961. Mr. Williams last season was 1960, what memory could I possibly share? It is this: my father, Paul, was born in 1917. He, too, served in WWII, in the Navy, in the Pacific. Had less-than-perfect eyesight not stopped him, he, too, would have been a Navy pilot. He, too, played baseball. In fact, he was a pitcher in the Red Sox farm system. Life has a funny way of meandering down paths one never anticipates, and I'm sure my dad never anticipated this one; just as he was to be brought up to the majors, he tore some of the muscles in his pitching arm, never making it to "the show". I tell you this because my fondest memory of the Kid involves my dad. While thumbing through a coffee table book on the history of the Red Sox, my older brother came across a photo. Handing the book to our father, he asked him if he recognized anyone in the photo. "Sure," my dad replied, "Ted Williams." My brother asked him to look more closely. Still, nothing more registered. "Dad, that's you in the dugout," my brother said. Lo and behold it was. To this day, the memory makes me smile (and, yes, we still have the book). I am fortunate my dad is still around. He has lost another of his contemporaries. I shall remember Ted Williams as I view my dad: a great man who served his country without complaint, did the best he could for his family, told it like it was, and loved the game of baseball.
Carroll-Ann , Mount Desert, ME
We should all tip our hats to Ted today. The greatest hitter ever has passed but the memory will live on forever. There will never be another like you, Ted! Thanks for all you did...you will be missed!!
JJ, Concord, NH
In my youngest days when he still played and then later, he became and still is what a baseball player for the Red Sox was supposed to be. I later learned he was also all that one could want an American to be, what a great one he was! I hooe he has found his "Field of Dreams"
matt, portsmouth, nh
Greatest hitter who ever lived. Redsox through and through. There is one thing he could do on earth, end the curse of the bambino. I guess he has to take care of that one somewhere else. Go get 'em Teddy.
Nat, Salem
While I am not a baseball fan, Mr. Williams' death shook me profoundly. As great of a player as he was, he held a much greater title; that of American citizen. As we recognize his well deserved accolades, we much not forget those he earned off the field. Whether it was his involvement with the Jimmy Funds or many other charity organizations, or simply a friendly smile and conversation with his fans, Mr. Williams' legacy is his altruistic concern as a fellow citizen. We should of course all mourn this hero's death, but even greater, we should be inspired to continue his legacy; one of involvement, concern for one's neighbors and community, one of charity and patriotism. The game Mr.Williams' played was not simply baseball; it was democracy.
Todd , Wakefield
I wish I could have seen him play. God now has someone to pitch to.
Scott , Gastonia, NC
I was there in 1960 when Ted played his last game at Fenway. I was a freshman at BC and sat in a 50-cent SRO seat behind home plate with my father and my uncle. One of the greatest days of my life, thank to the Greatest ballplayer ever.
Charles , South Portland, Maine
I saw him play as a boy growing up in Everett. I have a large autographed photo hanging in my office at home so I see him everyday. There was nobody like him and nobody will ever be what he was, a hero on the field and in the sky. I miss him already.
Dennis, Scottsdale, AZ
When I was 15, I was working as a vendor at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Many times teams employed a strong shift against Ted, and I noticed during batting practice he was stroking pitches over third base. The first time up, the White Sox used the shift and Williams hit a triple over third base. I can still remember it.
Edward, Quincy, MA 02171