THERE GOES THE GREATEST HITTER WHO EVER LIVED: Ted Williams, the last player to hit .400 in a season and the most notable player in the history of the Boston Red Sox franchise, passed away on Friday at the age of 83. Born in August of 1918, Williams played for the Sox from 1939 until 1960, taking time off in the process to fight in both World War II and Korea. The Splendid Splinter was a three-time MVP, played in one World Series, hit .406 in 1941, and hit a home run in his final major league at-bat in 1960. While a majority of today's fans never saw Williams play (indeed, his retirement even predates the perview of ESPN Classic), "Teddy Ballgame" is indeed generally considered the greatest hitter of the 20th century. And unfortunately, the only Red Sox championship of his lifetime was the one they won when he was two months old.
Posted by Stephen Silver at July 7, 2002 10:40 AM