Ted Williams (1918 – 2002) was one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, playing 19 seasons with the Boston Red Sox (1939 – 1960). He remains the last MLB player to hit over .400 in a season (.406 in 1941) and retired with a .344 batting average, 521 home runs, and the highest on-base percentage (.482) in history.
Born in San Diego, Williams excelled in baseball from an early age. He joined the Red Sox in 1939, quickly establishing himself as an elite hitter. In 1942, he won his first Triple Crown but paused his career to serve as a Navy and Marine Corps pilot during World War II. After returning in 1946, he won his first MVP award and led the Red Sox to the World Series. His career was interrupted again when he served as a combat aviator in the Korean War, flying 39 missions.
Williams won six AL batting titles, two MVP awards, and was a 19-time All-Star. He retired in 1960 after famously hitting a home run in his final at-bat. Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966, he later managed the Washington Senators (1969 – 1972). Outside baseball, he was a passionate fisherman and a dedicated philanthropist, raising millions for cancer research through the Jimmy Fund. In 1991, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His influence on the sport remains unparalleled, cementing his legacy as one of baseball’s all-time greats.