Williams hit for a lifetime average of .344, which ranks 6th all-time, and he also holds the record for the highest on-base percentage of all time at .482. When Ted Williams hung-up his playing cleats in 1960, he ranked third all-time in home runs (1. The Kid, Teddy Ballgame, Splendid Splinter or Thumper, View Player Bio Williams.553 on-base percentage in 1941 was also a Major League record that stood for 61 years until Barry Bonds topped it in 2002 (.582), then again in 2004 (.609). Never much of a power hitter, Carew was still one of the most lethal offensive weapons in all of baseball through the late 1960s, all of the 70s, and into the early- and mid-80s. "It was something that required a kind of nonstop consistency," Williams said of his .406 season in 1991. Posting at least a .400 batting average across a full Major League Baseball season remains one of the most difficult tasks in the game. The As started 22-year-old Fred Caligiuri, making wanna guess? The runner-up in our five-part series documenting the best years of Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams brings us to his 1941 season. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and . The highest batting average ever recorded was by Ted Williams in 1941 when he hit .406. But its not quite so simple as a choice between Sit or Play. Though Williams' .406 average was just a footnote in wire-service accounts in 1941, it's status grows more mythical with each passing year. One of our favorite websites, Baseball in Wartime, has put together the best biographies on every player who served. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Last-Modified: February 4, 2023 2:34 AM EST, Beerball: A History of St. Louis Baseball, Ted or Teddy or Teddy Ballgame or The Splendid Splinter, Herbert Hoover High School (San Diego, CA). Ted Williams hit .406 with the Boston Red Sox in 1941. . He went on a mid-summer tear, batting .432 in July and .463 in August, but simply had too much ground to make up at season's end. On September 28, 1960, at Boston's Fenway Park, Red Sox star Ted Williams hits a home run in the last at-bat of his 21-year career. Has there ever been a player that was a "Top Prospect" longer than Royce Lewis? 454/.655 compared to a .312/.432/.496 line for Williams. This was his fourth appearance, and the first against Boston. When the season is over, I'll get into the Navy as fast as I can.". Credit: AP. So he got some hitting in, reporting to the ballpark on Friday for extra batting practice at the suggestion of manager Joe Cronin. One of the most prolific hitters in the history of Major League Baseball, Ted Williams was a true master of the sport. August 30, 1918 Born in San Diego California, on August 30th 1918. Babe Ruth (95.1% in 1936) AND Honus Wagner (95.1% in 1936), and 1. Ted Williams one of the greatest hitters that ever lived. Helton's average remained at .390 all the way through Sept. 3, but a .284 average over Helton's final 26 games dropped him off the historic pace.Last day at .400: June 10How short was he? Musial, already a two-time . These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. In 1977 Carew played in 85 total games and is the only player to have multiple league-leading batting average seasons with over 85 games played. 14 hits shy of .400.T6. The charismatic outfielder by the way, had a 14-start hitting streak (he went 0-for-1 in a substitution appearance on August 4) at the time of the strike, so he was certainly showing signs of pushing the legendary figure. He struck out a batter every 5.56 at bats, a seven at bat differential between Ted and the rest of his opponents. Five hits shy of joining himself in the .400 club.4. At the age of 23 he hit .406 in 1941 winning his first of hour HR titles and first of six batting titles. Williams was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 20, 1939, with the Boston Red Sox. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. Lou Gehrig, 5. Williams being sworn into the U.S. Navy Reserve on May 22, 1942. 20 hits shy of .400.It's been 16 years since we've even seen a hitter sit above .380 at the All-Star break, signifying that the chances of seeing anyone break the .400 barrier in a season may be getting slimmer and slimmer. Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 - July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. Do you have a blog? July 5, 2002 Ironically, along with Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak that has stood the test of time since 1941, Boston Red Sox icon Ted Williams' .406 average put up that very same year is unsurpassed. He would bat a more human-like .304 over his final 13 games to finish five hits shy of history.Last day at .400: Sept. 19How short was he? But getting to know him a little later, the quote would be full . Other factors in Gwynns favor that season:He was hitting at least .300 since the first game,and his average had been steadily climbing since mid-May. It does not store any personal data. Stan Musial, one of the finest players in the majors during the late 1940s and in history, ended his holdout 75 years ago Saturday. 1941 is a very important year for baseball fans. Many thanks to him. Foxx, 5. He said, I want to play it out. As already mentioned, Williams .406 batting average is the highest off all-time while no other player has crossed the .400 mark. We'll never know how many total at-bats Gwynn would have ended up with if his 1994 season had gone to completion, but he would have needed just three more hits to finish at .400 during his strike-shortened campaign.2. The next four months were spent in the Preflight School at Chapel Hill, North Carolina where he turned out in the spring for the Chapel Hill Cloudbusters baseball team, featuring Pesky, Harry Craft, Buddy Hassett and Johnny Sain. Among the hundreds and thousands of ballplayers to have the opportunity over the past 75 years, not a single one has hit .400. . 8 - Ted Williams was ranked eighth by The Sporting News when they released their list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players in the history of baseball. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Five hits shy of .400.T3. On September 28, 1960, exactly 19 years after he went 6-for-8 to hit .406, Ted Williams played his last Major League game for the only MLB team he had ever played for. The now-70 year-old posted career-highs in pretty much every offensive category and led the league too, in runs scored (128), hits (239), triples (16), batting average (.388), on-base percentage (.449), and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.019). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Boston left fielder entered the last game of the season that year with a .3995 batting average. Pearson was the usual talk of the camp, and photographers delighted in posing him with his much taller teammates. Brett finished his career with more than 3,000 hits, 650 doubles, 130 triples, 300 home runs, and 200 stolen bases, to go alone with an elite .305/.369/.487/.857 slash line. Ted Williams had 521 home runs over his career. But after a red-hot summer, Brett woke up on the morning of Sept. 20 with an even .400 average -- the latest date that anyone on this list was at or above the magical mark. Posting at least a .400 batting average across a full Major League Baseball season remains one of the most difficult tasks in the game. 18 - Ted Williams was the eighteenth player in Major League history to end his career, during his last at-bat, with a home run, joining the "club" on September 28, 1960, with some assistance from the opposing pitcher, Jack Fisher. Highest Batting Average in a Season. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Ty Cobb (98.2% in 1936)? 9 - Ted Williams had his number "9" formally retired by the Boston Red Sox on May 29, 1984, the first player in team history to receive the honor and one of two numbers they retired that same day - the other being #4, for Joe Cronin. At season's end, Williams was five hits shy of . MVP Season 142 Runs, 38 HRs, 123 RBIs, 156 BBs, 343 TBs, .342 BA (1946) Ted Williams impressive career totals are a testament to his skill as a hitter and his legacy as one of the greatest hitters in the history of baseball. In 1941, he had the highest batting average of his career when he hit for .406. Ty Cobb is considered to be the greatest hitter of all-time, although that point is often argued to this day. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Its unfortunate, but batting averages continue to decline in baseball with much emphasis put on home runs. In 1936 the 18-year-old posted an impressive .271 batting average on 107 at bats in 42 games for the Padres. Ted Williams | National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque | Class of 1966 (HOF). Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1966. Indeed, Gwynn was heating up, hitting .420 (50-for-119) in his last 30 games before the strike. Page 128. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Ted Williams at bat. But more importantly, his average was now at .406593 or .407. He'd gone 2-for-5 with a run scored in a rout of the Chicago White Sox, but all that did was improve his batting average . copyright=new Date(); These batting averages cannot be compared directly because the distribution of major league batting averages has changed over the years. Former Team: Boston Red Sox. 18 July 2001. Ted Williams served as a Naval Aviator during World War II and the Korean War. Year by Year Leaders for Batting Average Major League Baseball Batting Champions. From 1939 to 1960, he spent his Major League Baseball career for 19 years mainly as a left fielder for the Boston Red Sox. Accurate description. Did you know that those who finished ahead of The Thumper were 7. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "He slid it in on the belly. The achievement of a .400 batting average in a season is recognized as "the standard of hitting excellence", in light of how batting .300 in a season is already regarded as solid. Brett saw an impressive .390 batting average in 1980 which marks the latest a player has qualified for .400 since 1941. Christy Mathewson, 6. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. So Ted and I were scheduled together. Free shipping for many products! Epic. Did you know that prior to Ted Williams, the only inductees who received more votes were 5. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 17 hits shy of .400.T6. Williams also had a batting average of .388 in 1942, .356 in 1947, .328 in 1948, .345 in 1949, and .317 in 1960. The dedication Williams showed to being the best hitter he could be on the field was responsible for his success on the field, but it will almost certainly never be duplicated. It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. Your email address will not be published. He also hit for .388 in 1957, which Rod Carew tied in 1977. His incredible talent and dedication to the game earned him a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966 and secured his legacy as one of the greatest hitters of all time. The day Ted Williams put his .400 season on the line. 3 Year Projections . 16 hits shy of .400.Ichiro Suzuki, 2004: .372Hard as it is to believe, Ichiro actually did not spend a single day of his 2004 season at or above .400. We have been getting good hitting and pitching, and both the cadets and officers on the team love to play baseball.". He has the fourth-most free passes (2021) in MLB history, and his career on-base percentage . Ted Williams' 0.406 in 1941, and George Brett's 0.390 in 1980. Ted Williams is the best pure hitter I ever saw. Ted Williams career batting statistics for Major League, Minor League, and postseason baseball . Did you know that in both of those historic seasons, The Kid did not win the Most Valuable Player Award (losing to Joe Gordon in '42 and Joe DiMaggio in '47)? In the All-Star Game in Detroit that year, Williams hit a game-winning home run. Despite his.170 batting average, Bill Bergen is regarded as one of the all-time great players. * Ted Williams himself lists Joe D in his book as the 5th greatest hitter ever, and he would be 6th with Williams included on his own list. What was Ted Williams' average? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. He was an eight-time National League batting champion, and he won five Gold Glove Awards for his outstanding defense. Gwynn spent his entire career with the San Diego Padres and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. A good batting average is anything around the .300 range or even high-200s. (Fun fact: A year earlier, John Olerud was still hitting .400 as of August 2, but he slumped down the stretch and finished with a .363 mark in 1993.). The Splendid Splinter led the league in walks eight times. Facing Fowler to lead off the second, Williams singled to right. During his time in the Major Leagues, Ted Williams hit an impressive 521 home runs and had a career batting average of .344. The Cardinals star missed out on the NL Triple Crown by just one home run, and he hit remarkably better on the road (.415) than at home (.334) that season. Bob Feller (93.8% in 1962), 4. Last date at .400: May 15How short was he? The Kid, Teddy Ballgame, Splendid Splinter or Thumper. Musial is the best all around hitter.'" Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Current Through End of 2023 Regular Season. All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com. For WWII, 4 years - 1942-1945; for the Korean War, he effectively lost 1952 and 1953. . He led the American League in batting average six times and is one of only three players to hit over .400 in a single season with a .406 average . Ted Williams was batting at .39955 going into the final day, a double-header, of the 1941 season. Williams was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 20, 1939, with . That the Red Sox lost, 7-1, in a game called after eight innings because of darkness was secondary. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. 2 - Ted Williams had two Triple Crown performances, first in 1942 (36 HRs / .356 AVG / 137 RBI), then a second time in 1947 (32 HRs / .343 AVG / 114 RBI). "Giant centerfield Willie Mays compared (Ted) Williams and ( Stan) Musial to sportswriter Roger Kahn. On a given day, a player would hit three of every ten at bats if they hit 300 with a 300 average. Ted Williams was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1966. Ted Williams, 1957: .388 A full 16 years later, Williams proved he had plenty of magic left in his bat in 1957. I am going to play ball this season, he announced. The same cannot be said of Ted Williams. the fifth start of his career. Rather than sitting out one or both of the final two games of the season to protect his .400 average, the precocious slugger put it on the line and went 6-for-8 to secure his place in history. 1941-05-02 MLB player Ted Williams' lowest average (.308) in year he hit over .400. . All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. The Ted Williams World Series stats seen below include his World Series year-by-year hitting stats, World Series fielding stats, and World Series pitching stats (where applicable). Williams, a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, hit.344 with 2,654 hits, 521 home runs, and 1,839 runs scored in his career. - Gaus, Ed. Johnny Sain walked the Babe in his one plate appearance as the old time Yankees lost 8-5. Did you know that Christian Yelich was the first Milwaukee Brewers player to win a batting title? . Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. "If I had known hitting .400 was going to be such a big deal, I would have done it again. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. He was 42 by the time the last game rolled around, but he was hitting well over .300 for the season and had 28 home runs. Ted Williams was known by the nicknames "Teddy Ballgame . Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Ted Williams played for 1 team, the Boston Red Sox. Thanks to the MLB strike of 1994, we never got the chance to see if the late Tony Gwynncould reach .400 that year. Because of his keen eye and incredible hand-eye coordination, as well as his willingness to pay attention to the game and his opponents, he was one of the best feared hitters in Major League Baseball. 1942-11-03 Boston Red Sox outfielder . Ted Williams was born on Friday, August 30, 1918, in San Diego, California. Ted Williams had done it. Stan Musial, 1948: .376Vin Scully once said that Musial was "good enough to take your breath away," and in 1948 he reached perhaps his most dizzying heights. Williams was one of those rare players who could hit for . He was in Hawaii awaiting orders as a replacement pilot and playing ball with a Marine flight-wing team when the war ended. Ted Williams, 1957: .388 At the age of 38, Williams found out first-hand how hard it is to record a .400 average. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball, Did not play in major or minor leagues (Military Service), Salaries may not be complete (especially pre-1985) and may not include some earned bonuses, Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. 93.4 - Ted Williams was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966, his first year of eligibility, receiving votes from 93.4% of the writers. In the second game Williams went 2-for-3 to finalize his average for the season at .406. I can do this by playing ball this year. Did you know that during the opening ceremonies he invited one active player to be attendance and it was Tony Gwynn? He was a master of the art of hitting, and his ability to consistently hit the ball with power and accuracy ensured that he was one of the most feared hitters in the game. Ted Williams, in full Theodore Samuel Williams, bynames the Splendid Splinter and Teddy Ballgame, (born August 30, 1918, San Diego, California, U.S.died July 5, 2002, Inverness, Florida), American professional baseball player who compiled a lifetime batting average of .344 as an outfielder with the American League Boston Red Sox from 1939 to 1960. from the SABR BioProject, More Ted Williams Pages at Baseball Reference. For the casual baseball fan, you may unfortunately remember George Brett best fromwhen he went bonkers during the pine tar game. Aside from that, the career-long Kansas City Royal was one of the best hitters in baseball through the 1970s and 80s, taking the proverbial baton from Carew. Aside from winning two Triple Crowns and being a two-time Most Valuable Player, Williams was also a 17-time All-Star. Although I never imagined that all these years later, no one else would do it again. He also had an incredible 2,654 hits, which ranks him 11th on the all-time list. Ted Williams played 19 seasons for the Red Sox. As the story goes, Ted Williams entered the final day of the 1941 season with a .400 batting average and a chance to sit out Boston's scheduled doubleheader against the A's, a move that would clinch the first .400 season in 11 years. . In 1941, he also had the most hits in a single season with 230 and the most home runs with 37. In the first game at Philadelphias Shibe Park on Sept. 27, 1941, right-handed knuckleballer Roger Wolff, 30 years old and playing in just his second Major League game, held him to one hit in four at-bats, dropping his average further to .39955, rounded up to .400 in some observers eyes (and the official record books). His average was up to .40089. This article (among others) that . However, the press and the fans were not happy and he enlisted in the Navy on May 22, 1942. Between the two, the Yankee Clipper's record-setting 56-game hitting streak and the Splendid Splinter's .406 season batting average have stood the test of time . Rod Carew, 1977: .388Carew and Williams each batted .388 exactly two decades apart, but we'll start with Carew, who maintained a .400-plus average into July en route to his sixth career batting title. 5.0. . 'Ted Williams was the best pure hitter I ever saw,' Mays said. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 12:52AM. His career was marked by numerous records and accomplishments, and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest hitters of all time. It is the reason we mentioned those three specific stats up above and to date, Ted Williams remains the only player in the American League to put together two Triple Crown seasons. Ted Williams Batting Average. 20 - Ted Williams opened a Hitters Hall of Fame in Hernando, Florida in 1994, selecting the top twenty all-time hitters using his own "secret formula" which he stated was a combination of on base percentage and slugging average. In 1958, the year Kubek played with him in the All-Star game, he won his sixth American League batting championship. Ted Williams once commented about those that fail 'only' seven times out of ten attempts will be the greatest in the game. Along with John Olerud in 1993, Brett remains just one of two players on the list that played in over 100 games when batting for the record. Tony Gwynn, 1994: .394Many who watched Mr. Padre during the 1994 season will still argue that he could have topped .400 if his season hadn't been cut short by the players' strike in mid-August. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. Teddy Ballgame led the team to a winning season (86-76) that year, but then had four losing seasons, finishing out his contract with 273 wins, 364 losses, and a .429 winning percentage. Did you know Ted Williams was there at the helm, due to their relocation from D.C. to Arlington, for the last Washington Senators game (September 30, 1971), AND the first Texas Rangers game (April 15, 1972)? The southpaw had pitched two innings against the Red Sox in 1940 but had spent most of 41 in the Minors. In the fourth, with the Sox now down 4-0, Williams smoked a double that slammed into the right-field wall, leaving a hole in a speaker mounted there. At season's end, Walker stood nine hits shy of history.Last day at .400: May 26How short was he?