[76], Williams was discharged by the Marine Corps on January 28, 1946, in time to begin preparations for the upcoming pro baseball season. Williams's baseball season of 1941 is often considered favorably with the greatest seasons of Ruth and Bonds in terms of various offensive statistical measures such as slugging, on-base and "offensive winning percentage." You're one of the most natural ballplayers I've ever seen. Being financially prepared for transition is critical, especially if you're facing a long job search ahead. Stump, Al. Williams was on uncomfortable terms with the Boston newspapers for nearly twenty years, as he felt they liked to discuss his personal life as much as his baseball performance. To reprint or license this article or any content from Military.com, please submit your request. [92] Williams was also almost traded for Joe DiMaggio in 1947. When Williams returned, he signed a $98,000 contract on May 13. Williams then went to NAS Jacksonville, Fla., for a 10-week course in aerial gunnery, a combat pilots graduate-level test. At the time of his retirement, Williams ranked third all-time in home runs (behind Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx), seventh in RBIs (after Ruth, Cap Anson, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Foxx, and Mel Ott), and seventh in batting average (behind Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Lefty O'Doul, Ed Delahanty and Tris Speaker). [117] Williams was out for six weeks, and in April he wrote an article with Joe Reichler of the Saturday Evening Post saying that he intended to retire at the end of the season. "If Ted returns to the Marines and passes up the seasons of 1952 and 1953, he would be asked to pick up the threads of a broken career at the age of 35, so dubious an undertaking that it verges on the impossible," wrote Arthur Daley of the New York Times, prior to Williams' enlistment. From the Tampa Bay Rays website: "The Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame brings a special element to the Tropicana Field. [96] Williams was the third major league player to have had at least four 30-home run and 100-RBI seasons in their first five years, joining Chuck Klein and Joe DiMaggio, and followed by Ralph Kiner, Mark Teixeira, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Braun through 2011.[97]. His .482 on-base percentage is the highest of all time. A look back at Ted Williams' service in the U.S. military, The VA presents stories of New England athletes, and their ties to service for their country and community, made one of his most memorable public appearances. They quickly became good friends, and Williams flew half his missions as Glenn's wingman. After two years of earning high marks during training, he obtained a commission in the Marine Corps. [105] The Yankees won the first of what would be five straight World Series titles in 1949. The Service World Series with the Army versus the Navy attracted crowds of 40,000 for each game. (During his crash) he was on fire and had to belly land the plane back in. Ted Williams served two stints as a Marine Corps pilot during his career, including a combat assignment during the Korean War. "Unlikely to be realized, though, is his one burning ambition. He served through 1945 and returned to the Red Sox in 1946, helping the team win the American League pennant and taking home the MVP award. [31], While in Minnesota, Williams quickly became the team's star. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. "[170] Bobby-Jo and her attorney, Spike Fitzpatrick (former attorney of Ted Williams), contended that the family pact, which was scribbled on an ink-stained napkin, was forged by John-Henry and/or Claudia. [10], Williams's paternal ancestors were a mix of Welsh, English, and Irish. Williams married the socialite model Lee Howard on September 10, 1961, and they were divorced in 1967. Williams demanded loyalty from those around him. [62]) Philadelphia fans ran out on the field to surround Williams after the game, forcing him to protect his hat from being stolen; he was helped into the clubhouse by his teammates. [52] Bobby Doerr later claimed that the injury would be the foundation of Williams's season, as it forced him to put less pressure on his right foot for the rest of the season. It was the second-best thing that ever happened to me. Probably the farthest thought on Williams mind in those immediate postwar years was the possibility of renewed military service. Also in that eight-team league were Joe DiMaggio, Joe Gordon, and Stan Musial. Williams led the league in base on balls with 136 which kept him from qualifying under the rules at the time. This article appeared in the March 2021 issue of Military History magazine. Famous for his extraordinary batting record during his decades-long career with the Red Sox, Ted also displayed heroism as a fighter pilot in two wars, and his tireless efforts on behalf of the Jimmy Fund. He earned his second Triple Crown in 1947only the second major league ballplayer to have done so (Rogers Hornsby was the first, in 1922 and 25). Their son John-Henry was born on August 27, 1968, followed by daughter Claudia, on October 8, 1971. Williams was also named the Red Soxs MVP in 1946 and 49. Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to: Search the largest free Veteran Job board to find jobs with veteran-friendly companies. On May 1, 1952, 14 months after his promotion to captain in the Marine Corps Reserve, Williams was recalled to active duty for service in the Korean War. He resumed his role as spring training instructor for the Red Sox in 1978. In 1947, he won his second Triple Crown. Friends of Williams gave him a Cadillac, and the Red Sox gave Williams a memory book that was signed by 400,000 fans. In 1941, the entire country followed Williams's stunning .406 season, a record that has not been touched in over six decades. He was selected for the Major League Baseball All-Time Team in 1997 and the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. He trained as an aviator and went on active duty in November of 1942. Self-guided tour or VIP experience. He is one of only 29 players in baseball history to have appeared in major league games over four decades. In The Boston Globe, the publishers ran a "What Globe Readers Say About Ted" section made out of letters about Williams, which were either the sportswriters or the "loud mouths" in the stands. The Red Sox played three more games, but they were on the road in New York City and Williams did not appear in any of them, as it became clear that Williams's final home at-bat would be the last one of his career. Ted flew 39 combat missions in Korea and his planes were hit by enemy fire three times. "Cobb: A Biography." Unlike many other Major Leaguers, he did not spend his career playing on service teams. [131] Williams lost the batting title to Mickey Mantle in 1956, batting .345 to Mantle's .353, with Mantle on his way to winning the Triple Crown. Throughout his career, Williams made countless bedside visits to children being treated for cancer, which Williams insisted go unreported. Naval Reserve on May 22, 1942. The pact document was signed "Ted Williams", the same as his autographs, whereas he would always sign his legal documents "Theodore Williams", according to Montville. The man who would become one of Americas most celebrated athletes was born Theodore Samuel Williams in San Diego on Aug. 30, 1918. [106], In 1950, Williams was playing in his eighth All-Star Game. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. To his surprise Ted Williams was among those summoned. During a large strike over Kyomipo, Korea, Williams was hit by North Korean forces and safely crash landed. Williams continued his involvement in the Jimmy Fund, later losing a brother to leukemia, and spending much of his spare time, effort, and money in support of the cancer organization. [118], On the first day of spring training in 1954, Williams broke his collarbone running after a line drive. After completing his training - and setting records for gunnery scores thanks in part to his remarkable 20/10 eyesight - Williams received his wings and Marine Corps commission on May 2, 1944. . As the aircraft from VMF-115 and VMF-311 dove on the target, Williams's plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire, a piece of flak knocked out his hydraulics and electrical systems, causing Williams to have to "limp" his plane back to K-3 air base where he made a belly landing. In 1941, the entire country followed Williams's stunning .406 season, a record that has not been touched in over six decades. [78], On February 16, 1953, Williams, flying as the wingman for John Glenn (later an astronaut, then U.S. Yet the media continued to ride him, leading to the withdrawal of an endorsement contract with Quaker Oats. He holds the all-time record for career on-base percentage (.452) to this day, and no one else has been able to hit .400 or above since he hit .406 in 1941. [150], Williams flew 39 combat missions in Korea, earning the Air Medal with two Gold Stars representing second and third awards, before being withdrawn from flight status in June 1953 after a hospitalization for pneumonia. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. [163] Another writer similarly noted that while in the 1960s he had a liberal attitude on civil rights, he was pretty far right on other cultural issues of the time, calling him ultraconservative in the tradition of Barry Goldwater and John Wayne. [60] Red Sox manager Joe Cronin offered him the chance to sit out the final day, but he declined. But his work as a member of the Marine Corps made him an American icon. The Baseball Writers Association of America named him the American Leagues Most Valuable Player in both 1946 and 49. [5] Williams resented his mother's long hours working in the Salvation Army,[9] and Williams and his brother cringed when she took them to the Army's street-corner revivals. (Many more MLB players would enter service during the 1943 season. A Red Smith profile from 1956 describes one Boston writer trying to convince Ted Williams that first cheering and then booing a ballplayer was no different from a moviegoer applauding a "western" movie actor one day and saying the next "He stinks! The incident caused an avalanche of negative media reaction, and inspired sportswriter Austen Lake's famous comment that when Williams's name was announced the sound was like "autumn wind moaning through an apple orchard.". He flew 37 combat missions during the Korean War as a Marine Corps captain, joining future astronaut John Glenn in the same fighter squadron. For eight summers and parts of others after that, he would give hitting clinics and talk baseball at the camp. Williams was born in San Diego on August 30, 1918,[4] and named Theodore Samuel Williams after former president Theodore Roosevelt as well as his father, Samuel Stuart Williams. In 1972 he called Nixon, the greatest president of my lifetime.[162] In the following years, Williams endorsed several other candidates in Republican Party presidential primaries, including George H. W. Bush in 1988 (whom he also campaigned for in New Hampshire),[164] Bob Dole in 1996, and George W. Bush in 2000. Though Williams had only a high school diploma, the Navy was happy to accommodate him. Williams batted .356 in 320 at bats on the season, lacking enough at bats to win the batting title over Al Kaline, who batted .340. "If I'm going to be a .400 hitter", he said at the time, "I want more than my toenails on the line. He stood out like a brown cow in a field of white cows." [16] Williams graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in San Diego, where he played baseball as a pitcher and was the star of the team. "Teddy Ballgame" left baseball in 1942, after earning the Major League Baseball Triple Crown, to jointhe United States Navy Reserve during World War II. Red Sox legend Ted Williams proudly served as a Marine Corps aviator during World War IIit was his service in Korea that came as a surprise, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot, Why? Those accomplishments paled in comparison to his service off the field. That was good enough for me, Williams recalled in his autobiography. In December 1937, during the winter meetings, the deal was made between Lane and Collins, sending Williams to the Boston Red Sox and giving Lane $35,000 and two major leaguers, Dom D'Allessandro and Al Niemiec, and two other minor leaguers. He famously used a lighter bat than most sluggers, because it generated a faster swing. Ted's elder daughter, Bobby-Jo Ferrell, brought a suit to have her father's wishes recognized. Williams was immediately taken out of the game, and X-rays of his arm showed no damage, but his arm was "swelled up like a boiled egg", according to Williams. [54] Williams's average slowly climbed in the first half of May, and on May 15, he started a 22-game hitting streak. The pride of the Red Sox was preparing to enter spring training for the 1952 season when the call came on January 9, catching him completely off guard. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum). One writer left Williams off his ballot. Despite the cheers and adulation of most of his fans, the occasional boos directed at him in Fenway Park led Williams to stop tipping his cap in acknowledgment after a home run. The players said it was even better than the actual World Series being played between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs that year. The names Ted Williams, . [65] Williams placed second in MVP voting; DiMaggio won, 291 votes to 254,[66] on the strength of his record-breaking 56-game hitting streak and league-leading 125 RBI. Cobb apparently had strong feelings about Hornsby and he threw a fit, expelling Williams from his hotel room. Though his will stated his desire to be cremated and his ashes scattered in the Florida Keys, Williams' son John-Henry and younger daughter Claudia chose to have his remains frozen cryonically. (Pitchers justly feared throwing The Thumper hittable pitches, so they walked him instead.). [63], In January 1942, just over 2 years after World War II began,[67][68] Williams was drafted into the military, being put into Class 1-A. Williams flew 39 missions and earned an impressive array of medals and awards. [27] Williams was then sent to the Double-A-league Minneapolis Millers. He emerged unscathed from the spectacular belly landing, but his Panther was a write-off. Williams pushed back, saying: "They're always saying that I don't hit in the clutches. [116] The Red Sox went on to win the game 53, thanks to a two-run home run by Williams in the seventh inning. [147] Williams had been classified 3-A by Selective Service prior to the war, a dependency deferment because he was his mother's sole means of financial support. His career batting average of .3444 is the highest of any player who played his entire career in the live-ball era following 1920. "Ted flew as my wingman on about half the missions he flew in Korea," Glenn told MLB.com. The obvious answer was to recall inactive aviators to service. The home run is still considered to be the longest home run ever hit in the old Comiskey Park, some saying that it went 600 feet (180m). "[62] Williams went 6-for-8 on the day, finishing the season at .406. For one, he wasnt on a baseball field, and the action was definitely not part of any game. [74] Williams later said he was "flabbergasted" by the incident, as "after all, it was Babe Ruth". Williams thought it was Mel Webb, whom Williams called a "grouchy old guy",[95] although it now appears it was not Webb. Williams reported for duty on May 2, 1952. On May 21, Williams passed Chuck Klein for 10th place, on May 25 Williams passed Hornsby for ninth place, and on July 5 Williams passed Al Simmons for eighth place all-time in career home runs. [72] He was the third Red Sox player to hit 100 home runs with the team, following his teammates Jimmie Foxx and Joe Cronin. In his book, Cramer called her the love of Williams's life. [165], According to friends, Williams was an atheist[166] and this influenced his decision to be cryogenically frozen. Williams, who suffered . Williams was named to the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame in 2000. Seven years later, reservist Williams was called up again to serve in the Korean War as a fighter-bomber pilot with the 1st Marine Air Wing. These memorable displays range from Ted Williams's days in the military through his professional playing career. After joining the Red Sox in 1939, he immediately emerged as one of the sport's best hitters. Even so, criticism in the media, including withdrawal of an endorsement contract by Quaker Oats, resulted in his enlistment in the U.S. Military and civilian decorations and awards. Baseball Legend, Marine Corps Aviator. Williams received his pilot's wings and commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on May 2, 1944. . Bush in combat pilot training, and their friendship endured", "Padres honoring Ted Williams is right on many levels", George Bush Presidential Library & Museum, "Ted Williams would be turning 100 now, but his legend never gets old", "Ted Williams: 'The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived' About the Film", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ted_Williams&oldid=1151431762, September 28,1960,for theBoston Red Sox, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 24 April 2023, at 01:03. Players from both teams surrounded Williams on the mound to show their respect for the legend's inspiring career, both on and off the field. Keep up with headlines and events at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and see who will be taking their place in history next. Hed soon find his groove. But on Jan. 9, 1952, Williams was called from a list of inactive reserves to serve in the Korean War. By seasons end hed managed a hit one of every three times at bat, with 31 home runs and 145 runs batted in, making him the first rookie to lead the American League in RBIs. After eight weeks of refresher flight training and qualification in the F9F Panther jet fighter with VMF-223 at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Williams was assigned to VMF-311, Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33), based at the K-3 airfield in Pohang, South Korea. After finishing the 1942 season, the young ballplayer entered the Navys preliminary ground school at Amherst College in Massachusetts for six months of academic instruction in such relevant subjects as mathematics and navigation. [61] In mid-September, Williams was hitting .413, but dropped a point a game from then on. Whatever gave me the idea he could act?" [58] DiMaggio grounded to the infield and Billy Herman, attempting to complete a double play, threw wide of first base, allowing Keltner to score. "Much as I appreciate baseball, Ted to me will always be a Marine fighter pilot," Glenn told Mayo. Born and raised in San Diego, Williams played baseball throughout his youth. The odds seemed just as long his service affiliation would ever again interfere with his baseball career. [79] On July 14, after Williams hit three home runs and eight RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader, Lou Boudreau, inspired by Williams's consistent pull hitting to right field, created what would later be known as the Boudreau shift (also Williams shift) against Williams, having only one player on the left side of second base (the left fielder). He served his country with distinction and honor for three years. The maternal, Spanish-Mexican side of Williams's family was quite diverse, having Spanish (Basque), Russian, and American Indian roots. 1966 Induction Ceremony", "Ted Williams met George H.W. Pitchers apparently feared Williams; his bases-on-balls-to-plate-appearances ratio (.2065) is still the highest of any player in the Hall of Fame. [63], Williams joined the Navy Reserve on May 22, 1942, went on active duty in 1943, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps as a Naval Aviator on May 2, 1944. [7][8] while his mother, May Venzor, a Spanish-Mexican-American from El Paso, Texas, was an evangelist and lifelong soldier in the Salvation Army. John-Henry's lawyer then produced an informal "family pact" signed by Ted, Claudia, and John-Henry, in which they agreed "to be put into biostasis after we die" to "be able to be together in the future, even if it is only a chance. "[142] He also asserted that it made no sense crashing into an outfield wall to try to make a difficult catch because of the risk of injury or being out of position to make the play after missing the ball. In the second week of spring training in 1941, Williams broke a bone in his right ankle, limiting him to pinch hitting for the first two weeks of the season. Show your love of the game and play a part in preserving past and ensuring the future of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Williams' average season, 1939-42 and 1946-49: 148 G, 186 H, 33 HR, 130 RBIs, 138 BB, 9.0 bWAR. [173] Inquiries to cryonics organizations increased after the publicity from the case. The draft board agreed and changed his classification to 3-A, deferring his call-up. [145] This story was later refuted by Ted Williams himself.[146]. On November 18, 1991, President George H. W. Bush presented Williams with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the US. [5] He later amended his birth certificate, removing his middle name,[5] which he claimed originated from a maternal uncle (whose actual name was Daniel Venzor), who had been killed in World War I. The clerk who read the name didnt connect it with the popular ballplayer and set the wheels in motion for his activation. [157], Williams lived with Louise Kaufman for twenty years until her death in 1993. [64] Along with his .406 average, Williams also hit 37 home runs and batted in 120 runs, missing the triple crown by five RBI. [3] Williams's involvement in the Jimmy Fund helped raise millions in dollars for cancer care and research. Retired U.S. Marine Col. John Miles writes and delivers lectures on a range of historical topics. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum). Williams qualified to fly the Vought F4U Corsair. After retirement from play, Williams helped Boston's new left fielder, Carl Yastrzemski, in hitting, and was a regular visitor to the Red Sox' spring training camps from 1961 to 1966, where he worked as a special batting instructor. Flying a total of 39 missions, he lost part of his hearing and survived many extremely dangerous situations. Shrapnel had knocked out the fighters hydraulics, meaning Williams could not lower the Panthers landing gear or flaps. [151] John Glenn described Williams as one of the best pilots he knew,[147] while his wife Annie described him as the most profane man she ever met. Williams said he would buy Orlando a Cadillac if this all came true. [60], In late August, Williams was hitting .402. Williams was first sent to the Navy's Preliminary Ground School at Amherst College for six months of academic instruction in various subjects including math and navigation, where he achieved a 3.85 grade point average. He continued to play with great success until 1942 when he enlisted after the United States had entered World War II. Reserve your tickets, map your route, and work out all the details for your arrival in Cooperstown. Ted choked and was only able to say," ok kid". "I was no hero. July 5, 2002. [112] After the season, manager Steve O'Neill was fired, with Lou Boudreau replacing him. Fans responded with a standing ovation that lasted several minutes. He could not forgive the fickle nature of the fansbooing a player for booting a ground ball, and then turning around and roaring approval of the same player for hitting a home run. Higgins later was hired as the Red Sox manager in 1955. [27] Also during spring training Williams was nicknamed "the Kid" by Red Sox equipment manager Johnny Orlando, who after Williams arrived to Sarasota for the first time, said, "'The Kid' has arrived". [88] The 1946 World Series was the only World Series Williams ever appeared in. The .406 batting averagehis first of six batting championshipsis still the highest single-season average in Red Sox history and the highest batting average in the major leagues since 1924, and the last time any major league player has hit over .400 for a season after averaging at least 3.1 plate appearances per game. (September 11, 2011). Beginning in 1961, he would spend summers at the Ted Williams Baseball Camp in Lakeville, Massachusetts, which he had established in 1958 with his friend Al Cassidy and two other business partners. [119] Williams returned to the Red Sox lineup on May 7, and he hit .345 with 386 at bats in 117 games, although Bobby vila, who had hit .341, won the batting championship. They were divorced in 1972. Thirty-eight letters penned by Hall of . During the 1949 season he also set a record by reaching base in 84 consecutive games. He followed that up with another 90 combat missions in the Korean War, where his co-pilot on many of them happened to be another American legend in baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Ted Williams. by M.L. [55] By the All-Star break, Williams was hitting .406 with 62 RBIs and 16 home runs. Williams reported for active dutyfirst attending a refresher course at NAS Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, Pa., followed by operational training at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. After qualifying in the new Grumman F9F Panther, Williams was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33), comprising two fighter squadrons based at K-3 in Pohang, South Korea. At nineteen years old, Williams was taken on by the Boston Red Sox. When he came to bat he spat in the direction of fans near the dugout. Unlike many athletes who were pressed into military service, Williams was involved in active combat during the Korean War. This was the only game which featured both Williams and Lou Gehrig playing against one another. [180], The Ted Williams Tunnel in Boston, Massachusetts, carrying 1.6 miles (2.6km) of the final 2.3 miles (3.7km) of Interstate 90 under Boston Harbor, opened in December 1995, and Ted Williams Parkway (California State Route 56) in San Diego County, California, opened in 1992, were named in his honor while he was still alive. [181], The Tampa Bay Rays home field, Tropicana Field, installed the Ted Williams Museum (formerly in Hernando, Florida, 19942006) behind the left field fence. Williams's best season as a manager was 1969 when he led the expansion Senators to an 8676 record in the team's only winning season in Washington. Williams even served for a time as Glenns wingman. An action-oriented athlete with tremendous reflexes and hand-eye coordination, he wanted to be an aviatorspecifically, a naval aviator. A vastly curtailed aviation budget prompted the Marine Corps to release large numbers of aviators to the inactive reserve, which meant the Corps was desperately short of pilots when war broke out in Korea. Williams began receiving offers from the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals when he was still in high school, but his mother signed him up for the San Diego Padres since she believed he was too young to leave home. Williams also had an uneasy relationship with the Boston fans, though he could be very cordial one-to-one. In later life the famed former ballplayer developed heart disease. In 2016, the major league San Diego Padres inducted Williams into their hall of fame for his contributions to baseball in San Diego. Ted Williams : biography 30 August 1918 - 05 July 2002 Notes Military service World War II Williams served as a naval aviator (a U.S. Marine Corps pilot) during World War II and the Korean War. place Williams, along with Ruth and Barry Bonds, among the three most potent hitters to have played the game. Saul was one of his mother's four brothers, as well as a former semi-professional baseball player who had pitched against Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Joe Gordon in an exhibition game. [132], In 1957, Williams batted .388 to lead the majors, then signed a contract in February 1958 for a record high $125,000 (or $135,000). [47] Williams played the rest of the game, and he even singled in a run to give the American League the lead in the fifth inning, but by that time Williams's arm was a "balloon" and he was in great pain, so he left the game. Williams joined the Naval Reserve on May 22, 1942, in the middle of a season that would see him win the American League Triple Crown. [32] He collected his first hit in the Millers' first game of the season, as well as his first and second home runs during his third game. Williams rejected this; when he liked a western actor like Hoot Gibson, he liked him in every picture, and would not think of booing him. Their friendship effectively terminated after this altercation. Capping off a busy year, he won the 1942 Major League Baseball Triple Crown for having led the American League in batting average, home runs and RBIs. [63] (Sacrifice flies were counted as at-bats in 1941; under today's rules, Williams would have hit between .411 and .419, based on contemporaneous game accounts. He followed this up by winning his first Triple Crown in 1942. While in Pearl Harbor, Williams played baseball in the Navy League. Gibson died early in 1947 and thus never played in the majors; and Paige's brief major league stint came long past his prime as a player. Ted Williams exploits on the baseball diamond are legendary. Williams flew 37 combat missions, many with Glenn. He was uninjured and flew again the following day, but again took enemy fire over Chinnampo. His fame and celebrity grew until he died 5 July 2002. His father was a World War I veteran. After leaving the military, Williams went straight back to playing baseball. Once again a civilian and back stateside, Williams practiced with the Red Sox for 10 days before playing in his first postwar game, on Aug. 6, 1953. [107] Both of the doctors who X-rayed Williams held little hope for a full recovery.
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