September 28 and Ted Williams

Ted Williams is featured twice on this day in history.   

On this day in 1941, Williams was batting .399955 when he woke up in the last day of the season.  He decided to play a double header against the A's.  Williams went for 6-for-8 and finished the season at .406.   

On this day in 1960, Williams hit a home run in his last at bat in the major leagues.

Let me add this note:  Williams also hit .388 in 1957!  

Was Williams the greatest hitter ever?    He is #1 on my list and I never saw him play.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

September 28, 1941: Williams showed some real character playing that doubleheader

---------

1941 was the year of DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak, the last summer before Pearl Harbor changed everything and Ted Williams ended up with a .406 batting average.  

It is remarkable to go back and see Williams' consistency: 

The eventual seventeen-time All-Star began the season going one-for-one with a 1.000 batting average.  Over the rest of the season, his average never fell below .308, and was almost always over .400.  In fact, on July 24, it stood at .397. It would never again fall below .400.  Williams wrapped up 1941 at 185-456, good for an average of .406. While Williams’ batting average garnered all of the attention in 1941, he also led the league in home runs (37), base on balls (147), runs (135), slugging average (.735), and on base percentage (.551). 

But here is the best part of the story. This is where this goes from another baseball story to a triumph of character.

This is where Ted Williams' talent and tenacity was displayed, as remembered in this article by Bill Pennington years ago:

Inside his room at Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin Hotel on Saturday, Sept. 27, 1941, Ted Williams was jumpy and impatient.That might have been an apt description of the mercurial Williams at most times, but on this evening he had good cause for his unease.His batting average stood at .39955 with a season-finale doubleheader to be played the next day at Shibe Park, home of Connie Mack’s Athletics.
Since batting averages are rounded to the next decimal, Williams could have sat out the final two games and still officially crested baseball’s imposing .400 barrier.At the time,
Williams said, “If I’m going to be a .400 hitter, I want more than my toenails on the line.”

So he went 6 for 8 and crashed through the .400 barrier.

As we learned later, Williams had many character flaws.  He wasn't the nicest guy in the clubhouse or with the media. He couldn't even return a salute to the fans at Fenway who cheered his last at bat, a home run, naturally.

Nevertheless, his performance in the last game of 1941 is a lesson for us all.  He could have sat out the double header and hit .400, or the rounded version of .3995. 
Instead, he put everything on the line and came out with a .406 average.

Love him or hate him, I have to love that he was not afraid to put everything on the line.  

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

We remember Grant Jackson (1942-2021)

-------------

We remember Grant Jackson who was born in Florida on this day in 1942 and died February 2021.

Jackson broke with the Phillies in 1965.    He had a very good year in 1969:  14-18 with 13 Complete games, a 3.38 ERA and 180 K's.    

In 1971, Grant was traded to the Orioles and Earl Weaver turned him into a bullpen specialist.   He saved 12 games for the AL East champions in 1974.     

In 1977, Jackson went to the Pirates and continued his great work out of the bullpen.   

He played for Pittsburgh when they beat Baltimore in the 1979 World Series.   In fact, he won game 7 and retired 7 Orioles to keep the Pirates in the game.   

A great pitcher and very nice man as well.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.