Our fathers and grandfathers followed major league baseball on the sports pages, radio, and TV. Cuban baseball fans were passionate and very knowledgeable. Did you ever hear your father say that Ted Williams was the best? I did. I remember a Cuban neighbor talk about going to Yankee Stadium and witness the “Williams” shift, or every defensive player positioned to stop his classic line drives. It didn’t work because Williams was unstoppable.
The great Ted Williams was born on this day in San Diego in 1918. He died in 2002. He did not play in Cuba, but may have visited in 1950 when Boston visited for spring training.
He was probably the greatest hitter ever, although his numbers were impacted by military service in World War II and Korea: .344 career batting average, a .482 On Base Average, 2,654 hits, 2,021 walks, 521 HR and 1,839 RBI.
Williams hit .406 in 1941, the last hitter to do so, and flirted again in 1957 with .388! Williams was also a bit temperamental with fans and the media. However, there was no better hitter once the game started.
My dad passed away in 2015, but I remember many chats about the great Ted Williams.