American · San Diego · Born 30 August 1918 · Died 2002-07-05Ted Williams was widely regarded as the greatest pure hitter in baseball history, twice interrupting his career for military service.
Ted Williams entered the final day of the 1941 season hitting .3995, a figure that would have rounded up to the .400 mark he was chasing. His manager offered to sit him out and lock in the milestone; Williams refused, played both games of a season-ending doubleheader, and went 6-for-8 to finish at .406 -- still the last time any MLB hitter has cleared .400 for a full season, over eight decades later. That decision says as much about how Williams wanted to be remembered as any of his statistics do: he considered a protected .3995 a lesser achievement than an earned .406, even with nothing left to prove and real risk of falling short. His two Triple Crown seasons (leading the league in batting average, home runs, and RBIs) came in years when he somehow didn't win the MVP award either time, a voting quirk that's remained a point of contention among historians ever since. Williams lost nearly five full seasons to military service as a pilot in World War II and Korea, years that would have added meaningfully to his career totals -- a gap that makes the numbers he did put up even harder to fully contextualize against hitters who played every season uninterrupted.
'The Splendid Splinter', last player to hit .400 in a season (1941)
He lost nearly five of his prime seasons to military service in two wars — despite which he finished with 521 home runs and a .344 career average.
Did You Know?How They Played
Left-handed power hitter with exceptional plate discipline
Lasting Impact
Greatest hitter who ever lived, last .400 hitter
Career Honours
- 2x Triple Crown
- 2x AL MVP
- 6x AL batting champion
- 19x All-Star selection
- Hall of Fame 1966
| Team | Period | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | 1939–1960 | 2292 |
American Athletes