Was Ted Williams the Best Hitter?
He Missed Five Years But Still Had Astronomical Batting Statistics
When Ted Williams was a youngster, he dreamed that one day he would be walking down the street and a father, walking with his son, would point to Williams and say, "Son, there goes the greatest hitter who ever lived."
Looking at his career statistics, and considering that he lost almost one-fourth of his career to military service, there is a strong case to be made that Teddy Ballgame's dream actually came true.
A Phenomenal Rookie Year
Ted Williams broke into the majors in 1939 as a tall, gangly 20-year old with the Boston Red Sox. In his debut season, the Kid, as he soon became known, hit .327 with 31 home runs and 145 RBI.
There was no Rookie of the Year award given until 1947, but Teddy Ballgame, as he would later be called, finished fourth in the American League MVP voting behind Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx and Bob Feller. It was an impressive first season, indeed. But the full extent of the Kid's hitting prowess wouldn't be revealed for two more years.
The Last Man to Hit .400
The 1941 season is best remembered for two things: Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak and Ted Williams finishing the season as the last man to hit over .400.
Williams entered the final day of that season hitting .3995, which would have been rounded up to .400 if he decided to sit out of the team's double-header. Red Sox Manager Joe Cronin told Williams that he could sit for the day if he wanted. But Williams played, later saying that he would have felt that he cheated if he sat out. He went 6 for 8 in the twin bill, and ended the season with a .406 batting average. No player has hit .400 since.
The War Years
Williams missed three full seasons (1943-45) and most of two others (1952-53) when he served as a bomber pilot with the United States Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean Conflict. The missed seasons -- all of which were smack dab in the middle of his prime -- affected his career statistics perhaps more than any other hitter who served.
Williams Narrowly Missed a Triple Triple Crown
In the 107 year history of the modern era, only eleven players have won the Triple Crown. Only two have won it twice. One of the double winners is Williams, and believe it or not, the Splendid Splinter, as he was also nicknamed, came within 2/1000ths of a percentage point from winning three Triple Crowns in his career.
In 1942, he led the American League in batting average (.356), home runs (36) and RBI (137).
Seven years and one World War later, Williams took home his second Triple Crown when he topped the A.L. in batting (.343), home runs (32), and RBI (114).
Two years after that, in 1949, Teddy Ballgame led the American League in home runs (43) and RBI (159). But on the last day of the season, Williams lost the batting title to Detroit's George Kell when he failed to get a hit and Kell went 2 for 3.
Their final averages were so close that statisticians had to run them to the fourth decimal point to break the apparent tie. Although the two players are often listed as having both hit .343, Kell batted .3429 and Williams hit .3427, just two-one thousandths of a point from another batting title and a third career Triple Crown.
Ted Williams Career Hitting Statistics, Awards and Records
Williams retired after the 1960 season. When he finally hung up his cleats at age 42, he had a very, very impressive career hitting record, including:
- Lifetime batting average of .344 (7th best in history)
- 521 career home runs (3rd best when he retired - 15th best today)
- Career on base percentage of .482 (best ever)
- Two Triple Crowns (1942 and 1947) and two MVPs (1946 & 1949)
- 1,839 RBI (13th best)
- 6 batting titles and 4 home run crowns
- Led A.L. in slugging 9 times, in OBP 12 times, and in OPS 10 times
Williams's ability to hit for a high average and with such power has only been matched by Babe Ruth (.342 BA, 714 HR and 2,214 RBI) and Lou Gehrig (.340 BA/493 HR/1,995 RBI).
Imagine, however, what his career totals would have looked like if he hadn't taken time away from the National Pastime to be a War Hero.
What Could Have Been
In his last season before World War II, Williams hit 36 home runs and drove in 137 runs. Upon his return to baseball in 1946, he hit 38 home runs and had 123 RBI (and continued to post similar numbers though 1950). Assuming that Williams would have averaged similar numbers during the years missed, he would have collected approximately 110 home runs and 400 RBI.
Williams also missed the equivalent of 1.8 seasons to serve in Korea. This was a time in his career when he was still averaging 30 home runs and 100 RBI a year. So, tack on another 50 homers and 180 RBI for those lost years.
All of it adds up to this: Williams sacrificed approximately 160 home runs and 580 RBI to military service. Adding those numbers to his career totals, Williams would have ended his career with 680 home runs (4th highest ever) and a major league record of 2,419 RBI.
He also likely would have won at least one or two more batting titles, maybe another MVP, and perhaps even that elusive third Triple Crown.
But even without those years, Williams is still referred to as the greatest batsmen ever to step up to the plate in the big leagues. As time goes by, and his feats remain unapproached by even today's best hitters, the Williams legacy seems to grow every year. Will anyone ever hit .400 again? Can anybody win one Triple Crown, let alone two? Is any power hitter capable of topping .300 for seventeen straight years?
If someone does match his accomplishments some day, well, then that fella can be called the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived. Right now, that title belongs to the kid who always seemed to want it the most.
Ted Williams.
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