Leigh Montville Chronicles Life of Ted Williams
Former Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Pens Classic Baseball Book
Jul 4, 2009
At this time of year -- i.e., after the National Basketball Association Finals but before the National Football League season begins -- the thoughts of many sports fans turn to Major League Baseball. Old arguments emerge: Who was better: Ruth or Aaron? Mays or Mantle? DiMaggio or Williams?
Recent Baseball Debates
In recent years, however, many of the baseball debates have centered on negative aspects of the national pastime. Should Pete Rose regain his Hall of Fame eligibility after admitting he bet on baseball games during his tenure as a big league manager? Should Cooperstown open its doors for the stars of the steroid era?
The newest book from former Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Leigh Montville, Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero, could go a long way in re-igniting the older debates about the game. Montville's thoroughly researched narrative of the life of the "Splendid Splinter" reveals a man with a lifelong obsession with hitting a baseball harder and farther than anyone before him.
The Early Life of Ted Williams
Ted's early life was impacted by a troubled family life. His father was emotionally distant, and his mother's primary passion was her service in the Salvation Army -- that is, until she tired of her husband and began an extramarital affair. (It is also worth noting that Montville later devotes considerable space to discuss Ted's marriages and their attendant problems, mostly dealing with the fact that baseball was his first -- and perhaps only -- love.)
Baseball served as Ted's means of escape from the troubles in his home life. As far back as his friends could recall, Ted was fascinated by baseball in general and hitting in particular. He became so good at such an early age that he began playing minor league ball before he graduated from high school. News of the youngster's exploits spread around the baseball world rapidly, and he was soon signed by the Boston Red Sox, the only major league team for which ever played.
He made an immediate impact, generating amazing numbers within a couple of seasons. His .406 average in 1941 has not been equalled since. In fact, no one has come within ten percentage points of the mark in the last fifty-five years. He is one of the few players ever to win his league's triple crown (i.e., leading the league in home runs, runs batted in, and batting average in the same season). His career seemed to consist of one superlative season after another, despite what Williams regarded as an unappreciative Boston media that was unwilling to forgive him for disappointing in his only World Series appearance.
The book is filled with stories of Williams's career accomplishments, humanitarian efforts, and military service (at which Williams initially balked). Also, Montville pulls no punches in summarizing the controversies that surrounded Williams at the end of his life -- most notably, his alleged decision to be frozen after death. However, the account of Williams's final years does not detract significantly from the larger narrative of a baseball icon and an American hero -- a narrative that will be a welcome addition to baseball fans' libraries.
