We'll start with Garciaparra, who carried a .400-plus average longer than anyone else (July 20) in the quartet and, fittingly, came the closest in this group to matching the Red Sox legend.Last day at .400: July 20How short was he? 3 - Ted Williams surrendered three hits during his two innings of work when he took the mound on August 24, 1940. On September 28, 1960, at Boston's Fenway Park, Red Sox star Ted Williams hits a home run in the last at-bat of his 21-year career. He was right about that and the list of batting champions below, reflects those great hitters who truly dominated during a single season of play. Ted Williams' 0.406 in 1941, and George Brett's 0.390 in 1980. His lifetime batting average was .344. When the pair returned to the team hotel, Cronin and a coach were sitting in the lobby. Three Landmarks of baseball achievement are Ty Cobb's batting average of .420 in 1911, Ted Williams's .406 in 1941, and George Brett's .390 in 1980. Or write about sports? According to Baseball-Reference, Bill Bergen has the worst career batting average in terms of points. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. It's still only April, but Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday is on pace to tie the highest season batting average since Hall of Famer Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941, becoming the last big leaguer to top the magic .400 barrier. Never much of a power hitter, Carew was still one of the most lethal offensive weapons in all of baseball through the late 1960s, all of the 70s, and into the early- and mid-80s. Williams' batting average was 47 points higher than Washington's Cecil Travis, who was second. Between games, the 41-year-old Grove was honored before taking the mound to start the nightcap. The Boston left fielder entered the last game of the season that year with a .3995 batting average. Throughout his entire career, Williams batting average never dropped below .300. During his time in the Major Leagues, Ted Williams hit an impressive 521 home runs and had a career batting average of .344. Interestingly enough, although it has been three-quarters of a century since anybody has hit .400 or better, the top four outputs all happened within a 22-year span, with Carew being the oldest. Did you know that those who finished ahead of The Thumper were 7. Willie Mays, and 1. (Voted by BBWAA on 282/302 ballots) 93.4 - Ted Williams was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966, his first year of eligibility, receiving votes from 93.4% of the writers. A brief excerpt from Ted Williams biography appears below (we highly recommend you visit his page [Link] for the full story along with dozens of historical photographs): Williams had been classified 3-A in the military draft due to the fact that his mother was totally dependent on him. Significant homerunsIn the second game of a doubleheader against Kansas City.Williams knocks the ball six rows deep in the right-field grandstand and gives the Red Sox a 1-0 victory. Reasonable shipping cost. Ted Williams is widely recognized as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. The future Hall of Famer didnt have much, though, giving up three runs in the first in what would be the last inning of his career. (Age 42-029d) (Sunday was also scheduled to be Lefty Grove Day as Philadelphia feted the 41-year-old Red Sox hurler who had spent his first nine seasons with the Athletics. Ted Williams MLB Stats - Official Site for "The Splendid Splinter", MLB Hall Of Famer Ted Williams #9, Boston Red Sox . in San Diego, CA Gwynn spent his entire career with the San Diego Padres and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. This article (among others) that . Its unfortunate that the shortened-campaign stole a chance at baseball history, but the San Diego Padres Hall-of-Famers .394 in 1994 still stands as the closest anybody has come to the Splendid Splinter after all these decades. I have my mother to support. Four of the top five players are also right-handed hitters, with Cano being the lefty of the bunch. He played baseball for the base team, the Bronson Bombers, which won the Training Command championship that year. Babe Ruth, 48 years old, pinch-hit in the 7th inning and flied out to right, but the all-stars won 9-8 on a Ted Williams home run. Did you know that when Willie McGee won his 1990 batting title, he started the season in the National League, was traded to an American League team on August 29th, and became the first player in baseball history to win a batting a title in a league that they were not currently playing in? Rather than ruminate in his hotel room that night, Williams and Red Sox equipment manager Johnny Orlando who had bestowed The Kid nickname on Williams when he arrived at his first Spring Training went out for a walk. On July 12, 1943, a team of Armed Forces all-stars managed by Babe Ruth and featuring Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams played the Boston Braves in a fund-raising effort. In the last 80 years, the highest career batting average RH 324.6, Joe DiMaggio. Ted went 4-for-5 in the first game [box], bringing his batting average to .404, then went 2-for-3 in the second game [box], ending the season with a .406 batting average, making him the last player to bat over .400 in a season. Ted Williams, 1957: .388 A full 16 years later, Williams proved he had plenty of magic left in his bat in 1957. The Kid,Teddy Ballgame,Splendid Splinter,Thumper are nicknames for Ted Williams. 2023 NBA Playoff Pools, Picks, Predictions, Odds, Super Bowl 58 Pools, Picks, Predictions, Odds, 2023 March Madness Pools, Picks, Predictions and Odds, 2023 College Basketball Conference Tournament Central, 2023 NHL Playoffs Pools, Picks, Predictions, Odds, 2023 Oscars Contenders Index & Information, 2023 Oscars Category Predictions & Forecasts, What is The Bullpen in Baseball & Why its Called That, Baseball Betting Strategies: Key Tips For Advanced Bettors. It was during this discussion that I asked him, How do you want to handle it? Cronin said. Babe Ruth (95.1% in 1936) AND Honus Wagner (95.1% in 1936), and 1. All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com. Only Robinson Cano and Trea Turner represent the other two of five active players with a career batting average above .300. The day Ted Williams put his .400 season on the line. 22 - Ted Williams was an inaugural inductee into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, one of twenty-two enshrined in 1995. His season . If you're wondering, Ted Williams is the last player to hit over .400, doing so in 1941 with a .406 batting average. Williams received his pilot's wings and commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on May 2, 1944. 'Ted Williams was the best pure hitter I ever saw,' Mays said. Williams, the only Major League Baseball player to hit over.400 in 1941, had an incredible year that year, batting.406. Walker finished his career with 383 career home runs, a .313/.400/.565/.965 slash line, and 230 stolen bases for good measure. Williams was one of those rare players who could hit for . Plenty of headlines the next day looked beyond the third decimal: Sox Top As; Williams Falls to .399Teds Average to .39955; Last Try at .400 TodayWilliams Batting Average Now .39955; Chips Down TodayTed Williams Slumps Below .400 With Two Games LeftWilliams Average Drops Below .400Ted Williams Slips Below .400 MarkRookie Drops Ted Williams To .399 MarkTed Williams Batting .399. This was his fourth appearance, and the first against Boston. Copyright 1999- vs. BAL 3 AB, 1 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB. from the SABR BioProject, More Ted Williams Pages at Baseball Reference. * Ted Williams himself lists Joe D in his book as the 5th greatest hitter ever, and he would be 6th with Williams included on his own list. Ted Williams, 1957: .388 At the age of 38, Williams found out first-hand how hard it is to record a .400 average. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 to 1960; his career . No other player has crossed the .400 line in a season since then, and probably never will. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. But what made Williams so remarkable was his lifetime batting average, a staggering .344. Following the 1942 season, which produced his first Triple Crown (.356, 36 HR, 137 RBIs), he joined the V-5 program with a view to becoming a Naval Aviator. It is appropriate to place Williams among the greatest hitters of all time, as his career numbers demonstrate his greatness. Its hard to say which one is more undeniable: Bill Bergen or Ty Cobb. Average for the last 12 months. Bud still does presentations for groups about Ted Williams but said this year was his final fantasy camp. document.write(update); He had a . 5.0. . Exceeded rookie limits during 1939 season, Nicknames: Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. 20 hits shy of .400.It's been 16 years since we've even seen a hitter sit above .380 at the All-Star break, signifying that the chances of seeing anyone break the .400 barrier in a season may be getting slimmer and slimmer. When they shifted on him, everybody to the right side, he still kept trying to pull the ball for hits. He'd gone 2-for-5 with a run scored in a rout of the Chicago White Sox, but all that did was improve his batting average . He was a master of the art of hitting, combining great hand-eye coordination and power with a keen knowledge of the strike zone. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Current Through End of 2023 Regular Season. Last day at .400: July 10How short was he? Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1966. Jimmie Foxx), seventh all-time in runs batted in (RBI) (1. In 1957, at the age of 39 and while playing for a lackluster team, Williams became the oldest man to win a batting title, with a spectacular .388 average, and then won the title the next year (.328). Williams was a great hitter who could hit for both average and power while also drawing walks, making him one of the most feared hitters the game has ever seen. Hank Aaron, 4. Your email address will not be published. despite complaining that the shift cost him 20 to 30 points on his lifetime batting average of . As well, he was the youngest player in the history of the game to achieve 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 hits. Did you know that Tony Cuccinello (.30845) lost the batting championship in 1945, to Snuffy Stirnweiss (.30854), by .00009 - the closest finish in baseball history? Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Ted Williams Batting Average. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. At season's end, Walker stood nine hits shy of history.Last day at .400: May 26How short was he? And in his 22-year major league career, Williams accomplished things on . ), Latest-in-season .400 bids since Ted Williams. Did you know that Carney Lansford and Will Clark each lost the batting championship on the last day of the season in 1989, the first time the batting title was decided in both leagues on the last day? He won eight NL batting titles and hit .338 over a 20-year . And yet, despite all those league-leading numbers Williams finished second to DiMaggio for the AL MVP, likely because the Yankees won the pennant by 17 games over the Red Sox and DiMaggio stole the summer with his 56-game hitting streak. In 1958, the year Kubek played with him in the All-Star game, he won his sixth American League batting championship. As already mentioned, Williams .406 batting average is the highest off all-time while no other player has crossed the .400 mark. 1. .. an .800 batting average is good. Ted Williams, in full Theodore Samuel Williams, bynames the Splendid Splinter and Teddy Ballgame, (born August 30, 1918, San Diego, California, U.S.died July 5, 2002, Inverness, Florida), American professional baseball player who compiled a lifetime batting average of .344 as an outfielder with the American League Boston Red Sox from 1939 to 1960. In the second game Williams went 2-for-3 to finalize his average for the season at .406. Ted's batting average was .3996 rounded off by numbers-trackers to .400. However, the press and the fans were not happy and he enlisted in the Navy on May 22, 1942. What was Ted Williams' average? 5.0. 16 hits shy of .400.Ichiro Suzuki, 2004: .372Hard as it is to believe, Ichiro actually did not spend a single day of his 2004 season at or above .400. "Ted Williams is in a class by himself this season," said DiMaggio, quoted in . Ted Williams, 1957: .388A full 16 years later, Williams proved he had plenty of magic left in his bat in 1957. Foxx, 5. Its no surprise then, that Brett was able to get so close to reaching .400 back in 1980, when he finished with a .390 mark. Between the two, the Yankee Clipper's record-setting 56-game hitting streak and the Splendid Splinter's .406 season batting average have stood the test of time . That means Cobb was successful hitting the ball three out of 10 times. The ride out was quiet, Wagner said. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. His lowest batting average in a year that he won a batting title was .336 or .337. . Williams spent his entire career with the Boston Red Sox and finished with a .344 career batting average, 2,654 hits, 521 home runs, and 1,839 runs batted in. 9 - Ted Williams had his number "9" formally retired by the Boston Red Sox on May 29, 1984, the first player in team history to receive the honor and one of two numbers they retired that same day - the other being #4, for Joe Cronin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Friendly reminder that Ted Williams played from 1939 to 1960 and had the highest batting average, most home runs and most RBI's of any player in MLB during that period. Bob Feller (93.8% in 1962), 4. Cobb finished his career with a .366 batting average which is best of all-time. Ted Williams was batting at .39955 going into the final day, a double-header, of the 1941 season. He Mysteriously Retired in 1955. Williams had one more at-bat coming, in the ninth. . His accomplishments are impressive, so its difficult to imagine anyone else succeeding in the same way. Beerball: A History of St. Louis Baseball. 9 who have come closest to reaching the hallowed mark. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. In his best year with . Homer off the blooper pitch . The strike halted play in mid-August, denying Gwynn the opportunity to try and keep the four-plus months hot streak going. "Giant centerfield Willie Mays compared (Ted) Williams and ( Stan) Musial to sportswriter Roger Kahn. Born: Williams led off, hitting a grounder to second that was booted by Crash Davis for an error. To put it in perspective, Cobb hit .366 and it is the best of all-time. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. So Ted and I were scheduled together. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. In 1941, he had the highest batting average of his career when he hit for .406. 17 hits shy of .400.T6. September 28, 1960 Williams was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 20, 1939, with the Boston Red Sox. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 15 hits shy of .400.T6. "My conscience is clear. The As started 22-year-old Fred Caligiuri, making wanna guess? Ty Cobb, on the other hand, was one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and his accomplishments are incredible. A career.344 batting average ranks second to Ty Cobb, and he won six American League titles in the league. July 5, 2002 Ironically, along with Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak that has stood the test of time since 1941, Boston Red Sox icon Ted Williams' .406 average put up that very same year is unsurpassed. Ted Williams was born on Friday, August 30, 1918, in San Diego, California. The Red Sox trailed, 11-10, and Mack brought in his third pitcher of the day, Tex Shirley, a 23-year-old right-hander making his fifth appearance. Ted Williams remains the last player to finish a season with a .400 average, doing so when he hit .406 in 1941. Ty Cobb is considered to be the greatest hitter of all-time, although that point is often argued to this day. Five hits shy of joining himself in the .400 club.4. 'But Ted was stubborn. He actually led MLB with a .333 batting average the very next season, only playing in 40 games. The jacket has patches showing the wartime duty, Williams' record-setting year with the .406 batting average, and his career average. Ted Williams is the best pure hitter I ever saw. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. He won three National League batting titles, hit .350 or higher four times (in five seasons,mind you), and won the 1997 NL MVP. Ted Williams Batting Average By Year. Sunday marked the 75th anniversary of the culmination of Joe DiMaggio's record 56-game hitting streak, as the Yankees star went 0-for-3 against Cleveland pitchers Al Smith and Jim Bagby on July 17, 1941.But while Joltin' Joe's record run captured the imagination of the American public, his friendly rival, Ted Williams, may have set an even more untouchable mark when he finished that 1941 season with a .406 average.Consider this: While DiMaggio batted .409 during his streak, Williams actually bested him with a .412 average during that same span. Did you know that in both of those historic seasons, The Kid did not win the Most Valuable Player Award (losing to Joe Gordon in '42 and Joe DiMaggio in '47)? It's hard to knock him for effort, however, seeing as collected 262 hits to break George Sisler's 84-year-old record that season.Last day at .400: N/A.How short was he? Williams roommate, Wagner, drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single, then shut down the As for a 12-11 victory.). Ed Delahanty, 5. 2 - Ted Williams had two Triple Crown performances, first in 1942 (36 HRs / .356 AVG / 137 RBI), then a second time in 1947 (32 HRs / .343 AVG / 114 RBI). Stan Musial 5. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Ted Williams impressive career totals are a testament to his skill as a hitter and his legacy as one of the greatest hitters in the history of baseball. Did you know that Joe Glenn, who caught Babe Ruth last pitching appearance in 1933, was Williams's catcher? "There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first or last time - I owe him my best." If he sat out, he would have been credited with a .400 batting average for the season. Though Williams' .406 average was just a footnote in wire-service accounts in 1941, it's status grows more mythical with each passing year. 20 straight years he had an OBP of .350 or higher. Three innings later, Williams started the fifth with his 37th home run; he was now batting .402. His plaque reads, "A .344 career hitter with 521 home runs and 1,839 RBI in 19 seasons with the Red Sox, Ted Williams was voted A.L. Babe Ruth? He also won the NL batting title with a .372 average in 1997. He also hit for .388 in 1957, which Rod Carew tied in 1977. (Williams was erased on a double play, but the Red Sox rallied with two outs. Albert Pujols ranks 11th with a career batting average of .296 although he is retiring. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. 1941 is a very important year for baseball fans. Williams returned to the United States in December and was discharged from the Marines on January 28, 1946. Why? Ted Williams Armed Forces Identification Card | Library of Congress Collection. Well, it was the year Ted Williams set the record for the highest batting average ever in a MLB season. Ted Williams had a .344 average over his career. "If I had known hitting .400 was going to be such a big deal, I would have done it again. In the season of 1941 he hit at the average of .406 and won the Triple Crown. Young Ted Williams, who had turned 23 less than a month earlier, woke up that morning hitting .39955 on the year, just .00045 below the hallowed .400 mark. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The night before the final game of the season I walked the streets of Philly with Ted, said Orlando, who was just a few years older than Williams. 1941 was an iconic year in baseball history, highlighted by the great individual accomplishments of Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees and Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox. His .338 career batting average is the highest batting average since Ted Williams, and it is a testament to his skill and dedication as a hitter. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. It was originally scheduled to be a three-day affair, with a game each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but As owner and manager Connie Mack rescheduled the opening game to be part of a Sunday doubleheader in order to boost attendance with the 22-year-old Williams chasing history. By the time Ted Williams retired he had a .344 batting average, 521 home runs, and a 0.482 on-base percentage, the highest of all time. But with a full season at his disposal this time, Gwynn tailed off down the stretch, batting .328 over the final two months of the season.Last day at .400: July 14How short was he? He played his entire 19-year career with the Boston Red Sox and is often referred to as the greatest hitter who ever lived. Page 128. Posting at least a .400 batting average across a full Major League Baseball season remains one of the most difficult tasks in the game. [Ted Williams Quotes], Ted 'The Splendid Splinter' Williams Autograph on a 1976 Topps Sporting News All-Time All-Stars Baseball Card (#347 | Checklist), Ted Williams Miscellaneous Items of Interest. (Age 20-233d, Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. But Williams was locked in, leading off the second inning with a single to pull his average back up to .405. Gwynn, 1997: .372In his second chase of Williams, Gwynn flirted with the .400 mark until the middle of July, and remained above .390 until the middle of August, sparking hope that this could be the time he made history. So he was worried about this.. Did you know that prior to Ted Williams, the only inductees who received more votes were 5. Because of his ability to hit for both average and power, he was one of a kind and a truly special player. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. update=copyright.getFullYear(); Did you know that prior to Ted Williams, the only inductees who received more votes were 5. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. But perhaps there is no better bridge to the legendary past of Ted Williams than the Red Sox hitter who won back-to-back AL batting titles in 1999 and 2000 . Ironically, along with Joe DiMaggios 56-game hitting streak that has stood the test of time since 1941, Boston Red Sox icon Ted Williams .406 average put up that very same year is unsurpassed. Highest Batting Average in a Season. Ted also led the league in runs (135), walks (147), on-base (.553) and slugging (.735) percentages. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website.