Ted Williams

In 1961, he married Lee Howard, a model and socialite but the marriage didn’t last long and the couple divorced in 1967.

In 1968, he wedded Vogue model and former Miss Vermont, Dolores Wettach. The couple had two children, John-Henry and Claudia. They divorced in 1972.

Teddy Samuel Williams was born in San Diego to Samuel Stuart Williams, a sheriff, soldier and photographer and May Venzor, an evangelist and member of The Christian organisation, The Salvation Army.

He attended the Herbert Hoover High School, located in San Diego, California and during this time he also enthusiastically played baseball and was a ‘pitcher’ and ‘star’ of his school team. He later played for the San Diego Padres.

In 1936, while playing for the San Diego Padres, he posted a batting average of .271 batting. During this time, he was also spotted by Eddie Collins, who was the manager of the baseball team, The Boston Red Sox.

In 1937, he led the San Diego Padres to a victory, hitting .291 batting average with 23 home runs. The same year, with the guidance of Bill Lane, the manager of the Padres team, he was sent to play for the Boston Red Sox team.

In 1939, he played his first major league match against the New York Yankees and by the end of the league matches he had scored .327 with 31 home runs, after which he was acknowledged as the ‘Rookie of the Year’.

In 1941, he played against the Chicago White Sox and scored one of the longest home runs, which was scored in the 11th inning of the match and led to his team’s victory.

In 1942, he was the winner of the Triple Crown and scored a .356 batting average, 36 home runs and 137 runs batted in. On May 21st that year he scored the 100th run of his baseball career.

By late 1942, he was working as an aviator with the United States Marine Corps. That year, he also played baseball along with team mate Johnny Pesky Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

In 1945, after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, he was sent to Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, where he represented the Army League, for whom he played baseball.

In 1954, he was inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame.

In 1966, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 1991, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was bestowed to him by President George H. W. Bush.

In 1999, he was ranked at number eight on The Sporting News list of ‘100 Greatest Baseball Players’.