Veterans Day: Ted Williams

"I was no hero. There were maybe seventy-five pilots in our two squadrons and 99 percent of them did a better job than I did"- Ted Williams

By Michael Foulks,Sports O'Clock Writing Team Member

Ted Williams during the Korean War (photo credit: Boston.com)

Ted Williams was born in San Diego and would grow up in Southern California. During high school he began receiving offers from the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals, but his mother would not let him leave home. When he was 19 years old, Williams was drafted by the Boston Red Sox, and it didn't take long for him to make an impact. During his rookie year he came in second place in the MVP voting and would continue to wreck havoc on the league. The season of 1941 in particular was a historic one, with Joe DiMaggio winning the MVP award by getting a hit in 56 straight games, hitting 30 home runs, scoring 125 runs, and earning 348 total bases. But Williams should have won the award due to a better average (.406), on-base percentage (.553), slugging (.735), home runs (37), runs scored (135), and walks (147). This would be the last time someone would hit over .400 for the year. He was 22 years old.

The following year he would put up MVP worthy numbers again, slashing an average of .356, on-base percentage of .499, slugging of .648, 36 home runs, 137 runs scored, and 145 walks. After four seasons, Williams was on pace to be the next all-time great baseball player. But, just a few months after the season, the attack on Pearl Harbor put the United States at war with Japan. Williams decided to opt out of baseball, and enlist in the Navy. After two years of training, he obtained a commission in the Marine Corps. He served in the Reserve Aviation Unit until 1946.

After leaving the military, Williams went straight back to the diamond. He did not miss a beat. He came back and won the American League MVP. His season numbers would be a .342 average, a .497 on-base percentage, a .667 slugging percentage, 38 home runs, 123 runs scored, and 156 walks. Over the next six seasons, his lowest batting average was .317, but his baseball career would be put on hold again when he was called back to the Marines in 1952 for the Korean War. During the war, he flew with the Third Marine Air Wing, 223rd Squadron and was hit on multiple occasions. During one battle over Kyomipo, Korea, Williams' plane took damage from North Korean forces and he safely crash landed.

Williams would fly 39 missions and earned numerous medals and awards for his service. Some of them include: three Air Medals for Aerial Flight Operations, Navy Unit commendation, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the American and Asian Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. Williams passed away on July 5, 2002.

Other Hall of Fame Veterans: Yogi Berra, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller, Willie Mays, Joe Gordon, Eddie Matthews.

This wall is a part of PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres.

(All photos are properly cited. No copyright infringement intended.)