• Latest

Review – Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived

April 25, 2019

News From The Forty & Eight (40&8) Voiture 646

January 31, 2023
The Winter Renaissance Faire is Back for Its 6th Year

The Winter Renaissance Faire is Back for Its 6th Year

January 31, 2023

Investment in Women is Needed to Grow Workforce for Infrastructure Projects

January 31, 2023

Cancer-Fighting Advocates Call on Gov. Scott to Protect VT Kids; Increase Tobacco Control Program Funding

January 31, 2023
African Queen (1951)

Notorious (1946)

January 31, 2023

RAD Denounces Threats to Organizing for Safe and Inclusive Schools

January 24, 2023
African Queen (1951)

The Heiress

January 24, 2023

Meet Your Chamber

January 24, 2023
Just Some Thoughts

The Purpose of Pendulums

January 24, 2023
Capital City Concerts offers a Free Family Concert on Saturday, January 28 in Montpelier

Capital City Concerts offers a Free Family Concert on Saturday, January 28 in Montpelier

January 17, 2023

VSAC’s College & Career Pathways Events Offer Workshops on Campuses Across Vermont

January 17, 2023

National Endowment for the Arts Announces Grants to Support the Arts in Vermont

January 17, 2023
  • Home
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
The World Online
  • Home
  • News & Features
    • Local News
    • Letters & opinions
    • George Shuman
    • Max’s View
    • Local Sports & Outdoors
    • Births
    • Weddings & Engagements
  • Calendar
    • Art Exhibits
    • Calendar of Events
    • Ongoing Events
  • Obituaries
  • Submit
    • Submit Calendar Listing for Non-Profit Events
    • Submit An Article To The World
    • Submit Letter To The Editor
    • Submit Sports News/Photo
    • Submit Birth Announcement
    • Submit Engagement Announcement
    • Submit Wedding Announcement
  • Advertising
    • World Rates and Ad Sizes
    • World Distribution Map
    • World Deadlines
    • Audit and Reader Surveys
    • Advertising Inquiry
  • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ads
    • View Current Classifieds
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News & Features
    • Local News
    • Letters & opinions
    • George Shuman
    • Max’s View
    • Local Sports & Outdoors
    • Births
    • Weddings & Engagements
  • Calendar
    • Art Exhibits
    • Calendar of Events
    • Ongoing Events
  • Obituaries
  • Submit
    • Submit Calendar Listing for Non-Profit Events
    • Submit An Article To The World
    • Submit Letter To The Editor
    • Submit Sports News/Photo
    • Submit Birth Announcement
    • Submit Engagement Announcement
    • Submit Wedding Announcement
  • Advertising
    • World Rates and Ad Sizes
    • World Distribution Map
    • World Deadlines
    • Audit and Reader Surveys
    • Advertising Inquiry
  • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ads
    • View Current Classifieds
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
The World Online
No Result
View All Result

Review – Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived

vt-world by vt-world
April 25, 2019
in Local News
0

Now on Netflix:

Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived

Three Stars

By Max Abrams

Barry bonds and David Ortiz were both first class lefty power hitters. Bonds has a better regular season resume; Ortiz is remembered for his playoff heroics. 

Both men are assumed to have used Performance Enhancing Drugs during their careers.

So why is David Ortiz going be a first ballot Hall of Famer while home run champion Barry Bonds can’t get the votes? You know why: popularity. Big Poppy is lovable and gregarious with the media; Barry Bonds is aloof and prickly.

Sports writers make baseball history almost as much as players. Do not cross them. Ted Williams crossed them. 

During his sophomore season with the Red Sox in 1940, Ted Williams started to get some bad press and he didn’t care for it one bit. He started jawing at reporters during post-game interviews.

When one local scribe criticized Williams for failing to visit his family during the off-season, the young slugger decided that the media was his enemy for life.

According to the informative documentary “Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived,” he was right to be furious.

Ted Williams had every reason to shun his parents. His father was a traveling pickle salesmen and a drunk who rarely saw his kids. Ted’s pious Mexican mom was an active member of the Salvation Army; but she spent more time saving souls than parenting. 

Ted Williams grew up an angry, lonely atheist. His only solace was how much he loved hitting. 

After Pearl Harbor, rising superstar Ted Williams wanted to stay in Boston and mash home runs. But the patriotic public – egged on by the media – shamed Williams into enlisting mid-season. In an interview late in life, elderly Williams was still frustrated when he imagined how many records he would have broken if he hadn’t spent so much time in the military.  

When Williams returned home from his service, he continued his baseball dominance. He wasn’t just the most skilled, he was the most cerebral hitter in the game, decades ahead of time. 

During an era where sluggers were still using mighty Ruthian bats, Williams was swinging light lumber because he perceived that bat speed is the key to more power. Predating the age of analytics, Williams created a strike zone heat map so he knew exactly where to focus his upper cut swing for maximum results.

The documentarians do everything they can to get the audience to sympathize with cantankerous old Ted.

Ted Williams was a sincere advocate for equality in baseball. Even though he wasn’t close with his mom, he was always troubled by the prejudice that he saw his mother endure. Williams used his Hall of Fame induction speech to urge the old white guys in Cooperstown to give black stars their due. Jackie Robinson became the first black Hall of Famer the following year and they inducted several Negro League legends soon after. 

Ted Williams was easily the greatest ball player to wear Boston red since Babe Ruth and his reputation grew through the decades. But because of all the bad press, the city remained strangely ambivalent toward its superstar during his career.

The documentary shows video of his final game, where a mere 10,000 fans bothered to show up to watch Williams hit a HR in his final AB.

Can you imagine? Fenway Park less than half full during a legend’s final game. If Dustin Pedroia announced that his last game was against Tampa Bay this Sunday, the nosebleed seats would be selling for $150 on Stubhub.

“Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived” is an enjoyable and unusually substantive documentary. It reminds us that an athlete can achieve amazing things on the ballfield but still be disliked if he won’t play ball with the media. Just ask Barry Bonds.

Previous Post

Lost Nation Theater Begins Its 31st Season with Turn of the Screw

Next Post

Green Up Day Turns Out Vermonters to Make a Difference

Next Post

Green Up Day Turns Out Vermonters to Make a Difference

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This Week’s Ads

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
The World
403 US Route 302
Barre, VT 05641
Phone: (802) 479-2582

Copyright © 2019 The World Online. All Rights Reserved. Powered by CoolerAds.

No Result
View All Result
  • Art Exhibits
  • Audit and Reader Surveys
  • Births
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us
  • Daily Horoscope
  • Fall Guide
  • Food & Recipe
  • Home
  • Obituaries
  • Ongoing Events
  • Pay Your Bill Here
  • Senior Living Edition
  • Showtimes
  • Submit Birth Announcement
  • Submit Calendar Listing for Non-Profit Events
  • Submit Engagement Announcement
  • Submit Listing to our Local Directory
  • Submit Sports News/Photo
  • Submit Wedding Announcement
  • Testimonials
  • The World Coupons
  • Weather Forecast
  • World Deadlines
  • World Distribution Map
  • World Rate Card
  • World Rates and Ad Sizes
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • About Us
  • Vermont Lottery
  • Advertising Information
  • The World Staff
  • Advertising Inquiry
  • Submit Letter To The Editor
  • Local Directory
  • Poll Results
  • Local Deals
  • Classifieds
  • Submit An Article To The World
  • Events
  • The World – This Week’s Online Digital Edition
  • The World Auto & Sports

Copyright © 2019 The World Online. All Rights Reserved. Powered by CoolerAds.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In