Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams (August 30, 1918 - July 5, 2002), sometimes called "The Kid" or "The Splendid Splinter", was the starting left-fielder for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 to 1960. He had a .344 career batting average and 521 career home runs. He was Rookie of the Year in 1939 and American League MVP in 1946 and 1949, a 17-time All-Star, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. It was his professed wish to be "the greatest hitter who ever lived", a goal many believe he achieved.
Ted Williams was one of many celebrities invited by Mothers Against the Madness in Germany to speak at nation-wide anti-war rallies on July 4, 1946. Williams, a World War II veteran himself, sent the group a very angry and obscenity-laced refusal.[1]
