"the Kid surprises a Kid"

Thanks Consultant! Thanks for sharing, great article.

You are welcome. Do you think College Coaches observed the opposing players the same as Ted? Analytical, metric or common sense?
Bob

Nice article-thx for the post !

Thanks.

Ted was a great example of "baseball intelligence" and "visualization".

Question - can baseball intelligence be taught?  measured?

When a "new" pitcher entered the game, Ted would "race" to the Boston dugout and ask info on the this opposing pitcher. Does the fastball move "up", down, in or out? Does the pitcher have a "change up".

He want this info so he could "fine focus" when he hit. "always a contest between Ted and the Pitcher. Get the edge!!!!

Bob

I liked the advice Ted used to give batters: "Pick out a good pitch to hit". He was the master at "seeing the pitch". Rarely swinging at balls. According to the biography I read:  He was At Bat, when a pitch was called a Ball by the umpire. The catcher argued, saying it was a Strike. The Umpire replied" Mr. Williams will tell you when its a strike".

Gotta Love IT !

Adams

the catcher was Charles Silvera. A Yankee catcher and a friend, Yankees scout and as a Hs player was the 1st person to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. He had six World Series rings and two at bat.
Bob

That was Roders Hornsby

During our annual Scouts dinner. the scouts were "teasing" Charlie.

You had "2 AB's and 7 World Series rings.

At the end of his Yankee career he was traded to the Tigers. We discussed Ted and Charlie when he was "warming up" the Tigers pitcher in the bull pen they could feel Ted's eyes 300' away watching the "release point" of the Tigers starting pitcher.

1st inning Ted is in the batter's box. 1st pitch down the center of the plate. Ed Rommel yells "ball". Charlie glance back.

Rommel says "shut up the fans came to watch Williams hit not you catch"!

Bob

Bob, great stories/info. Thx !!!!! Gosh i wish i could go back in time and be right there when Rommel said that!!!!

Thanks for sharing !

Adams:

It is a September game in Boston and the Red Sox are "batting". The opposing team brings in a "rookie Pitcher. Ted departs the "on deck" circle and goes to the dugout. "anyone know this pitcher? No one knows this rookie. Ted strikes out.

After the game the Rookie pitcher send the ball to the Red Sox locker room for Ted to sign. Two weeks later the same pitcher is throwing and Ted now is "prepared". He hit a pitcher's fast ball into the second deck and as he is slowly jogging around the bases he yells at the pitcher "go get that ball and I will sign it"!!!

Bob

Bob, I love that story!!!!! I kind of wish I could have met and talked to Ted for a while, as he seems like a "Character"!

One cool thing, that i read about in his biography, is that he used to tell the local hospital staff, that if there was a kid doing poorly, they could call him and he would visit. When a reporter found out, Ted threaten him, that if he reported what he was doing, he would never visit a hospital again. In today's "Its All About Getting Headlines" type of world, that spoke Volumes to me.