The Ted Williams Pages: Stats

THEODORE SAMUEL WILLIAMS

(The Kid, the Splendid Splinter)
Born: August 30, 1918 in San Diego, California
Height 6'4". Weight 198.
Throws right and bats left-handed
Named Most Valuable Player of the American League in 1946 and 1949.
Named Major League Player of the Year by The Sporting News 1941, 1942, 1947, 1949, 1957.
Named Player of the Decade by The Sporting News 1960.
Inducted into Baseball Hall Of Fame in 1966

MINOR LEAGUE STATISTICS
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YEAR TM/L    G   AB    R    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI   BB  SO  AVG  OBP  SLG SB-CS
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1936 SD-PC  42  107   18   29   8  2   0   11          .271      .383  2-  
1937 SD-PC 138  454   66  132  24  2  23   98          .291      .504  1-  
1938 Mi-AA 148  528  130* 193  30  9  43* 142* 114  75 .366*     .701* 6-  

MAJOR LEAGUE STATISTICS
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YEAR TM/L    G   AB    R    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI   BB  SO  AVG  OBP  SLG SB-CS
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1939 Bos-A 149  565  131  185  44 11  31  145* 107  64 .327*.436 .609  2- 1
1940 Bos-A 144  561* 134  193  43 14  23  113   96  54 .344 .442*.594  4- 4
1941 Bos-A 143  456* 135  185  33  3  37  120  145* 27 .406*.551*.735* 2- 4
1942 Bos-A 150  522* 141  186  34  5  36* 137* 145* 51 .356*.499*.648* 3- 2
1943                           Did Not Play                                
1944                           Did Not Play                                
1945                           Did Not Play                                
1946 Bos-A 150  514* 142  176  37  8  38  123  156* 44 .342 .497*.667* 0- 0
1947 Bos-A 156  528* 125  181  40  9  32* 114* 162* 47 .343*.499*.634* 0- 1
1948 Bos-A 137  509  124  188  44* 3  25  127  126* 41 .369*.497*.615* 4- 0
1949 Bos-A 155* 566* 150  194  39* 3  43* 159* 162* 48 .343 .490*.650* 1- 1
1950 Bos-A  89  334   82  106  24  1  28   97   82  21 .317 .452 .647  3- 0
1951 Bos-A 148  531  109  169  28  4  30  126  144* 45 .318 .464*.556* 1- 1
1952 Bos-A   6   10    2    4   0  1   1    3    2   2 .400 .500 .900  0- 0
1953 Bos-A  37   91   17   37   6  0  13   34   19  10 .407 .509 .901  0- 1
1954 Bos-A 117  386   93  133  23  1  29   89  136* 32 .345 .516*.635* 0- 0
1955 Bos-A  98  320   77  114  21  3  28   83   91  24 .356 .501 .703  2- 0
1956 Bos-A 136  400   71  138  28  2  24   82  102  39 .345 .479*.605  0- 0
1957 Bos-A 132  420   96  163  28  1  38   87  119  43 .388*.528*.731* 0- 1
1958 Bos-A 129  411   81  135  23  2  26   85   98  49 .328*.462*.584  1- 0
1959 Bos-A 103  272   32   69  15  0  10   43   52  27 .254 .377 .419  0- 0
1960 Bos-A 113  310   56   98  15  0  29   72   75  41 .316 .454 .645  1- 1
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Total 19  2292 7706 1798 2654 525 71 521 1839 2019 709 .344 .483 .634 24-17
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* denotes league leadership in category.

Accomplishments & Records Held (at close of career)

Led AL in 1941 with .406 batting average to become the first major leaguer to hit .400 or more in a decade, a mark no other major leaguer has reached in since. In winning his fifth batting crown in 1957, Williams at 39 years of age became the oldest player in the history of the majors to win a batting crown; won again at 40 in 1958.
Holds major league record for most consecutive playing years leading in runs scored (5), 1940-42, 46-47 (in military service 1943-45); also holds major league mark for most consecutive playing years leading in bases on balls (6), 1941-42, 46-49; During the six-year span previously listed Williams received 100 or more bases on balls each season, establishing record for most consecutive playing years 100 or more bases on balls.
Holds major league mark for most successive times reaching base safely (16): September 17 (HR); September 18 (BB); September 20 (HR); September 21 (HR, 3 BBs); September 22 (HR, 1B, 2 BB's); September 23 (1B, 3 BB's, HBP) -- 1957.
While Babe Ruth is unofficially credited with as many as 80 intentional bases on balls in a season, Williams holds the official record for most intentional bases on balls in a season (33) -- 1957.
Tied major league record by hitting three home runs in a game twice during the 1957 season, May 8 and June 13, 1957; tied major league record for most home runs in consecutive times at bat (4): September 17, 20, 21, 22 -- 1957. (Bases on balls received in this span do not count against "consecutive" mark.)
Tied AL record for most total bases in fewest consecutive time at bat (22): September 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 -- 1957. (5 homeruns and 2 singles in 8 times at bat)
Led AL in total bases 1939, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1951. Led AL in bases on balls 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1954. Led AL in slugging percentage 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1954, 1957. Led AL outfielders in double plays 1951.
Hit for cycle, second game, July 21, 1946; has lifetime slugging percentage of .645.
Named outfielder on The Sporting News All-Star Major League Teams 1939-'42, '46-'49, '51, '53, '55-'58.

Consider This...

Ted Williams lost all or part of five seasons in the prime of his career due to his service as a Marine Corps pilot during World War II and the Korean War. If you have any doubts where the Splendid Splinter should rank in relation to the other great hitters in the history of the game (Ruth, Gehrig, Aaron, Mays, etc.), consider what his career totals might have been were it not for his military service.*

2408 runs batted in (1st, all time)
2407 runs scored (1st, all time)
2731 bases on balls (1st, all time)
678 home runs (3rd, all time) ...and who's to say that coming up just 36 short of Ruth in 1960 wouldn't have motivated Ted to play another year or two.
679 doubles (5th, all time)
3458 hits (6th, all time)

*1943-'45 and '52-'53 performances conservatively estimated by averaging the output of the season immediately preceding and immediately following military service as the output for each season missed.