Facing Ted Williams

A portrait of the legendary hitter from his teammates and opponents: “Fast-paced yet not superficial . . . essential for baseball fanatics.” —Library Journal (starred review) Ted Williams was the last man to hit .400 in a single season, a nineteen-time All-Star, a two-time American League MVP, a two-time winner of the Triple Crown, and an inductee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966—and during this spectacular career he also managed to serve his country in World War II and the Korean War. Far from a conventional biography, Facing Ted Williams aims to offer a different perspective, with testimonials from teammates and opponents alike on how Williams was regarded among his peers. See Ted Williams through the eyes of pitchers struggling to put a fastball past his bat, the infielders and outfielders adjusting their positions in the hopes of filling the hole where a frozen rope might land, and the catchers strategizing a Williams at-bat, pitch-by-pitch.  Facing Ted Williams provides riveting insights from many baseball legends, including Hall of Famer Bob Feller; 1956 World Series MVP Don Larsen; and 1952 American League MVP Bobby Shantz, and others. It’s a fresh and compelling look at this classic baseball icon. “A series of reminiscences from the players who battled the great No. 9.” —The Boston Globe “In this ambitious and engaging project, Heller set out to get the truth straight from the players’ mouths. . . . What also emerges through Heller’s dogged efforts is a scrapbook-style look at the way the game was played in the 1940s and ’50s.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel