I liked Ted Williams. I always felt he was a quiet person who did not like to be bothered by the press, etc. As you know he did not like fickled fans!

The San Francisco Seals were a Pacific Coast AAA team, that was a part of the Boston system. Boston would come to San Francisco during the spring time and play the Seals. I loved to watch Williams! Imagine his career if WWII and Korea had not interfered! At his last at bat he hit a homerun. Sounds like a movie.


>>>>>Congrats, Doug. I just did my 24th Tuesday. Where does the time go ...
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>>>>Same to you, Jim. In some ways, it seems like the time flies, but when I look back at everything we've done over the past 22 years, it does seems like a long time (not in a bad way {g}).
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>>>>My parent's have their 50th later this month, although with both of them in fairly bad health, I fear this may be their last.
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>>>>Doug
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>>>Gulp. Here's hoping for the best.
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>>>I am fortunate that both my parents are still alive. My mom is from classic Maine stock and will be around until time itself does her in. My dad, not so good. He has diabetes and his kidneys and heart are not in good shape. We had the typical dad-son stuff when I was a teenager but have been pals for a long time now. I will miss him when he's gone. They say when a parent dies a part of you dies with them and I am feeling that now.
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>>>My dad and I talked for almost an hour the other day. In typical guy fashion, we talked mostly about baseball and basketball. I told him about the hotshot third baseman for the Brewers. He told me about Mickey Mantle being called up to the Yankees and struggling at first. He named me after Mickey Mantle.
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>>>I knew he did not have a splendid childhood. I knew he didn't have a father he knew. He told me some details a couple of summers ago by his pool. "Who's your fathuh?" they said. "Who's your fathuh?" They called him a bastard and threw rocks at him. He threw rocks right back and refused to let them intimidate him.
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>>Perhaps you can get your dad to write a few things about his life? You might ask him to do so. I am going to do that for my kids.
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>He has told me some things. As much as he is comfortable with, I think. The sense of being born unwanted will never leave him. He has been a terrific father and a terrific grandfather. There are just some emotional places I don't think he wants to go. He has made his way in this world despite an unfortunate start, so I don't press him.
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>He took my brothers and me to ballgames in Boston when we were kids. Once when Ted Williams was the manager of the Washington Senators, 1969 or 1970, he took me down to the rail at Fenway where Ted was standing and put my paw in his. An offering. Ted Williams just said something dignified like "Hey, kid" but I knew what he was thinking and said elsewhere -- "I'm Ted f*****g Williams, the best f*****g hitter who ever lived."