Ted Williams | Biography, Stats, Swing, & Facts

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Ted Williams, who played in 1939–60." height="50" /> </a> <a href="/video/Newsreel-footage-Major-League-Baseball-All-Star-Game-1955/170294" data-href="/media/1/644390/170294" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <div class="position-relative --aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/160012-138-F40D0329/Newsreel-footage-Major-League-Baseball-All-Star-Game-1955.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="What were the highlights of the 1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game?" class="col-100" /> <div class="btn btn-sm btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%)"> <em class="material-icons font-14" data-icon="play_arrow" > </em> </div> </div> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled 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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-19T00:00:00CST" >Nov 19, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ted-Williams/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>In full: </dt> <dd>Theodore Samuel Williams</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Bynames: </dt> <dd>the Splendid Splinter and Teddy Ballgame</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>August 30, 1918, <a href="/place/San-Diego-California">San Diego</a>, <a href="/place/California-state">California</a>, U.S.</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Died: </dt> <dd>July 5, 2002, Inverness, <a href="/place/Florida">Florida</a> (aged 83)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also Known As: </dt> <dd>Theodore Samuel Williams</dd> <dd>Teddy Ballgame</dd> <dd>The Splendid Splinter</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Awards And Honors: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/Baseball-Hall-of-Fame">Baseball Hall of Fame (1966)</a></dd> <dd><a href="/sports/Most-Valuable-Player">Most Valuable Player (1949)</a></dd> <dd><a href="/sports/Triple-Crown-baseball">Triple Crown (1947)</a></dd> <dd><a href="/sports/Most-Valuable-Player">Most Valuable Player (1946)</a></dd> <dd><a href="/sports/Triple-Crown-baseball">Triple Crown (1942)</a></dd> <dd>Triple Crown (x2)</dd> <dd>two-time MVP</dd> <dd>Baseball Hall of Fame (inducted in 1966)</dd> <dd>6x batting champion</dd> <dd>19x All-Star</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Height/Weight: </dt> <dd>6 ft 3 inches, 205 lb (190 cm, 92 kg)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Batting Hand: </dt> <dd>left</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Throwing Hand: </dt> <dd>right</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Debut Date: </dt> <dd>April 20, 1939</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Last Game: </dt> <dd>September 28, 1960</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Jersey Number: </dt> <dd>9 (1939-1960, Boston Red Sox)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Position: </dt> <dd>leftfielder</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>At Bats: </dt> <dd>7,706</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Batting Average: </dt> <dd>0.344</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Hits: </dt> <dd>2,654</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Home Runs: </dt> <dd>521</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>On-Base Percentage: </dt> <dd>0.482</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>On-Base Plus Slugging: </dt> <dd>1.116</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Runs: </dt> <dd>1,798</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Runs Batted In: </dt> <dd>1,839</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Slugging Percentage: </dt> <dd>0.634</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Stolen Bases: </dt> <dd>24</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>On the Web: </dt> <dd><a href="https://www.npr.org/2013/12/03/248246844/ted-williams-a-perfectionist-ballplayer-with-many-demons" target="_blank">NPR - Ted Williams: A Perfectionist Ballplayer With Many Demons</a> (Oct. 26, 2024)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Ted-Williams"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> <button class="facts-list-show-more-btn mt-15 p-0 mx-auto btn font-14 d-block font-weight-normal"> <span class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></span> <span class="show-more-label">Show More</span> </button> </div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/ted-williams-mvp-award-auction-500k/" rel="nofollow">Ted Williams's MVP award sells for record-breaking $500K</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 17, 2024, 4:14 AM ET (CBS) </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref118739"></span>Ted Williams</strong> (born August 30, 1918, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/San-Diego-California" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">San Diego</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/California-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">California</a>, U.S.—died July 5, 2002, Inverness, Florida) was an American professional <a href="https://www.britannica.com/sports/baseball" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">baseball</a> player who <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="compiled" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/compiled" data-type="EB">compiled</a> a lifetime batting average of .344 as an outfielder with the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-League" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">American League</a> <span id="ref997575"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Boston-Red-Sox" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Boston Red Sox</a> from 1939 to 1960. He was the last player to hit .400 in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Major-League-Baseball" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Major League Baseball</a> (.406 in 1941).</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Williams was an excellent ballplayer as a child and later led his <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/high-school" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">high school</a> team to the state championships. He batted left-handed but threw right-handed, baseball’s most desirable combination. Williams was signed by a minor league team in the Pacific Coast League, and after several seasons in San Diego and Minneapolis he was brought up to the Red Sox major league team in 1939. He had a fine rookie season with a batting average of .327.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">His sophomore season in 1940 was more difficult. Although he batted .344 for the year, he was in something of a hitting slump in the early months. The <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="criticism" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criticism" data-type="MW">criticism</a> and heckling that arose from the sporting press and the fans soured Williams’s attitude; thus began a career-long feud between Williams and the media and a love-hate relationship with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Boston" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Boston</a> fans. Williams began refusing to acknowledge cheering fans—for the rest of his career he would never again tip his cap to the crowd.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/great-moments-in-sports-quiz" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/74/234474-131-7CBD1A96/Serena-Williams-womens-single-trophy-Australian-Open-Januray-28-2017.jpg" alt="Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the Women's Singles final against Venus Williams of the United States on day 13 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (tennis, sports)" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Great Moments in Sports Quiz</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In 1941 Williams hit for a season average of .406. His battle with the media continued, however. He had requested a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/conscription" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">draft</a> deferment in 1942 because he was his mother’s sole support. Many other players played baseball instead of enlisting in 1942 (<a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joe-DiMaggio" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Joe DiMaggio</a>, for example), but the press called Williams’s choice unpatriotic and derided him for it. He decided to enlist in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-United-States-Navy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">U.S. Navy</a> and entered active duty in November 1942. In that same year he won the first of two Triple <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="Crowns" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Crowns" data-type="EB">Crowns</a> (in which a player has the best batting average, most home runs, and most runs batted in [RBIs] during a single season).</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Williams missed the baseball seasons of 1943–45 training and serving as a Navy flyer, but he saw no combat. Upon his return to baseball in 1946 he had lost none of his skill, hitting .342 in 1946 and in 1947 winning his second Triple Crown. In 1952 he was once again called up for <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/armed-force" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">military service</a>, and for most of the ’52 and ’53 seasons he served as a pilot during the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Korean-War" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Korean War</a>, this time in combat. (He batted .400 and .407 respectively for these years, but because he played only 43 games the records are not for complete seasons and therefore are not counted.)</p><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Williams hit a career total of 521 home runs, even though he lost five prime years of his career to military service. He won the American League batting title in 1958 (at age 40) with a .328 average, the oldest player ever to do so. Concerning his abilities as a hitter, Williams once said, “A man has to have goals—for a day, for a lifetime—and that was mine, to have people say, ‘There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived.’” In 1960 he announced that he would retire at the end of the year. During the final home game of the season he hit a home run in his last at bat. The fans cheered and called for him but Williams still refused to come out of the dugout and recognize them (an incident that author <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Updike" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">John Updike</a> famously described with the line “gods do not answer letters”).</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Williams returned to the major leagues from retirement in 1969 to manage the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Minnesota-Twins" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Washington Senators</a>, and in his first year he was named American League Manager of the Year. He left the franchise in 1972, after it had become the <span id="ref997576"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Texas-Rangers-American-baseball-team" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Texas Rangers</a>. After his retirement as a manager, he occasionally worked as a batting coach and became a consultant for a line of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/fishing-recreation" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">fishing</a> equipment (he was an <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="avid" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avid" data-type="MW">avid</a> fisherman).</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Williams was elected to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Baseball-Hall-of-Fame" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Baseball Hall of Fame</a> in 1966. His autobiography, <em>My Turn at Bat</em>, written with John Underwood, was published in 1969. The two men also wrote <em>The Science of Hitting</em> (1971)—in which Williams described his famous swing, which was known for its speed and efficency—and <em>Ted Williams’ Fishing “The Big Three”: Tarpon, Bonefish, and Atlantic Salmon</em> (1988). In 1991, to <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="commemorate" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemorate" data-type="MW">commemorate</a> his .400 season, the Boston Red Sox hosted a Ted Williams Day. After a brief speech, Williams tipped his cap to the cheering Boston fans.</p><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span><span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/contributor/encyclopaedia-britannica/12989892">Encyclopaedia Britannica</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":644390,"pageLength":726,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"BIO_MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Ted Williams | Biography, Stats, Swing, & Facts | Britannica