Since the beginning, baseball fans have been arguing over who was the greatest hitter of all time. They bounce back and forth with Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Josh Gibson and on and on but in each and every comparison, Ted Williams is invariably part of that argument but not always for what he accomplished at the plate but for what he could have accomplished had he not answered his country's call to service in two wars. His 521 Home Runs puts him at number 18 in the all time Home Run leaders. But one must remember that he did not play any major league games from 1943-45 at a time in which he had averaged over 30 home runs each season from 1939-42. Then, when the Korean war commenced, he played only 6 games in 1952 with 1 home run and in only 37 games in 1953 with 13 home runs. Using 30 home runs per season as the benchmark, you would have to add a total of 136 more home runs minimum to that total which would bring him to at least 657 which would have put him at number 5. Take away the scandal of steriod generated home runs and who knows but it is a good guess that he would have been up there with Ruth and Aaron.
This bat dates to those Korean War era shortened seasons. Factory records show that Williams first received these W166 models in 1951 and continued to prefer this model through the end of the 1955 season. During the time in which Ted would have wielded this club at the plate, he hit a total of 101 of his 521 career home runs or about 20% of his total. His lowest season batting average during this stetch was .318 while hitting .356 as his best full seasn BA during this same time frame. When you consider how many major league ball players making millions of dollars today that have never hit for .300 in their career, you get a glimpse as to just how great a hitter Ted Williams really was. Let's next consider the team he played his entire career for, a team that only got to the post season once while Ted was a member in 1946. We can continue the "what if" comparisons. How much larger would his image in baseball history be had he played on the powerhouse Yankee teams of the 1940-50's?
This relic of Williams glory survives today in excellent all original condition just as last used by Ted Terrific. It matches the factory records perfectly at 35" and its current weight of 33.9 oz. with the majority of the factory listed shipping weights at 32-34 oz. The factory stamps are as deep and bold as the day they were burned into the two year old ash for the first time. The bat exhibits moderate use with some definate swelling and ball marks on top of the barrel. Much like Aaron bats, it seems as if Williams bats were scarfed up by fans and fellow ball players before the full life of the bat was realized which is why it remains in such nice condition and is neither cracked nor does it exhibit any chips or pieces missing. There is some dark staining at the very base of the barrel which is caused from the player leaning on the bat into the ground. In addition, there is a 4-5" darkened area between the center and barrel brand and a slight one above that is usually caused by moisture from sitting on the wet ground in front of the dugout or from subsequent storage. Nonetheless, this would be a prize in any 500 Home Run or Red Sox collection and should provide years of pride of ownership as Williams name transends the legend of baseball as one of it's greatest prodigies.
Title: 1951-55 Ted Williams H&B Louisville Slugger Professional Model Game Used Bat
Player: Ted Williams
Block/Script Name: Script
Label Period: 1950-60
Year/s Used: 1951-55
Teams Played During Era of Bat: Boston Red Sox
Mfg: H&B Louisville Slugger
Model Number: W166
Length: 35"
Weight: 33.9 ounces
Side Writing: None
Vault Marks: None
Game Use: Moderate
Ball Marks: Yes, most of which are visible on top of barrel near end of bat.
Swelling: Yes, most of which are concentrated on top of barrel.
Grain Separation: Just a couple of light grain openings on back of the barrel
Cleat Marks: Yes but just one or two.
Rack Marks: No
Nails/Screws: No
Pine Tar: No
Handle Tape: No
Handle Crack: No
Barrel Crack: No
Dents/Gouges: No
Autographed: No
Uniform Number: No
Knob Markings: W166
Barrel Markings: None
Finish: Ash
Provenance: No Provenance
Factory Records: Matches known player factory records
Player Traits: Matches known player traits
MEARS Hologram #311122
Grade: A6 with 5 base points and 2 use points but minus one for the aforementioned dark spots.
MEARS Bat Trade Index: This is one of only two regular season, non index, personnaly ordered W166 models from this era in the MEARS database.
Comments: Given this is the one of only two known personally ordered bats from this historic era of Ted's career, it would be a prize indeed.
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