Ted Williams' Quotes: Wisdom from One of Baseball's Best

Author:

Chris Sloan

Sun, 03/12/2023 - 10:23

Ted Williams is widely regarded as one of the greatest hitters in the history of baseball. Known as "The Splendid Splinter," he played for the Boston Red Sox for 19 seasons from 1939 to 1960, earning two American League Most Valuable Player awards, six batting titles, and two Triple Crowns. He was also the last player to bat over .400 in a single season, hitting .406 in 1941.

Williams was known for his incredible eye at the plate, with an exceptional ability to identify pitches and avoid swinging at balls outside the strike zone. He was also known for his powerful swing, which allowed him to hit for both average and power. Williams was so talented that even during his time serving in the military during World War II and the Korean War, he was still considered one of the best players in the game.

In addition to his impressive stats, Williams was also a perfectionist when it came to hitting. He was known to spend hours practicing his swing, and he even wrote a book titled "The Science of Hitting" in which he shared his approach to hitting. He believed that hitting was about getting the perfect pitch to hit, and he emphasized the importance of patience and discipline at the plate.

Despite his accomplishments on the field, Williams was also known for his contentious relationship with the media, not unlike Yogi Berra, and his tendency to speak his mind. He was famously critical of sportswriters and often clashed with them throughout his career. However, his impact on the game cannot be denied, as he remains one of the most iconic and revered players in baseball history.

Ted Williams was a once-in-a-generation talent who revolutionized the art of hitting in baseball. His dedication to his craft, combined with his natural talent and impressive stats, have solidified his place as one of the greatest hitters of all time. He left an indelible mark on the sport, and his legacy continues to inspire players and fans alike to this day.

To honor the great baseball player, we have compiled a list of some of his most memorable and inspiring Ted Williams quotes that capture the essence of his dedication, work ethic, and love for the game:

Best Quotes from Teddy Ballgame

“Hitting a baseball well is a most difficult thing to do.”

“I've always said that a man who is a real hitter isn't afraid to be hit by a pitch.”

“I hope someday that some of the young fellas coming into the game will know how it feels to be picked in the Hall of Fame. They would then know what it really means to have a bust in Cooperstown.”

“The only way to prove you’re a good sport is to lose.”

“When I was young, I'd take my little money and buy every Hank Greenberg baseball card I could find. I idolized him.”

“The hardest thing to do in baseball is to hit a round baseball with a round bat, squarely.”

“The great trouble with baseball today is that most of the players are in the game for the money and that's it, not for the love of it, the excitement of it, the thrill of it.”

“I never heard a crowd boo a homer, but I've heard plenty of boos after a strikeout.”

“A man has to know his limitations.”

“A guy who’s a proven .300 hitter, with good power and speed, I mean, he’s got it all.”

“Baseball is a red-blooded sport for red-blooded men. It’s no pink tea, and mollycoddles had better stay out. It’s a struggle for supremacy, a survival of the fittest.”

“Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it.”

“Baseball is a game, yes. It is also a business. But what is most truly is is disguised combat. For all its gentility, its almost leisurely pace, baseball is violence under wraps.”

“Baseball is the only sport I know that when you're on offense, the other team controls the ball.”

“It's awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it's another thing.”

“If you don't think you're a winner, you don't belong here.”

“I think without question the hardest single thing to do in sports is to hit a baseball.”

“I have always said that a man who is a real hitter isn't afraid to be hit by a pitch.”

“I don't care if I was a .200 hitter with no power as long as I can help my ball club win.”

“In the beginning, I tried to justify that I could hit without the noise. But it became more and more evident as we went along that I had to have the sound. I couldn't hit without it.”

“I've always said that hitting is timing. It's completely different than throwing.”

“You know why that’s my favorite hit? Well, they say that the only other two players who ever hit one over there were Ruth and Gehrig. But now they have to say “only Ruth, Gehrig and Williams ever hit one over there.’ Yes sir, that’s putting the old string bean in some pretty fast company when they say that.”

“The most fun I ever had in my life was hittin’ a baseball. And the best sound I ever heard in my life was a ball hit with a bat. Powww!”

“I sure have. I’d like to break every hitting record in the books. When I walk down the street, I’d like for them to say, “There goes Ted Williams, the best hitter in baseball.””

“Think. Don’t just swing. Think about the pitcher, what he threw you last time up, his best pitch, who’s up next. Think.”

“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.’”

Baseball Quotes from The Thumper

“Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.”

“The hardest thing to do in baseball is to hit a round baseball with a round bat, squarely.”

“There’s only one way to become a hitter. Go up to the plate and get mad. Get mad at yourself and mad at the pitcher.”

“Joe DiMaggio was the greatest all-around player I ever saw. His career can not be summed up in numbers and awards. It might sound corny, but he had a profound and lasting impact on the country.”

“There has always been a saying in baseball that you can’t make a hitter, but I think you can improve a hitter. More than you can improve a fielder. More mistakes are made hitting than in any other part of the game.”

“The key to hitting is just plain working at it. Work, that’s the real secret.”

“Baseball is 50% from the neck up.”

“If I was being paid thirty-thousand dollars a year, the very least I could do was hit .400.”

“You’ve got to be ready for the fastball.”

“All managers are losers, they are the most expendable pieces of furniture on the face of the Earth.”

“If you get fooled by a pitch with less than two strikes, take it.”

“They invented the All-Star game for Willie Mays.”

“You have to hit the fastball to play in the big leagues.”

“If I could run like Mantle I’d hit .400 every year!”

“I hope somebody hits .400 soon. Then people can start pestering that guy with questions about the last guy to hit .400.”

“I don’t want to take anything away from Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. They’re both great hitters, but they’re batting against guys they never would have seen in previous years.”

“Hitting is fifty percent above the shoulders.”

“Baseball’s future? Bigger and bigger, better and better! No question about it, it’s the greatest game there is!”

“I know – I know all about you (Carl Yastrzemski). Look, kid, don’t ever – ya’ understand me? – don’t ever let anyone monkey with your swing.”

“Batting coaches are just as important as pitching coaches. Lefty O’Doul gave me good advice when he said: “Don’t ever let them change you.” I also asked for help from Cobb, Foxx and Hornsby.”

“I knew what was going on at that plate. It used to kill me to strike out, but when I struck out I knew what it was that got me and what I was going to try to do about it.”

“I think without question the hardest single thing to do in sport is to hit a baseball. A .300 hitter, that rarest of breeds these days, goes through life with the certainty that he will fail at his job seven out of ten times.”

“The unbelievable part about the Babe, of course, was that he hit only 34 homers in the first two-thirds of the season and then smacked 26 homers in the final third. Wow! What a way to finish!”

“Why do they cheer me for hitting a homer and then boo me for grounding out the next time up. I’m still the same guy, ain’t I? They can all go to hell. I’ll never tip my cap to them.”

“Get a good pitch to hit!”

Motivational Quotes from Ted Williams

“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion, you must set yourself on fire first.”

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”

“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”

“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

“The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!”

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.”

“Success isn’t always about ‘greatness.’ It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.”

“Don’t give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you.”

In conclusion, Ted Williams was more than just a great hitter. He was a man who lived and breathed the game of baseball. He spent countless hours perfecting his craft and was always striving to improve. His dedication to the game was unmatched, and his legacy as one of the greatest hitters of all time lives on today.

As we reflect on the words of Ted Williams, we can learn valuable lessons about the importance of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Whether you are a baseball player or not, these principles can be applied to any aspect of life. As Ted once said, “Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.” It is not about being perfect or succeeding every time, but rather about putting in the effort and striving to be the best that you can be. So, let us all take a page from Ted Williams’ book and work hard towards our goals, knowing that success is possible if we are willing to put in the work.