TED WILLIAMS
With no wars to interupt the prime of his career in this universe, a strong arguement can be made that Ted Williams was the greatest to ever play the game. The list of accolades is practically endless: 7 AL MVP awards, 1 World Series MVP, 3 time World Series winner, 21 times named to the American League all-star team. Career MLB leader in homeruns (726), on base percentage (.469), Runs scored (2500), RBI's (2518), 3 triple crowns and 10 American League batting titles.
Signed by his hometown San Diego Padres as a 17 year old in 1936, Williams played just two games in the PCL, going 3-for-7 with a homerun, before being invited to spring training by the Boston Red Sox, who had a working agreement with the Padres at the time. Williams made the team out of camp as a 17 year old. He only started 30 games for Boston that season but showed signs of things to come with a .310 batting average.
Williams would go on to be a fixture in the Boston outfield for over two decades, helping the Red Sox to 4 American League Pennants and 3 World Series titles. He arrived on the scene at the peak for the Red Sox, joining them as a 17 year old for the third of 4 consecutive World Championships - the first four in franchise history. He was named MVP of the 1937 series but it was likely the final championship of Williams career that he would be most proud of.
That one came in 1946 and came after two straight second place finishes behind Cleveland. The Indians won 4 pennants in 5 years and dominated the American League of the mid-1940's but Williams' 1946 season, when he won the third triple crown of his career, helped the Red Sox break up not only Cleveland's streak of 4 pennants in 5 years but also ended a run of 5 straight World Series titles for the St Louis Cardinals.
The Cardinals were heavily favoured but Boston won the first two games of the series at home in convincing fashion, by scores of 9-2 and 8-2. However, St Louis rebounded with a pair of 1-run wins at home to even things up, setting the stage for a pivotal fifth game. Williams, who would hit .320 with 3 homers and 12 rbi's in the series, picked game five as his time to shine. The 27 year old started the Red Sox off with a 2-run homer in the first inning and would add 3 more rbi's and score two more runs to lead Boston to a 14-4 thrashing of the hometown Cardinals. Boston would need 11 innings to win Game Six by a 4-3 score and take the series with Williams playing a key role in that contest as well, driving in the tying run to force extras. Teammate Phil Masi (.481,0,6) would get the Series MVP over Williams (.320,3,12) but there is little question Williams carried the Red Sox, especially in the big game five victory.
The Williams led Red Sox would never get back to the World Series, although they had a couple of close calls including 1957 when they lost in a 3-team playoff to decide the American League pennant.
Williams did not finish his major league career in Boston as the Red Sox in 1961, needing to make room for a number of young outfielders including Don Buford and Lou Clinton and with Carl Yastremski taking over as the face of the franchise, dealt Williams mid-season to the expansion Washington Senators in exchange for 36 year old pitcher Hal Brown, who had been nabbed by the Senators from Boston the previous fall in the expansion draft.
Williams would appear in just 10 games for the Senators in his month with the club. He went 2-for-8 before abruptly retiring at the end of August. He did score his milestone 2500th career run with Washington and the final at bat of his career was a pinch-hit ground out in the fifth inning of a 12-10 loss to the White Sox. By the way, his first major league was a double and came in his first plate appearance, as a pinch-hitter in a 5-2 loss to Philadelphia in April 1937. Jim Weaver was the opposing pitcher.
Williams will be a certain first ballot Hall of Famer when he is eligible in 1967.