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The Boy Who Hitchhiked 250 Miles to See Baseball Legend Ted Williams
In 1941, a teenager took it upon himself to see his favorite baseball player in the midst of one of the greatest seasons in history
Baseball fans all have that one player who speaks to them more than any other. It’s the player they love to watch play, agonize over their stats and dream the impossible dream that one day they might be able to meet their hero. In 1941, a 14-year-old boy from Maine was watching his favorite player, Ted Williams, have one of the great seasons in baseball history and decided he couldn’t wait. He had to go see the Splendid Splinter in person, and when no other alternative presented itself, he hitchhiked 250 miles to Boston and got himself a sit-down meeting with the legendary outfielder.
In 1941, Ted Williams was on top of the baseball world. The 22-year-old left fielder for the Boston Red Sox was in his third big-league season and having what would prove to be his best year in a 19-year Hall-of-Fame career. Appearing in 143 games, the man with the sweet left-handed swing hit .406 with 37 home runs and 120 RBIs. He would have won the Triple Crown except he finished five ribbies behind leader Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees. He also led the league in walks, runs scored, on-base and slugging percentages. Largely due to the magical 56-game hitting streak of DiMaggio, he…
