Ted Williams

By: Nolan 

If there was a hitter to fear at the plate it would be Ted Williams, he was the greatest hitter to ever live. He was like a machine when he hit. Today I will talk about why ted Williams was such an amazing baseball player I will talk about his life accomplishments and his time in the US navy. 

Ted Williams was born in Sandiego California on August 30, 1918. His mother was never home because he was too involved working in the Salvation Army. Ted and his mother never had a good relationship. Ted played for his local team the San Diego Padres. This was before they were a major league team. In 1939 the Boston Red Sox recruited Ted Williams to play for them. 

During Ted Williams career he had a few nicknames like “the kid” and “the splendid splinter”. In 1941 Ted Williams had the best season of his life. That year his batting average was .406, the highest batting average in major league baseball history. He also hit 37 homeruns and only struck out 27 times that season. Altogether Ted Willams played nineteen seasons for major league baseball. His career in baseball was interrupted twice by military service.  During Teds career he served in war as a navy pilot. He was one few professional baseball players who served in more than one war. He served in World War 2 and the Korean War. 

Nearing the end of Ted’s career he was involved in donating money to the Jimmy Fund to help kids with cancer. Probably the thing the thing Ted Williams was most known for in his major league career was his batting average his career batting average is .344. He retired from baseball in 1960 and in 1966 he was inducted into the baseball hall of fame. 

I hope you enjoyed my presentation and learned something interesting and new. Ted Williams has inspired me to become a better hitter and a better baseball player. He is an example of an American who has contributed to his profession through excellence, his country through military service, and to the greater good through his charitable donations.  I hope he inspired you to in some way. Thank you. 

   

  

                                                            Sources 

“American Masters – Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived”. Directed by Nick Davis. WNET, 2018. 

Ken Burns Baseball. Directed by Ken Burns. PBS, 1994. 

Nowlin, Bill. “Ted Williams". Society for American baseball research.  

www.sabr.org/bioproj/person/35baa190 , 2020. 

“Wikipedia: Ted Williams.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Williams, 2020. 

Branch Rickey

      By Nolan        

                          

Branch Rickey is someone who gave a gift to the game of baseball. He is someone who went through barriers in his life. He knew the game of baseball like the back of his hand. There is so much information on him, so why don’t I share some information with you right now! 

Branch Rickey was born in 1881 in Stockdale, Ohio. He had siblings and when he got older, he and other people in town like his siblings would play baseball. He was good at the game of baseball as a player and eventually as a manager. When Branch Rickey went to college at Ohio Wesleyan University, he played for their baseball team and coached the team too. After college he had a phone call from the Cincinatti Reds asking if he would like to come play for thier baseball team. He thought about it but he turned the offer down remembering he promised his mother that he could not play baseball on Sunday for religious reasons. 

Branch Rickey was a smart person who came up with great inventions to help the game of baseball. Education was important to his parents. when he was younger the local book store went down in flames and the postal office did to so his father went out and tried to find as many books as he could so Branch, and his siblings could read. Branch Rickey came up with ideas like the batting helmet, sliding pits, hitting teas and a formation of strings to represent the strike zone. Branch also invented the farm system where major league teams can get players from what we now call the minor league. 

Branch Rickey was a kind human being who gave people a chance. He introduced a new idea that would change the game.  When Branch was a manager, he hired good players like Pee Wee Reece and Jackie Robinson, the first African American in major league baseball. Yes, he hired the man who changed baseball forever Jackie Robinson. This move was a racial breakthrough that would let people play who never had the chance to  

Branch Rickey is an interesting person to learn about. He achieved lots of things and if you have a goal, you should go for it. I want to make a difference in my hobbies and my community. You can make a difference if try just like Branch Rickey! 

                                                Sources 

42.  Directed by Brian Helgeland. Legendary Pictures, 2013. 

Biography.com Editors. “Branch Rickey Biography”.  A&E Television Networks. www.Biography.com/athlete/branch-rickey, 2019. 

Frystak, Timothy D. Jackie Robinson: With Profiles of Satchel Paige and Branch Rickey. World Book, 2007. 

McCue, Andy. “Branch Rickey”. Society for American Baseball Research. www.sabr.org/bioproj/person/6d0ab8f3, 2019. 

Wikipedia Editors. “Branch Rickey”. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/branch_rickey, 2019.