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Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss
The OP says “under appreciated in the hobby.” I take this to mean value. Assuming that’s the topic, I agree that they are (certainly) a tier below the ultimates. I also agree that’s partly bc of the timing of their careers and their non-inclusion in one or more of the hobby’s ultimate sets.
That said, between the two, I would put my money on Joe D over Ted because (1) he was a Yankee, (2) he has the consecutive hit game record that will never be beat, (3) he is a prominent lyric in a major Simon and Garfunkel song, and (4) he was married to Marilyn Monroe. In other words, there are real and meaningful reasons greater than their baseball career to remember Joe over Ted.
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Perhaps societally Joe does get a cultural nod, but those cultural points aren't good enough reasons to value him or prefer him as a player over Ted Williams. Nobody ever had the hand and eye coordination of Ted. For example, he was such a great fighter pilot that the military recalled him for both WWII AND the Korean War. Despite protesting the "unfairness" of it, Ted served admirably on the front lines in both, refusing the possibility of just being a USO show military baseball player that was a privilege afforded to some other MLB players during that time. That plus having a greater career OPS than everybody else other than Babe Ruth seals the deal for me.