Quote:
Originally Posted by Yoda
Ted, I am sure you recall when Boudreaux tried the Ted Williams Shift, by pulling all the Indian infielders way over towards right field so that the 3rd baseman was playing where the shortstop normally would be and the left fielder was way over in center. I don't think it was a great success.
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Hey John....always great to hear from you.
Boudreau devised his "famous shift" in the Summer of 1946. Ted Williams laughed at the Indians players and hit the ball over all of them into the deep confines of Municipal Stadium.
Or into the RF stands at Fenway Park.
Ted Williams was a stubborn guy, who would never resort to slicing the ball to LF where there was no Outfielder, or a line drive down the 3rd base line when this "shift" was in place.
Can you imagine....if Ted had hit the ball to the opposite field when this defensive "shift" was used against him....what his BA would have been ?
Ted's career Hits = 2654, his career Walks = 2021, for a .344 career BA. He needed only 200 more Hits in order to raise his career BA to a lofty
.370
The point I am driving at here......had Ted driven the ball to the opposite field just 10 % of the times that he Walked, he would have achieved a
.370 BA.
Then Ted would be the all-time Batting leader, instead of Cobb.
TED Z
.