Greatest hitter in baseball history. And for the folks chanting 'selfish', the idea is to REACH BASE SAFELY (that's why they have 'base on balls'), which he did more successfully than ANYONE in ML history (.482 career OBP - 1st all time). Fielding (defense) is NOT overrated. He was no gold glover, but he was no butcher, either. More impressive was his being an ace U.S. Marine fighter pilot, and John Glenn's wingman. They don't make 'em like Ted anymore, and that's too bad. It's sickening to see a lying, cheating scumbag like Barry Bonds eclipse ANY of his records, because Bonds couldn't carry this man's jockstrap!

The best slugger ever. If you could factor in the time lost for military service it would be a "no-brainer".

Any properly done statistical analysis shows that this is the greatest hitter in history.

Period.

The only one who comes close, and he comes very close, is Ruth.

Is he a better player than Ruth? No, not even close. Ruth was a better fielder and a better baserunner, and was a top-line pitcher before he became an everyday player.

But best hitter? That was Williams.

The mechanics of his swing were so perfect that his descendants, apparently believing it a biological gift, wish to preserve his DNA. Because of that swing, Williams seems to appeal to the nerds of baseball, the numbers guys. Whereas Ruth is known for the legends surrounding him, Williams's fans tend to trot out a lot of statistics. I'm a Williams guy myself, partly because of the Sox connection, and partly because Williams gave up the chance to set all kinds of other records when he spent five years in the service. Being only of one of two hitters to win the Triple Crown (along with Hornsby), Williams has a large number of achievements which are unlikely to be repeated.

best hitter to ever live

This man is truly second to none. I can't think of a modern player who can match him. He was called to serve his country twice and still was a leader in most departments.

The best hitter in the history of the game. Career .344 avg with 521 homeruns and 1839 rbi's. Won the Triple Crown twice, AL batting title 6 times and MVP 5 times. Oh, and by the way he missed 3 years when he was at his prime because he enlisted in the military during WWII.

To be fair to this list I can not rate a five.I feel he falls behind Ruth,Cobb,Gehrig and I feel Berra was a better hitter although his stats don't show that he did.What impresses me most about Ted is that he served his country and that is more important than any stat he garnered or any trophy he won.He saved American lives in a time of war with great sacrifice to himself and his career.After all baseball is America's pastime and Ted was a huge part of baseball and our country.

I've been a baseball fan for over 50 years, and I never saw anyone better than Ted Williams. He looked like a baseball player, had a beautiful swing and tons of attitude. I couldn't wait for him to visit our park when I was a kid. GREATEST EVER!

I have one number for you, .400!!!

A great hitter, but his fielding skills drop him just a bit.

One of the top 5 jerks in MLB history! Sure was tenacious, though.

I can't give five stars to a 2 or 3 tool position player. That makes no sense at all. How can such a specialized player be ranked number 2 all-time. He was also a mind-numbingly selfish player. He was fine with losing if he went 4-4 & didn't give a crap when the team won if he had the misfortune of going hitless. He was the Frank Thomas of his, albeit a MUCH greater hitter.

No one can seriously challenge the the notion that "Teddy Ballgame" remains the greatest hitter to have ever played the game. Tall and gangly, with eyes like a hawk and a work ethic (as far as batting is concerned) that has rarely been approached. This man literally wrote the book on hitting and has continued to teach many of his progeny through those well worn pages and references to his approach that survive on film. With nearly the power of Ruth and the single-minded focus on success at the plate of Cobb and Hornsby, Williams did under normal conditions what the steroid-enhanced Barry Bonds has been able to accomplish in recent years throughout the span of a miraculous career that was twice interupted by military service. The reverence held for Williams by both past and present players at Greatest Players Ever celebration in Fenway Park a few years back was a fitting farwell and a telling tribute to this baseball god. Ted always wanted to be known as the greatest hitter who ever lived. He got his wish.

I just wanted to mention to the moron who keeps rating people low "to help Mr. Cobb" that you are guilty of extreme intellecutal dishonesty. And Cobb can't use your help as he is deceased.

Badass ballplayer and yes, he was a pilot. I need to look it up if anybody wants details, but I know he flew for the Marines.

The numbers alone speak for themselves, especially being the last (and he will be the last) player to hit .400, and with good power yet. However, I truly admire this guy because he missed two big chunks at the prime of his career when he served in WWII and Korea. A fighter pilot no less, and , if I'm not mistaken an ace as well. The lore about his vision abound. I love the stories where they would write numbers or letters on a baseball and Williams could discern them mid-flight his eyes were so good.

Good, but he can't be ahead of babe

Better overall hitter than DiMaggio, 56-game hit streak notwithstanding.

Among Ted's long list of accomplishments are six American League batting titles, two Triple Crowns, two MVP's, and four homerun titles. Despite missing nearly five seasons of his prime to military service, he still ranks tied 14th on baseball's all-time homerun list.

3rd All Time Behind Gehrig And Ruth

Teddy Ballgame, greatest hitter of ALL TIME period

Average fielder perhaps; however, fielding is not nearly as important as hitting. What he may have given up in terms of runs in the field he more than made up for at the plate. Statistically, in terms of what is most important in baseball, Williams, Ruth and Bonds are the tops.

One of the greatest ever.

The Red Sox' Ted Williams was one of baseball's greatest hitters. Combining keen vision with quick wrists and a scientific approach to hitting, he set numerous batting records despite missing rearly five full seasons due to military service and two major injuries. His accomplishhments include a .406 season in 1941, two Triple Crowns, two MVP's, six American League batting championships, 521 home runs, a lifetime average of .344, 17 All-Star Game selections, and universal reverence. Ted Williams was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966

Among Ted's long list of accomplishments are six American League batting titles, two Triple Crowns, two MVP's and four homerun titles. Despite missing nearly five seasons of his prime to military, he still ranks tied 11th on baseball's all-time home-run list. In 1941 Williams solidified his greatness when he posted a .406 average with the Redsox and won the first of his 6 batting crowns. Since then no batter has hit .400, and only a couple of players came close to doing it. Ted's career numbers are 2292 games played, 7706 at-bats, 1798 runs, 2654 hits, 525 doubles, 71 triples, 521 homeruns, 1839 rbi's, 2019 walks, 709 strikeouts, and a .344 average. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1965.

Renowned as the last hitter to hit .400 in a season (he hit .406 in 1941), he combined power and average in one package. Experts deem that all aspects and fundamentals of his swing were flawless. Best swing ever, they all say. A professed student and author on the art and science of swinging the ash lumber, his observations on batting made Williams some sort of hitting Zen Guru after his playing days were over. Ted Williams was a 2-time AL MVP winner and 2-time Triple Crown. Ironically, he didn't win the MVP in 1941 because that was the year of Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. Williams's lifetime batting average, .344, is the highest BA of any player who appeared in a game post-1940. Using the bottom-line batting indicator of on-base plus slugging, (OPS), Williams OPS of 1.116 is bested all-time only by Babe Ruths 1.164. An acclaimed aviator (Williams eyesight was said to be better than 20-20), Williams missed roughly five years during both World war II and the Korean War. Was AL Manager of the year in 1969, taking a moribund Washington Senators club to their only winning record in their short, tortured tenure in DC (Before moving to Texas). Though the Splendid Splinter's corporeal body rests in a frozen vat in Arizona (What a travestry!!), Williams actually resides with the gods of baseball, alongside Ruth, Mantle, Gehrig, Cobb, and Cy Young.

He was one of if not the greatest baseball player of all time. He hit many long balls he hit the longest homer ever at fenway park. His numbers were amazing his attributes were not as good as his character. He had a golden heart and an everlasting love for our country. He spent many years in our armed forces, so thats the main reason why he probably isnt considered baseballs greatest player. But i knoiw for a fact if he wasnt in our armed forces there is no doubt in any ones eyes that he was and still is BASEBALLS GREATEST PLAYER

Great hitter, but played in a park which puffed up his stats. He was below average in the field and on the bases and never played for a winner.

Perhaps the greatest hitter ever, but a mediocre defensive player, a mediocre baserunner, bad in the clubhouse, kind of a jerk, and for all you people who say Bonds can't be ranked No. 1 because he doesn't have a ring...where is Ted's ring?

Not much of a fielder or baserunner, but with his bat who careS?

Best all time

best hitter ever. period. biggest badass of his time too. he served in two wars for cying out loud. my fave player ever.

If you were rating just offense, he would be off the charts, but we are rating overall as a baseball player. Greatest hitter ever, no question, but an average fielder. Having said that...John Henry, I hope the flames are burning your ass in a way reserved for a limited few.

After he retired, as possibly the greatest player ever, he should've signed up with Dr. Frankenstein who was much more humane than his son.

you have got to love a guy who gives up 5 productive years to serve his country in two different wars. obsessed with hitting until the day he died, he used to practice his swing in the outfield. greatest hitter who ever lived.

greatest hitter of all time

not as good as tyrus raymond cobb

The best all-around hitter of all time. His view of defense as unneccesary was a little disguisting (he once let a ball drop right in front of him while going threw his head about the up-coming at-bat), his hitting was the best ever and that gets him a 5.

Do The Math: Ted Williams= Best Hitter Ever!

Best Hitter there ever was!!

Truely a great hitter and one not to be forgotten.

Can't be any lower than the 2nd or 3rd greatest hitter ever. (Cobb has a claim of being first) But Williams was never a 5-star player because defense was an afterthought. . .he didn't hustle in the outfeild. At the plate, he was a sure-fire hall-of-famer.

Best hitter EVER. That includes YOU, "Joltin' Joe"

The art of hitting. He IS the art of hitting.

how is the greatest player to ever pick up a bat not number 1. You were the greatest Ted, John Henry, rot in hell for what you are doing

I PERSONALLY THINK THAT BABE RUTH IS THE GREATEST HITTER EVER, BECAUSE HE COULD HIT FOR MORE POWER, WITH JUST AS HIGH AN AVG, AND WHEN AN RBI WAS NEEDED, RUTH WOULD SLIGHTLY EXPAND HIS ZONE. HOWEVER, IF ANYONE PUTS UP AN ARGUMENT, WILLIAMS MOST CERTAINLY DOES. HIS ATBAT PER STRIKE OUT RATIO IS JUST INCREDIBLE, AS IS HIS STRIKEOUT TO HOME RUN RATIO. WHILE HE WAS NO RICKEY HENDERSON ON THE BASEPATHS, HE WASNT EXACTLY MO VAUGHN EITHER. HE SCORED 125+ RUNS IN SEVERAL SEASONS. ITS TOO BAD HE MISSED ROUGHLY 5 YEARS TO THE WAR, OR HE COULD HAVE 700 HRS, A .350+ CAREER AVG, 3000 HITS, 2500 RUNS, 2500 WALKS, 625 DOUBLES, ETC. THE ONE KNOCK ON WILLIAMS WAS HIS MEDIOCRE FIELDING, BUT HE WASNT THE WORST, AND, HIS HITTING MORE THAN MADE UP FOR HIS FIELDING. WILLIAMS WAS GREAT

The greatest mechanical hitter ever. His fundamentals were flawless. He hit .406 in 1941 (the last player to ever hit over .400), but didn't win the MVP because that was the year of DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak. Williams's lifetime on base percentage was an alarming .483! He obviously has nothing to do with the debate going on about what to do with his corpse.

One statistic: Last hitter to hit .400 in a season. Power and average.

Best swing ever!