Ted Williams was a man who knew his worth, and knew how to get it, and this archive of contract negotiation documents makes that perfectly clear. By the late 1950s Ted Williams knew he was getting to the end of his career. However, several times throughout his career it had looked like Ted’s career was over, yet time and time again he bounced back, defying the odds. This lot contains Ted’s negotiations with the Red Sox for the 1955 through 1958 (with 1958 including 1959). Ted would be 39 years old in 1958, and while most players that age would have been long gone or at best limited to a bench role, Ted hit a league leading .388. At that rate, it was a prudent decision by the Red Sox to make sure they had Ted locked down for a few more seasons.

So, in February of 1958 the Sox not only signed Ted for 1958 and 1959, but for the foreseeable future as well. The first piece in this archive is a February 5, 1958, letter on Red Sox stationary from vice president and Hall of Famer Joe Cronin. The letter references Williams’ new contract of $60,000 for 1958 and 1959, but then goes on to give Ted a contract through the 1974 season! Now, it must be noted that the Sox did not expect Ted to play up until 1974 - he’d be 55 - but the team wanted to keep him on the payroll as an advisor or coach. The document is signed in black fountain pen “Joseph E. Cronin” and counter-signed in blue ballpoint by Theodore Williams. This comes with a LOA from PSA/DNA (Z05628).

The next item is the contract Ted Williams signed with the Boston Red Sox on May 27, 1955 that acknowledges his fulfillment of the remainder of the 1955 season, but adding an additional two years “as an employee during each of such years.” The first document is the official contract tendered between Williams and the Red Sox that he signed in blue pen on the “ACCEPTED:” line and by then Vice President, Treasurer and General Manager of the Red Sox, Hall of Famer Joe Cronin. Cronin penned his name on the lower right of the document on the “Very truly yours, Boston American League Baseball Co” and “Vice President” line. This letter has “BOSTON AMERICAN LEAGUE BASEBALL COMPANY” boldly printed on the top of the page with the club’s address and red two socks logo. The page has two folds consistent with being sealed in an envelope and displays minor toning. The print is still clear and the signatures are bold and crisp. There are two additional documents included in this lot, both are drafts on thin paper of the contract with handwritten notes from Red Sox attorney Jack Hayes. His handwritten notes of “and in consideration thereof” was inserted after the mention of “1955 Season”. He also noted to add the “Corporate seal.” under the line beneath “Boston American League Baseball Co.” on one document. The third document is what looks like the finished draft which would be transferred to the finished document for both parties to sign. There is an additional 5 x 6 ½ note paper that is folded with notes in pencil that correspond to the agreed upon contract numbers. These are rare documents and both the signatures of Williams and Cronin come with a full LOA from PSA/DNA (Z05627).

The next item is the contract Ted Williams signed with the Boston Red Sox on February 6, 1957 that acknowledges his fulfillment of the remainder of the 1957 season. This was the official contract tendered between Williams and the Red Sox that Ted signed in blue pen on the “ACCEPTED:” line and by then Vice President, Treasurer and General Manager of the Red Sox, Hall of Famer Joe Cronin. Cronin penned his name on the lower right of the document on the “Very truly yours, Boston American League Baseball Co” and “Vice President” line. This letter has “BOSTON AMERICAN LEAGUE BASEBALL COMPANY” boldly printed on the top of the page with the club’s address and red two socks logo. This comes with a LOA from JSA. The remaining items in this lot include a 10-page document dated March 16, 1959 outlining an income tax (1956, 1957 & 1958) and a “Memorandum in Support of Compensation Arrangement of Ted Williams”. There are also various accounting notes and ledgers.

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