It’s often said that there will never be another Ted Williams, and this bat is a direct reminder of why that saying is true. After he served as a Marine fighter pilot for three long seasons during World War II, Ted Williams came back to the game he loved with a vengeance. His first season back, 1946, he won the MVP Award, then won it again three years later. By 1950 it looked like Ted was unstoppable on the field, but events half a world away proved otherwise. War broke out on the Korean peninsula and Williams was recalled back to active duty with the Marines. He finished 1951 by leading the AL in most walks and on base percentage, then took to the skies of Korea in his fighter jet. His mission completed, Ted returned from war a second time, and again did the impossible by picking up where he left off.

     In his first full year back, 1954, Ted hit .345, then turned it up a notch in ’55 by hitting .356. This Hillerich & Bradsby was made for Williams in the period just before or right after his return from war, when he defied the baseball Gods by resuming his Hall of Fame-bound career for the unparalleled second time. Ted’s Hillerich & Bradsby W166 model bat is un-cracked and shows excellent use. Ball marks with stitch impressions can be easily seen on the left and right barrel along with checking from repeated ball contact. The checking is more prevalent on the right barrel. That the bat shows ball marks on both sides of the barrel is a solid trait of Ted Williams’ gamers. Always very particular about his lumber, Williams, unlike most players, alternated the side of the bat he used when batting. This was done to distribute the wear and prolong the life of his beloved bats. To complete this Hall of Fame worthy gamer, Williams’ immortal number “9” is inked in black paint on the bats’ knob. A small mounting hole has been drilled in both the knob and barrel end. The ash has taken on a golden brown patina with age, giving this bat a very attractive appearance. The bat can be dated to the 1951-1955 range due to the C-15A center brand which Hillerich & Bradsby used from 1950-1960. The dates can be further narrowed down by Ted’s existing factory order record, which shows the slugger ordered W166 model bats from 1951 through 1955. A single 1960 W166 order was placed by Williams, but the weight does not match the 33.1 ounces of this bat. Williams signed his name in blue marker on the barrel making this a terrific gamer from the most resilient ballplayer of all time. This bat comes with a LOA from PSA/DNA (1B12856) for the game use and has been graded a GU 8.5 and a full LOA from PSA/DNA (AC01269) for the signature.