As a 19-year-old heading east to play for the Boston Red Sox, Ted Williams was overheard muttering, "All I want out of life is when I walk down the street folks will say, 'There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived.'" Through a tumultuous, boisterous career that touched four decades, Williams worked tirelessly to perfect the science of hitting and accomplish his goal. Twice the winner of the Triple Crown, Williams hit an astonishing .406 in 1941, a standard that has not been achieved since. Williams, though, was not only a superb ballplayer; he was a Marine who served two stints in the military during wartime. As a fighter pilot in Korea, Williams was hit by enemy fire but survived the fiery crash. Williams was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966 and in 1999 was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Book jacket.