by Kenneth Hofmann

Created on: November 10, 2010   Last Updated: February 10, 2011

One record that stands by itself was when Ted Williams hit over .400 in 1941.  Others have done it before Ted Williams, for example Ty Cobb, but no player has come close after Ted Williams.  Some notable hitters of today's baseball era like Joe Mauer, Albert Pujols and Jon Olerud have come close and even Chipper Jones as well, but all have fallen short. The biggest fact of all was that Ted Williams did this feet at the age of 22. A feet unbelievable by itself considering he played nineteen seasons in major league baseball.  Wars and major events have surpassed this event, yet no player of today has eclipsed the .400 mark or even sniffed the .406 average of Ted Williams

Now, Ted Williams did fail to play every game that year in 1941 as he appeared in 143 games and had over 456 at bats. However he finished with MVP numbers of 37 home runs, 120 RBI s ,185 hits and had .553 on base percentage.  Cal Ripken Jr still is the iron man when it comes to consecutive games as was the great Lou Gehrig. Regardless 143 games for Ted Williams and today's players is about average with today's ball players. 

Again, in the era of Ted Williams, there was no five man rotation as most teams threw the same guys out there all the time.   Hence that was why there were other notable players that eclipsed .400 before Ted Williams which sort of dwarfed Ted Williams 1941 season.  Unfortunate for Ted Williams at the that time in US History when he achieved the .406 record was when that time period was also clouded by a little War called World War II.  Familiarity with pitchers was probably an advantage for hitters of that era and playing with less of a country wide audience was an advantage, yet no one else has got close to the .406 that Ted Williams hit in 1941.   

Regardless of negatives, Ted Williams feat of hitting over .400 has stood longer than any major league record including the consecutive games played streak, the all-time home run record, which of course has a dark cloud around and the single season record for home runs, which also comes with much debate these days.  Henry Aaron and Babe Ruth's records are now diminished more than ever because of the controversy of today's players and performance enhancing drugs and that itself is disappointing. Still in comparing Ted Williams, he did what he did when he did it and still regardless of what players are taking to enhance their abilities today Williams record still stands.

In closing Ted Williams record has stood nearly seventy years. The fact that a record has lasted that long when players are bigger, faster and simply more well rounded than ever is simply amazing.  When the time comes, if it does, that day might be the grandest day ever in Major League Baseball.  The day Ted Williams record is broke is a day that any baseball fan will simply stop and say, "Wow."

For more stats and data about Ted Williams

Baseball Reference.com & Milestones/MLB.com History

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