Ted Williams

The "Splendid Splinter" was baseball's greatest hitter, and most notorious enfant terrible. The child of a broken family, Williams grew up in the glare of the major league spotlight and suffered for his honesty and lack of social graces. Nevertheless, he rewrote the record books, still taking time to serve in WWII and Korea. After baseball, he earned renown as an outdoorsman and, in the end, as the unfortunate corpse in a lurid custody battle among his children. Scott Brick's reading is both honest and idolatrous, as one cannot escape the raw charisma and bawdy crudity of this boy who never grew up. We are told of blind men who went to Fenway Park just to hear him hit. Such is the wonder of baseball. J.W. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Starred review from March 15, 2004
Montville, who also penned the bestselling bio about racer Dale Earnhart (The Altar of Speed
), covers all of Williams's heroic achievements—a Hall of Fame baseball career, two tours of duty as a Marine fighter pilot, an unmatched thirst for the thrill of the outdoors. But thanks to the author's ability to track down new sources of information, Montville presents a more nuanced portrayal of the baseball star than many previous biographies. The Kid, as Williams was known, is brought to life with portraits supplied from the people who made up Williams's very compartmentalized life. Distinct recollections of his former teammates, fishing buddies, former lovers, caretakers, family members and brothers in arms coupled with Montville's ability to display each memory in its own context gives readers an extraordinary glimpse into Williams's complex psyche. Though he admits to worshipping Williams as a youth, Montville's crisp prose holds nothing back when it comes to exposing Williams's many flaws, his heartbreaking final years and the controversy surrounding his death. Relying on his years as a sports writer, Montville is also able to subtly shift the tone of the book to fit Williams's personality as he evolved from an energetic youth to a cantankerous star, from America's bigger-than-life legend to a bedridden invalid. Sure, Teddy Ballgame was an American icon, but Montville's ability to show the darker and lighter human sides of Williams is a pretty remarkable achievement in its own right.

Ted Williams was the greatest hitter in baseball history. But to many, Ted Williams is the baseball player whose head has been frozen for eternity. Fortunately, sportswriter Leigh Montville's biography tastefully and insightfully captures both the spirit of this enigmatic player, as well as the tragic events that have made Williams's death the butt of many late-night TV jokes. This is the rare sports biography that is neither boring nor trite. Philip Bosco's reading meshes beautifully with Montville's prose. Bosco's deep tones remind one of a classic play- by-play announcer's voice. His style is particularly effective when conveying Williams's intensity and stubbornness, both on and off the field. If the production has a drawback, it's that the book is so good, the listener is left to wonder what was abridged. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine