This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/9/2009.
Ted Williams was a larger than life figure who combined exceptional eyesight and patience with strength and determination to become arguably the best pure hitter in the history of baseball. When Williams came to the Major Leagues with the Red Sox in 1939, he made an immediate impact as he led the American League in RBIs, the first rookie to do so. On the last day of the 1941 season, Williams opted to play in both games of the day's doubleheader and got six hits in eight at bats, raising his season average to .406; no one has reached .400 since. Though twice interrupted by military service as a Marine Corps pilot, Williams had a glorious 19 year career with the Red Sox, appearing in 17 All-Star Games. He led the league in batting average, runs and total bases six times, and won the Triple Crown (1942, 1947) and the American League Most Valuable Player (1946, 1949) twice, in four separate years. Ted Williams retired from the game in 1960 and hit a home run in his final at-bat, on September 28, 1960, in front of only 10,454 fans at Fenway Park. At the time of his retirement, he had a career batting average of .344 with 521 home runs. This cap was worn by Teddy Ballgame during the 1950s and its provenance is pristine. Inside the leather band is the “KM Pro Cap” stamp. Adjacent is the size “7-1/2” stamp which is partially missing from the band. The “McAuliffe” manufacturers tag is partially detached from the cap and has several holes in it. Atop the navy blue cap is the iconic team “B” embroidered in red stitch with a white border. Inside the done is player number “9” written and underlined in black marker. The cap shows excellent game-use with heavy sweat staining and appears to have no alterations of any kind. It is accompanied by a letter of provenance from our consignor which states, in part, “In early 1991, I had the pleasure of meeting Ted Williams in Florida as I was helping him and his partner move their card shop…Williams came in from a fishing trip with Monte Irvin, we began talking and Mr. Williams gave me this hat which he said was one he used in the 1950s…I have had this in my personal collection ever since.”