This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/10/2003.
Ted Williams called hitting a pitched ball the hardest task in sports, and no one worked as hard as he did to achieve mastery at doing so. The results were clear, as Williams excelled at hitting for both power and average and posted fantastic career numbers despite missing three full seasons and most of two others due to time spent as a fighter pilot in World War II and the Korean War. Williams was the last player to hit .400 in a season, a mark that hitters today rarely even approach. This Williams cap is circa 1946, a year when Williams returned from WWII without missing a step and finished the season with a .342 batting average, 38 home runs, and 123 RBI. On top of the cap is the Boston "B" in red on tan felt. On the inside band are the remnants of the "McAuliffe" label. The band is worn away from sweat and heavy wear, as the cap shows very heavy game use. Inside the cap is the number "9," which has been written in black marker by the equipment manager. The cap has excellent provenance as our consignor's grandfather obtained the item directly from Williams, his friend and hunting pal. It comes with a letter from the grandson explaining how his grandfather received a jersey and a cap from Ted in return for a special shotgun he gave him. The letter states that the inner white sweatband of the cap had "Ted Williams" written on it when the consignor received it from his grandfather around 1970, but that the portion of the sweatband with that inscription has worn away since then. This cap was offered in our last auction along with the jersey that Ted gave to the grandfather, and the winning bidder has elected to keep the jersey and put the cap up for auction by itself. The result is that we have the privilege of once again auctioning one of the premier Williams items we will ever see.