Of all the moments in Ted Williams’s inimitable career, one consistently stood out in his mind. It wasn’t hitting a home run in his final at-bat, nor was it the bold decision to play out a double-header on the final day of the 1941 season as his average teetered on the precipice of .400 (and history).
It was a moment of pure, unbridled joy that arrived in baseball’s Midsummer Classic, the All-Star Game. For Williams, who was cruelly denied more than a single opportunity to play in the World Series, his consistent appearances in the All-Star Game were more than a silver lining.