It's Only Me: The Ted Williams We Hardly Knew [With CD]

I was a Joe DiMaggio fan and never cared for Ted Williams much, knowing what I did about his antics while playing baseball. It took me a long time to start this book. I found that under the gruff hard shell of this man was a genuine hero to be looked up to. Spending 26 years in the military myself, I was shocked and awed to find that Ted had given up 5 prime time baseball seasons to fly a fighter jet in the Marines for two wars when called by his country. How many players today would do that? I was touched by his feeding a stray cat after swearing at it for hanging around his back door. I was moved by Ted volunteering to spend his time giving autographs and supporting a charitable cause and asking for nothing in return. I was truly impressed that he went to his manager after having a season that was below his standards and asking for a pay reduction. I also found out that his real love was for fishing, and the book has some interesting and comical sidelights of his experiences. I think every ballplayer today should read this book and ask themselves how they stack up to Ted Williams. As for me, I still love Joe DiMaggio, an outstanding ballplayer and a gentleman, but Ted is now my hero. The enclosed CD with a live discussion with Ted is a golden bonus.

The media man who knew Ted Williams best does not disappoint. John Underwood has written an incisive and enjoyable book full of wonderful anecdotes about one of the most fascinating and iconic figures of the 20th Century. Like Ted Williams, John Underwood may be the last of the .400 authors.

For all the books written about Ted Williams and his ability to hit a baseball better than anyone who has ever lived, this is a fantastic little book to read if you want to really understand this complicated man. Written by one of Ted's long-time friends and confidants, the book is unusually objective, showing Ted's flaws without apology. Ted had a temper and could be thoughtless, even cruel, and that comes through. So does the rest of Ted's character. When you finish this book, you will probably, like me, "miss" Ted just as the author does. My favorite little incident has Ted cursing a stray cat that's been hanging around his door. Then, after preparing breakfast for his guests, he sets a plate of scraps by the door for that cat. "No point in it going to waste," he gruffly says. Reading this made me smile. Ted, do you suppose the da** cat hangs around your door so much, because you feed it? A clear example of a famous and profound saying: Actions speak louder than words. Ted curses the cat, but feeds it. I've always been a big Ted Williams fan. Reading this book has made me even more enthusiastically in Ted's corner, and it has also given me a very clear picture of his dark side. A wonderful book, fair, honest, warm, and very well worth buying and reading. By the way, the CD that comes with this book, Ted talking about his crash landing in Korea and other assorted subjects, should be listened to after reading the book. First get to know the man, then hear his voice, and it all comes together.

John Underwood's book will please any Ted fan. He surely knew him personally, sharing anecdotes that reveal Ted Williams as a human being as well as a ballplayer. Underwood is not afraid to address Ted's insecurities or his occasional pitfalls/negatives that may have undermined some personal relationships and the baseball world. His records on and off the field speak for themselves. He was the best Boston player ever and made children his priority, including Underwood's. The book also gives much more credit to Bobby Jo Ferrell, Ted's eldest daughter and the only sane offspring of the family. He is complimentary of her efforts to free Ted from his frozen fate. Knowing her personally, I share Underwood's opinion of her positive qualities and compassion - a smile that would captivate anyone. We all know what Ted wanted after his death and it wasn't a macabre warehouse in Arizona where humans are vivisected and desecrated. Underwood has a persoanal video of Ted saying what he desired after death - cremation and dispersal with his dog's remains in the Keys. The book reads extremely well and will keep you spellbound as if you are there with Underwood in Ted's home in the Keys or in Hernando. One on one, you feel a part of the conversations. Nicely done and a must for Boston fans that cherished the Man and the game when it was a "game" not a business.

Great book by John Underwood! Those familiar with many Ted Williams books and articles will recognize some of the stories in the book, but anything with Ted talking "off the cuff" is great. The CD recording included with the book of Ted giving his opinions, experiences and thoughts is priceless! Mr. Underwood, if you read this you should release all of your Williams recordings on CD. I guarentee they'd be very popular!! This should not be the first Ted Williams book you read. I suggest "My Turn at Bat" also by Underwood or "Ted Williams: An American Hero." by Leigh Montville as your first Williams read.