My Turn at Bat: The Story of My Life

I have always been a huge fan of the game of baseball, the greatest game in sports. To tell you the truth, I didn't know much about Ted Williams. All I knew was that he was some great hitter in his time, nothing more or less. Of course, Ted Williams played in his prime decades before I even entered the world so I felt there was no reason to know who he was. I was more interested and knowledgable about stars like Griffey and Bonds, Maddux and Schilling. However, after the tragic and recent death of The Kid, I became interested, too late of coarse. I read articles written by Sports Illustrated and the like and then I picked up My Turn At Bat. Let me tell you this, Ted Williams is not just a great hitter, he is an American hero. So, to make a long story short, Ted Willaims writes about all his troubles with the press in Boston, his quarrels with fans, his military service, his fishing and hunting passion, and of cousrse everything else that a legend writes about in his autobiography, all from his side of the story. The funny thing about My Turn At Bat is that it doesn't feel like you are reading a book. Instead, it is more like you are in small conversation with The Splendid Splinter on a cool summer night. Ted Williams was the man that Hollywood has tried for years to duplicate. But he is no John Wayne or James Bond. He was America's true hero on and off the field, something that no baseball player today can become. There are a lot of great ballplayers out there today, A-Rod, Chipper, Ichiro, etc., but there are none that can come close to Teddy Ballgame. If you are a fan of the game of baseball, the way it should be played, I strongly recommend this book. In Mr. Williams words, "Put it in capital letters and run it on page one."

I read this autobiography many years ago, and recently, decided to give it another look. Mr. Williams pulls no punches in this very honest, entertaining, and well-written story of his life in and out of baseball. Unfortunately, due to the strange circumstances surrounding his recent death, many fans will forget his tremendous achievements in our national pasttime. Along with the fact that Mr. Williams lost five or six prime years of his career due to his military commitments. He was a true patriot, and his war anecdotes are entertaining, educational, and provocative. He flew planes with the same focused determination as hitting a baseball. Reading the book again also brought back a childhood memory. Mr. Williams owned a baseball camp in Lakeville, MA that is mentioned in this book. When I was young, I attended this camp. It was run with military precision, and even as a child, you were treated as an adult. Coaches never berated you in front of your teammates as was customary in the Little Leagues or Boy's Clubs. The whole atmosphere and environment were conducive to promoting your best efforts. The presence of Mr. Williams was felt everywhere. On rainy days, we used to watch countless films about the science of hitting. This book is an excellent story, and for many of us, will take us back to our youth. But young baseball fans also can benefit from this tale of one of our greatest athletes and patriots. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

This has to be one of the best books of all time. From the begginning of the book I felt like I was in a room with Ted Williams and we were just talking baseball and talking about particular successful and disappointing times in his career. If you are interested in baseball and the historic legends in the game then I suggest that you pick up this book. The further I got in the book the more I felt like I personally new Ted. In this book there are great pictures of him and other great players to help put some faces with the stories he tells. I will guarantee that once you pick up this book, it will be very hard for you to put it down.

So much of this book makes you reflect to a time when the simple pleasures in life revolved around an old leather glove and a dinged up ole bat. It brings to light how maybe we too as young kids chose to escape personal tragedies by going out and dreaming of playing " The Game". Ted Williams will have you reflecting on that boy you once knew so eager and dedicated to playing baseball, that he just lost sight of everything else. I am on my third round in reading this book(1975, 1977, 1998). A must for any young kid aspiring to play "The Game".

Ted Williams reveals a lot about his personality and lifestyle that the media failed to recognize. His style of writing makes it seem as though Ted is speaking directly to the reader; it was the kind of book that made you think that you were listening to him talk to YOU. "My Turn at Bat" is a journey that anyone, baseball fan or not, can enjoy.