The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-06
(Reg. U. Pat. Off.) RV IACK GIIENTHER
lIInited Press Sta {

Limited Press Sta Correspondent
 New York, July 6-(UP)-Out o1 Tin Pan Alley a few summers age came one of those typical moon- spoon June ditties which found fa- vor with the beach resort anc country club trade. Although I re. Tcall it but hazily, 1t contained g phrase which went roughly like Millions of stars twinkle or high, up in the sky, but I only have eyes for you"
 No doubt you've long forgotten the sweet melody and saccharine lyrics of this slightly insipid ballad if ever you knew them at all. Anc no doubt you wonder why I rake over their ashes today. Well, there's a baseball game to be played at the Polo Grounds tonight. And while some 50 stars will twinkle, the thou sands of spectators will have eye' only for one.
 That would be the young man WI call terrible Ted Williams.
 You know Ted Williams, of course He is the lanky willowy boy who is endowed with more talent than the ordinary baseball players. He is the long ball hitter; the electrify- ing gent who can make or break game in a split second
 AS well, he is at the same time one of the most cheered and most abused players we have seen since Dizzy Dean.
 One or Other
 It seems there is always someone like Williams around-someone with whom the sport writers deal only in extremes. When you refer to Ted, you do one of two things. You defend him hotly or you dismiss him as the boy with the million dollar body and the ten cent temperament. He is the sort of personality for whom there is no middle ground.
 Williams, always has provided the rough material for such treatment. Prodigy of sorts, he always has been either a hero or a bum. When he remarked that he liked to chase fire engines or that he thought he wasn't being given square deal at Boston. he drew down only wrath. When he hit 400, even his enemies praised him in purple phrases.
 After a haphazard introduction in Boston, Williams won the town over last year. He broke the 400 mark in batting. He was the first American leaguer in 18 years to do this and Boston celebrated the oc- casion with the proper hilarity. Sports writers who had villified him now glorified him. They loudly pro- claimed him the best man in his game.
 In addition to hitting 400 Will Hams broke up the last all-star game. With the cause all but lost, he provided the climax. The Nation al league was leading, 5-4. There were two men out in the last half of the ninth. There were two men on base. When the count on Will Hams reached two balls and one strike, terrible Ted poled a fat one into the stands.
 But that was 1941-and this is 1942.
 This is another year and once again Williams is 8 marked man. His talent still is beyond dispute. He no longer is belting 'em at a 400 clip, but he is leading his league in batting, in home runs, in runs scored and in runs batted in. You'd think this would be enough. Well, it isn't. williams is more unpopu- lar in Boston today than ever be- fore.
 They Meet Again
 He unwittingly became the center of a controversy early in the spring when he was deffered from mili- tary service. Ted settled that argu- ment by enlisting in the naval air corps. But the boos have continued The fans claim he hasn't hustled. They jeered him until finally Man ager Joe Cronin, with a pennant at stake, called him to the bench.
 That was just few days ago. To- night terrible Ted comes face to face with an audience that knows his skill and his faults. He'll be picking up right where he left off, too. The home run he knocked a year ago was blasted off the offer ings of Claude Passeau and tonight the first time Williams steps up to the plate Passeau will be in the box against him.
 That much we know. Other than that, we can only guess. My guess Is that Ted will wipe out lot of unpleasant memories tonight For I've known. seen and written about quite q few like him-Dean. Don