Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-23
THE BASEBALL
BEA T
BY BURTON HAWKINS
An Incident Ted Reorets
BY BURTON HAWKINS

pL.
nobody brings out the teboy aspect of it more than
Ted Williams In the latest demonstration of Teds uncon
trolable temper, it seemed that the Kid warned about
playing with matches finally terrified and genuinely
remorsefu as he watched the conflagration.
This a different sort of incident for Ted. On
other occasions he had directed saliva in the general dec
ton of the press box and at the FANS had deliberately
pumped foul balls among his heckerS and had stamped
politicians gutleSS.
Those acts may not cover the field but they're enough
to mirror the fact that Mr. Williams become aroused
the slightest provocation perhaps whatsoever
He his to the skin and when he isn't
making headlines through ability chances are he's creating
them through acrimony.
Some years ago there occasion to witness Williams
in feud with fans who annoying him at Fenway
Park At time when the Red Sox three games back
of the leaders and involved in close game with the sena-
tors Tempesuous Ted elected silence his taunters by
striving to bash baSeballs off their molars.
NOBODY WAS HURT and there grudgng admit
ration for hitter who could show the skill necessary to
line the stands adjacent to the eftfied line at
Fenway Park repeatedly and with consistent vgor The
Senator'S for Instance have been having trouble hitting
ball in any direction Ted this day pn-ponting his
liners
Whether Ted finally wearied of such sport erred in
his calculations hasn't been determined but eventually he
socked soaring smash high off the centerfeld fence.
Herbert Hoover could have made triple of it mpeded by
ovecoa and gaohes but Ted logged into second base
He wasn't permitted to occupy that base for more than
promptly dispatched runner for Ted, yanked Williams
and fined him $3.50 1t seemed mild punishment for forget
ting his teammates at time when they were involved
in pennant race.
Williams wrath can be monumental and a-ncusive
Generally he has focused it segment of the Boston
press which doesn't regard him another Paul Revere
But he has veered off to other topics with equal fury
attacking wide range of subjects which have dis
pleased him.
IN FAIRNESS TO WILLIAMS, however, he had no
intention doing anything other than show disgust with
himself Sunday when he watched third strike from Bill
Fischer He wasn't debating that the pitch was strike
He knew it realized he should have been swinging and
blew gasket.
He meant to furrow the ground with his bat when he
released angriy but maybe the showing his
an unmelowed 40 He had lot of earth to hit but ne
mscacuated His bat headed toward the box seats and
finally bounced off an elderly womanS forehead.
The lady was General Manager Cronins houSekeeper
and williams rooer whose ardor for the athlete didn't
diminish despite being conked by him. She was fogvng
and disturbed that Williams might be upset by the incident
She hung around for two innings in the frst-aid
room until williams bated again and doubled Only then
would she depart for a hospital.
williams meanwhile was distraught. He had gazed in
horror as the bat scared toward the stands In split
second his rage transformed to despair stinctvey
he sped to victim to express sorrow too late to deter
damage but not too late to demonstrate decency
MANAGER MIKE HIGGINS explained later that Viii
ams tears in his eyes, begged to leave the during
the short interval between innings Higgins response
"You can't do it, Ted They'll think you're ducking out"
Bill Summers, the plate umpire Sauntered to the Bos
ton bench and it believed he would eject Williams from
the game Instead he told Ted to take his place in left
field Ted did, amid boong and cheering the latter SEEM
ingy recognition that this episode Ted regretted
Thousands of bats have been discarded in disgust by
frustrated htters In this instance the polished lumber
didn't dig divot Slther along the ground harmeSsy
send spry teammates scurrying out of range
The bat sailed into the stands struck spectator and
the batter was Williams and news But there
concentration on Ted while the bat in the air 1t
appeared that here little boy who realized at long
last, that an ignited temper lead to disaster