I came across something the other day that really surprised me.  When discussing the career of Ted Williams with a friend of mine, it was brought to my attention that the attendance at Fenway for his  Last Game EVER, was 10,454.

I've done some reading, and as a baseball fan I understand the tumultuous relationship between Williams and the fans/media to be something as John Updike penned:

no mere summer romance; it has been a marriage, composed of spats, mutual disappointments, and, toward the end, a mellowing hoard of shared memories

 Ok, the game was played on a Wednesday, but I can't find the start time of the game.  When did lights go in to Fenway?  Was it a day game?  I see game time: 2:18 but was that the start, or the time it took for completion?  From Updike's essay, it would appear that there was no real uncertainty that September 28th 1960 would in fact be The Splinter's last game.  Sox were in 7th place, worst Sox team in 27 years.  All these factors were likely contributors but still, am I missing something? 

Ted Williams LAST GAME was witnessed by less than 11K fans?  There was never any question of his status as a War Hero, his balanced assault on the record books, or the beauty of his swing.  Even his hardest critic could not refute his credentials.  Was the abysmal attendance a final act of defiance by Bostonians? 

In case you can't tell, I'm not trying to being contentious or a miserable troll.  I am just a curious baseball fan, trying to better understand the back stories not printed in the box score. 

Thank you all.