Ted Williams' Last Game: A question from a Baseball fan.

by MidwayCityLivestock on Jul 26, 2009 6:01 PM EDT

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.

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Have you looked at other attendance numbers?

That’s what I would suggest. 10K fans is Nationals-esque now, but what was it like back in the day? What were the attendance averages? Sports were just not as big a deal back then. And the Sox used to really, really suck.

"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw

by BTLove on Jul 26, 2009 7:40 PM EDT reply actions

I can help you I think.

During Williams last year(s), the team was auful, as it was through most of the 60s,, but also you never knew if Williams would get into the game. He only played sporadically, so it was always a risk going just to see Williams. On the flip side, since the team was so bad, almost everyone who went back then went with the sole intention of maybe seing Williams pinch hit or even get into the game a short while.

by NG on Jul 26, 2009 7:49 PM EDT reply actions

The only thing I can add

is that “game time” in boxscores is the length of the game.

ZING! ZANG! ZUNG!

by crabchowdah on Jul 26, 2009 8:05 PM EDT reply actions

Retrosheet has it as a night game:

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1960/B09300NYA1960.htm

Game Played on Friday, September 30, 1960 (N) at Yankee Stadium I

@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.

by bdalebs on Jul 26, 2009 10:09 PM EDT reply actions

Crap, wrong game, my bad. Day game on the 28th:

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1960/B09280BOS1960.htm

Game Played on Wednesday, September 28, 1960 (D) at Fenway Park

@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.

by bdalebs on Jul 26, 2009 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe the ole' days weren't universally better after all

Everyone complains about the state of players and fans nowadays but that kind of thing would never happen nowadays, regardless of time of day or quality of the team.

The pink hat nation maybe annoying, but they know enough to show up for the greatest hitter of all time’s last game.

by BigRedDog42 on Jul 27, 2009 11:16 AM EDT reply actions

I think you might be closest to the truth BigRed!

Thank you. Sadly, I’m still perplexed. I just can’t imagine such a miserable turnout….

Either way, That John Updike essay should probably be required reading for at the very least all Red Sox fans.

by MidwayCityLivestock on Jul 28, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions

That essay should be required reading for all sports fans (and their wives who complain about watching too much baseball)

It so perfectly describes the special relationship fans have with athletes, and the excessive deification they receive.

by BigRedDog42 on Jul 29, 2009 9:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Williams

If I remember correctly, Williams and the fans didn’t really have the rough relationship, it was Williams and the media. The media wanted whatever they could get out of Williams, but he just wanted to do his thing.

One story that I vaguely remember, which could probably be confirmed/copy on the Internet (but I’m not going to do it), was when instead of attending a post-game press conference (or whatever it was), Williams went and saw a sick child in the hospital. I don’t think the media knew what he was doing, and ripped him a new one.

Stuff like that didn’t help the relationship….

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Jul 27, 2009 11:45 AM EDT reply actions

Quite the contrary...

The relationship with the fans didn’t become as positive until after he retired. There were TWO incidents where Williams Spit at the crowd, they booed him often, it’s the reason he famously NEVER Tipped his cap after his first season…

by MidwayCityLivestock on Jul 28, 2009 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I believe...

…Williams was a close friend of the Sox announcer during that time and had confided in the announcer that this was his last game. So after he hit the bomb in his last AB, the announcer told the crowd this was it for Teddy Ballgame.

"Well let me just quote the late-great Colonel Sanders, who said...'I'm too drunk to taste this chicken.' "
-Ricky Bobby

by nepats108 on Jul 28, 2009 4:31 PM EDT reply actions