more than the best hitter in baseball history.

Ted Williams is well known for his achievements in baseball. He was no stranger to home-runs and was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame. Author Ben Bradlee Jr. shares with us other sides to this baseball hero, sides that are bigger than the game, in his biography The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams.

William’s childhood was painful. He grew up in San Diego with a never present father who eventually abandoned the family. His mother was also terribly neglectful, preferring to spend her time soliciting money for the Salvation Army rather than spend time with her children. Williams found solace in baseball, and he wanted to be the best. But Williams was more than just a baseball player.  He spent 5 years of his baseball career, during his prime playing periods, serving as a pilot for the Marines in WWII and in Korea. He did a lot for his country, his race, and his fans. However, this isn’t a biography about a man who did everything right. His personal relationships were atrocious, and Bradlee made sure that this biography was honest, including interviews from multiple family members and people close to Williams who is still honored in the bio despite his faults.