5 notable facts about Splendid Splinter’s life and career

Ted Williams had a season for the ages in 1941. But the Hall of Famer also enjoyed a remarkable career — and life. Here are five highlights from his iconic life you should know about.

1. Military career Like many ballplayers of his era, Williams was called to service — first during World War II and again during the Korean War. Yet, unlike many of his MLB comrades, the Splendid Splinter was a casualty of active combat — losing part of his hearing and surviving many dangerous encounters while flying 39 missions as a captain in the Korean War, according to the Marine Corps Association.

“Some people came back in from the sports world who were put to work as coaches for the baseball teams or something like that,” said John Glenn, who later became an astronaut and U.S. senator, to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo. “Ted was not that way. Ted fit right in. He was a Marine pilot just like the rest of us and did a great job.”

Williams’ first military stint had a rocky beginning, at best. With a 1A status, he received a deferment months after the 1941 season — due to his mother’s dependence on him — which the media portrayed as “un-American,” contributing to one of the many fractures in his relationship with the press. Williams voluntarily enlisted in the Navy reserve a year later and spent the next three seasons learning to fly.

Teddy Ballgame was known for his remarkable vision at the plate, and that prowess translated directly to his military tenure. According to Mayo, Williams set records for hits, shooting from wingovers, zooms and barrel rolls, as well as a student gunnery record, in reflexes, coordination and visual reaction time — a high mark that still stands today.

“Much as I appreciate baseball, Ted to me will always be a Marine fighter pilot,” Glenn told Mayo. “He did a great job as a pilot. Ted was a gung-ho Marine.”

2. A bridesmaid, despite a Triple Crown campaign If a .406 batting average in 1941 wasn’t enough to win the American League MVP Award — that honor went to Joe DiMaggio, who recorded a 56-game hit streak that remains a record — one would think a Triple Crown the following year would do the trick.

Williams’ trifecta featured a .356 clip, 36 homers and 137 RBIs in 1942. But he was once again the runner-up to a Yankee for the AL MVP Award, this time to Joe …

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