BOLDLY INSCRIBED BY TED WILLIAMS

WILLIAMS, Ted. My Turn at Bat: The Story of My Life, as Told to John Underwood. New York: Simon and Schuster, (1969). Octavo, original half white cloth, original dust jacket. $1500.

First edition, first issue, of Williams’ autobiography, the intensely personal “story of a loner who never sought, and even resisted, the popularity he deserved,” boldly inscribed by him on the colophon page, “To John, Ted Williams,” with 32 pages of photographic illustrations.

Arguably the greatest pure hitter of all time, with a lifetime batting average of .344 and a lifetime slugging average of .634. "The Splendid Splinter" was named "Player of the Decade 1951-1960" and elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966. This is the story of the life and extraordinary baseball career of perhaps the game's greatest hitter and most controversial player, told by Ted Williams himself. "The book also contains the long-awaited opinions of Williams on batting— the most authoritative commentary ever written on the art of hitting a baseball." Co-authored with John Underwood. Illustrated with 32 pages of black-and-white photogravures. With "First Printing" on copyright page. Smith 20933. Grobani 8-107.

Mild toning to top edge of cloth and dust jacket spine, very mild soiling to dust jacket. A near-fine signed copy.