New Williams Biography
By lefty
In the May 9, 2004 Book Review section of the New York Times, Alan Schwarz reviewed, "Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero" by Leigh Montville.
Did Ted Williams live too long to remain a true American hero? Schwarz says that Montville's biography of Boston's treasured hero, their "Splendid Splinter," illustrates how time - and the insatiable appetite of the public to know more - reveals the nasty warts, and takes the shine off the halo.
While Williams' 1941 season's average of .406 remains untouched, and his talent is legendary, what we are left with as fans and followers of the game is the final image - of a sick, elderly man used and abused in turn by his children, themselves the products of a hideously warped home life. And the final, final image is a decapitated, frozen corpse: preserved DNA for some diabolical future purpose?
This isn't the 1940's anymore, and we're not as naive a society as we were back before 24-hour cable television and the internet provided T.M.I. about everyone. We're less shocked now than saddened - and more in need of real "heroes" than ever.
So who are the athletes we can look up to today? Post your comments here - and as always, we invite our readers to recommend books and movies.
