Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever was, recently died. It can be argued back and forth that he was merely one of the greatest hitters, but in my mind he was the greatest hitter ever. Everybody knows he's the last player to hit over .400 for a season. His lifetime average was .344. There's stories of his fabled eyesight and ability to see imperfections on the ball as it was being hurled towards him. The man knew how to hit.

He wasn't just a hitter though. He was a true American. In the peak of his career he served both in WW2 and in Korea as a fighter pilot. He did what he wanted to in life, when he wanted to. He was opinionated, stubborn, and was always true to himself. He didn't bow down to anyone, instead he blazed his own path. When fans or the press disrespected him, he remembered it. Forgive and forget wasn't his creed. You've got to admire a man who never compromised himself or went back on his word.

Anyway, I figured I had to say something because in my opinion he was a great man. When you are the best at what you do and work hard to stay the best you are deserving of respect. When you are also an icon who takes life on headfirst then you are also worthy of admiration. Taking the time to put your own life on hold for the betterment of your country is also impressive, moreso when you do it twice. Ted Williams was all of these things. With his death that's one less maverick left in the world.