25 Ted Williams Quotes From the Legendary Baseball Player

By Stephanie Kirby | Published September 8, 2023

If you’re a baseball fan, you will love these Ted Williams quotes!

Ted Williams is a former baseball player who is considered one of the greatest players of all time.

He was born in San Diego, California, in 1918 and died in Inverness, Florida, in 2002 at the age of 83.

He learned to throw a baseball from his uncle Saul when he was eight years old, and he became a star player for his high school and then joined a minor league baseball team.

The Boston Red Sox traded for William’s rights in 1937, and the man who earned the nicknames: “The Kid,” “The Splendid Splinter,” and “The Thumper” made his major league debut in 1939.

Williams would go on to play Leftfield for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 through 1960, but he only played 19 seasons due to serving in the Marines for three years during World War II.

Take a look at these Ted Williams quotes to learn more about the baseball star.

The Best Ted Williams Quotes

Check out some of the best Ted Williams quotes.

1. “Think. Don’t just swing.” — Ted Williams

2. “You’ve got to be ready for the fastball.” — Ted Williams

3. “Hitting is fifty percent above the shoulders.” — Ted Williams

4. “Hitting is the most important part of the game.” — Ted Williams

5. “If you don’t think too good, don’t think too much.” — Ted Williams

6. “No one has come up with a substitute for hard work.” — Ted Williams

7. “You have to hit the fastball to play in the big leagues.” — Ted Williams

8. “Just keep going. Everybody gets better if they keep at it.” — Ted Williams

9. “I’ve found in life the more you practice, the better you get.” — Ted Williams

10. “The key to hitting is just plain working at it. Work, that’s the real secret.” — Ted Williams

Ted Williams Quotes About Baseball

Take a look at these Ted Williams quotes about baseball.

11. “They invented the All-Star game for Willie Mays.” — Ted Williams

12. “I’ve found that you don’t need to wear a necktie if you can hit.” — Ted Williams

13. “More mistakes are made hitting than in any other part of the game.” — Ted Williams

14. “The hardest thing to do in baseball is to hit a round baseball with a round bat, squarely.” — Ted Williams

15. “If I was being paid thirty-thousand dollars a year, the very least I could do was hit .400.” — Ted Williams

16. “There has always been a saying in baseball that you can’t make a hitter, but I think you can improve a hitter.” — Ted Williams

17. “The most fun I ever had in my life was hittin’ a baseball. And the best sound I ever heard in my life was a ball hit with a bat.” — Ted Williams

More Ted Williams Quotes

Here are more Ted Williams quotes.

18. “Batting coaches are just as important as pitching coaches.” — Ted Williams

19. “The Cleveland Cavaliers just offered me a full-time job and a house! A house!” — Ted Williams

20. “Think about the pitcher, what he threw you last time up, his best pitch, who’s up next. Think!” — Ted Williams

21. “Joe DiMaggio was the greatest all-around player I ever saw. His career can not be summed up in numbers and awards.” — Ted Williams

22. “The pitchers have zones where they are most effective. Once you know the pitcher and his zone, you can get set for a particular pitch.” — Ted Williams

23. “People always told me that my natural ability and good eyesight were the reasons for my success as a hitter. They never talk about the practice, practice, practice.” — Ted Williams

24. “People will tell me what a shame it was I had to go back into the service a second time, but I’m kinda glad I did.. Besides, I am a U.S. Marine, and I’ll be one till I die.” — Ted Williams

25. “The batter has three strike zones: his own, the opposing pitcher’s, and the umpire’s. The umpire’s zone is defined by the rule book, but it’s also more importantly defined by the way the umpire works.” — Ted Williams