this is "through the decades," a unique hour-long time capsule. today we are taking a special look at greats of our national pastime.. from the man who set the standard for consistency over the years "lou was the type of fella who'd come in and we'd be three- four runs behind and he says, who'd come in and we'd be three- four runs behind and he says, to the man who broke the home run record at the plate and was a dominant force in the field. "i believe that i can do anything on a ball field." and the last man to hit over .400 in a single season. "you know, iemember babe ruth and he could hardly talk on the thing and he said, 'the only game is baseball.' boy, i agree with the babe." those stories and more in the next hour, part of a different kind of television experience, where we relive, remember and relate to the events that are cemented in history.

i'm ellee pai hong. and i'm kerry sayers and i'm your host, bill kurtis. this is baseball's greats "through the decades." today here on through the decades we are taking the hour to look at the boys of october and the game they love. baseball has proved to be a muse for poets, musicians and authors and movie-makers. you can debate whether it's still america's favorite sport but its motions and rhythms are so ingrained in our american psyche, it will forever be our national pastime. joins us as we look back on the greats of the game who have earned their place not only in baseball lore but enshrined in the american story itself. so we begin with a young player in new york. as popular legend goes, in june, 1925, wally pipp, the new york yankees long time first

skipper recommended he take a seat to let "the kid" play. an easy decision at the time with the yanks struggling. it also proved to jump start an unbelievable streak and the career for the kid we would know as lou gehrig. "today, i consider myself, the luckiest man on the face of the earth." luckiest man on the face of the earth." the man who would be baseball's "iron horse" was was born to german immigrants in new york's upper east side. the same year of the first world series. lou gehrig would attend columbia college on both a football and baseball scholarship. "despite the fact he was a football player, he did not have the square shoulders. he had the lovely sloaping shoulders

gehrig was 22 years old when he signed with the yankees. he saw limited playing time in his first two years mostly as a pinch hitter. once gehrig stepped foot on the field to replace pipp at first, he did not miss a game for the next 14 years starting a streak that spanned 2,130 games. along the way, he and ruth all time-greatest lineups and together, they redefined power in baseball. "unparalelled in all history, ruth and gehrig coming up together and you couldn't walk one without risking what would happen to the next guy you pitched to." the numbers gehrig put up along the way were astounding.

more r-b-i's, eight seasons with 200 or more hits and five seasons with more than 40 home runs. he was a seven time all star, two time a-l-m-v-p, a triple crown winner and a six time world series champion. and though he'd play second fiddle, first to ruth and later to joe dimaggio, gehrig earned the respect of those he played with. "he was a great team man. he those he played with. "he was a great team man. he hated to lose l everybody does but lou was the type of fella who'd come in and we'd be three-four runs behind and he says, 'come on now. we're not beat yet the fact that he played so well and kept the streak alive for so long was even more impressive considering how often he played hurt. his injuries included a broken thumb, a broken toe and back spasms. later in his career, gehrig's hands were x-rayed and doctors found 17 different

played through. what finally benched him was a- l-s, a disease now named after him. in '39, after he only scraped together six singles in the first seven games, he went to manager joe mccarthy an asked to be taken out of the lineup "we never knew how serious it was when he first took himself out and naturally we felt bad to see his streak broken because i think we were more or less, more interested i believe, the players on our club, in keeping his streak alive than lou was. lou was more or less ... he said he wasn't helping ... he felt he wasn't helping the club when he took himself out of

then on july 4 of that year, the yankees honored gehrig in between the games of a double header. "the day was advertised as a tribute to lou. there was such an outpouring of fans that every seat at yankee stadium was filled and official after official and player after player of the yankees came along and spoke into the microphone and spoke with great affection of lou and what he meant to them." with great affection of lou and what he meant to them." then it was gehrig's turn to step to the mic. "today, i consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." "and i might have been given a bad break but i've got an awful lot to live for. thank you."

"that's the day i saw photographers cry." gehrig died two years after that famous farewell speech. his consecutive games streak stood for 56 years and was long considered unbreakable until cal ripken, junior surpassed it in 1995. when our lot greats "through the decades" continues, we remember the man who wore '42' and became the first to break baseball's color barrier. the curse, the mystique and the man whose name will forever be ranked among the sport's biggest legends. then, a little known story of a non player but a legend all the same and who many call, "the sodfather." plus, when a san francisco slugger achieved a gold standard securing his place in

a world series miracle home run that forever made one man a boston hero. and the left-handed hitter who left behind a record that still stands today. it's all still ahead right here on "through the decades."

in 1947, at brooklyn's ebbets field, the brooklyn dodgers took on the boston braves.

it was a game that would change baseball forever. not because of the who won or lost but because of a player who stepped onto the field that day bearing the number 42, jackie robinson. during major league baseball's first several decades names like ruth, cobb and gehrig turned the league into the heart of a national pastime into the heart of a national pastime america of the early twentieth century, "national" was far more exclusive than it was inclusive. the big leagues were reserved for whites. an imaginary "color-line" encircled every diamond in the majors leaving black ball players left to play in so-called "negro leagues" where the money was scarce but the talent was plentiful. satchel paige, josh gibson

who'd bring the negro leagues to prominence in the 1930's but the color-line dividing them from the major leagues was notoriously stubborn and it would take a man like branch rickey to finally snap it in half. in the mid-1940's rickey, the general manager of the brooklyn dodgers, began making plans to recruit a player from the negro leagues. a decision that eyebrows. "i think that being a very religious man the way that he was and knowing that black ball players could not play in major league baseball and professional baseball, i just think he wanted to do something about it." rickey set his sights on jackie robinson, a shortstop with the kansas city monarchs and in 1945 approached him with an offer. but that offer came with a condition which resulted in a famous exchange between rickey and robinson

story of jackie robinson" with robinson playing himself. "suppose i collide with you at second base and when i get up i say you, you dirty black so- and-so what do you do?" "mr. rickey, do you want a ball player who's afraid to fight back?" "i want a ball player with guts enough not to fight back." robinson accepted the terms and in 1946 suited up with the dodgers' farm team, the montreal royals. "this is truly an historic day here in jersey city. a 27 year old negro named jackie robinson is playing his first game for the montreal royals, the dodger farm club. robinson steps to the plate. here's the pitch! swing and a long drive into deep left field, it might be ... home run! jackie robinson!" robinson thrived in montreal. he was named the league's most valuable player and with just days to go before the start of 1947 season, he was signed to his first

debuting for the brooklyn dodgers on april 15, 1947. "it was a day when somehow people knew, thoughtful people, educated people - hey, it's not just whites playing a game on a diamond anymore. forget the architecture so regalled by baseball writers. suddenly it was a new beginning." the long standing color-line was finally broken the long standing color-line was finally broken but being the first black major leaguer, jackie quickly found himself the object of scorn not only among fans but among some of his own teammates as well many who petitioned againstthe very idea of robinson wearing a big league uniform. "and i said, 'i don't about any petition but they tell me you got one up and i don't about any petition but i'll tell you what you can do with it because robinson's gonna play on this

i don't care whether he's green, black, yellow, white. he has talent and he will put money in your pocket and my pocket. this is some kind of player and he's gonna be here and i'm warning you now that he's only the first of many to follow.'" jackie wassome kind of player. he won rookie of the year in 1947 and went on to have a hall of fame career. "jackie robinson runner at third base takes his lead ... and the to try to steal home! he is safe at home plate! yogi berra's going crazy! berra thought he had him but jackie robinson has stolen home." but more important than his play on the field was the attitude, the defiance, the courage he displayed in a world that wanted nothing to do with him simply because of the color of his skin. april 15, 1947 wasn't just a

it was a turning point for an entire country. many names have made a mark on the game of baseball "through the decades" but no one has had a lasting impact quite like babe ruth. when we return, we'll take you back to the final game for "the great bambino." plus, we feature a baseball great who may not be known for plus, we feature a baseball great who may not be known for playing the game but has been essential part of the field for decades "the sodfather." this is "through the decades." would you say no to a lot more money? [excited scream] you just won a million dollars! no thanks. nice balloons, though! or no to more vacation days?

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the babe, the bambino, the sultan of swat. on may 30, 1935, babe ruth played his final major league baseball game. it was the end to a celebrated career. as for the lore that career created, it was only just the beginning. created, it was only just the beginning. "babe ruth hits a home run for boston with a man on second." for 22 seasons that swing and that trip around the bases turned babe ruth into an american hero.

lingers over the sport he changed forever. babe ruth came up during the so-called dead-ball era when the game relied more on strategy, small-ball techniques like bunting and stealing bases. hitting for power was rare but as a young pitcher for the boston red sox, ruth flashed the lumber more than a few times and when he was sold to the new than a few times and when he was sold to the new york yankees in 1920, he into his own emerging as a fearsome slugger. fans flocked to witness his prowess at the plate. in his first season as a yankee, he hit 54 home runs. a record he broke a year later with 59 and broke againin 1927 with 60. the fact that nobody had ever hit half that many before ruth started his te made him the

and an international superstar. under the spell of babe ruth's mighty swing not only its ability to put fans in seats but also win games, the game began to transform. teams groomed more and more power hitters and the ways of the dead-ball era were soon overshadowed by the glories of a home run. era were soon overshadowed by the glories of a home run. throughout his tenure in new york, ruth and his bat led the yankees to four world series championships. none more remarkably than in 1927, the prime of murderer's row. new york's robust lineup headed by ruth and a young lou gehrig. by the end of the 1920's, ruth had won the hearts and affection of millions.

he was larger than life. thecelebrity of the decade but the hitting machine didn't stop there. 1934 would be ruth's last season in a yankees' uniform. his production was in noticeable decline but his appeal was no less terrific. in 1935, he signed with the boston braves lured by the prospect of eventually taking over as manager over as manager 30, 1935, ruth took the field for the last time closing out a career that bears few comparisons. a year after retiring, ruth was among the first five players inducted into the basball hall of fame. over the next few years, he continued to pursue big league manager positions. nothing ever materialized but he remained adored,

national treasure. "daddy would be so mobbed." "he never turned down a kid who asked for an autograph. no matter how many there were." he was gone from the game but what he left behind, the excitement of the big swing, the ball leaping off his bat, flying deep into the outfield stands that was something that would not and could not be forgotten. that was something that would not and could not be forgotten. "the sultan of swat himself, babe ruth - the one and only bambino who gets a tremendous ovation from the assembled customers. back in the home that ruth built, wearing his own number three which is now retired to baseball's hall of fame, the babe shows how it was done to the plaudits of his multitude of devoted fans."

last. he died of cancer two months later but in death, the great bambino would loom even larger growing into an almost mythical figure. his greatest triumphs re- enacted for years to come on baseball diamonds and in backyards all over the country and his memorabilia among the most coveted possessions in the sports world. it's a testament to the giant time. a legend that only grows stronger. when our look at the legends of baseball continues, we'll take you back in time to 1956 when a race to be crowned baseball's champion, resulted in a legendary yankee pitching the perfect game. plus... we look back on the first player to join the ranks of the great babe ruth in all

time home runs -- willie mays. it's all still ahead on

now we head back to 1994 when with a major league strike

the love of the game knows not age limit. "i'm 74, bob, but i'm not old. i don't intend to get old. because i've got some age doesn't mean i can't do it." "that's it. i'm ready to go." "every sunday, every summer..." "i had no idea that i would be bringing him to baseball games when he was 74 years old, no." "jim and his wife evelyn make the 80-mile drive from home t his home field in atlanta." "how are you? good to see you." "doing great. how about you?" "he is a starting pitcher for the braves..." "billy townsend, third base, cleanup." " ... in atlanta's senior league, where most of the players are in their 40s." "jim tyler." "i'm playing against guys that could be my kids, you know." "and he has been a hit." "throw strikes, you know, throw strikes." "you want to throw curve balls today." "yeah, i do." "you think, well, we're going to tear this guy up, but it doesn't happen." "he's really a pitcher. it's an

"oh, this is what we came for, man. the only time my knees don't hurt is when they give me the ball and point me to the mound and say,'it's your turn to pitch.'" "and he's not much younger than my father and i can't imagine my father being out there doing it. it's amazing." "he has pitched through 11 presidencies, seven decades, four wars and two knee operations. he may have grown old but he has never outgrown the game." "one away. force play. any base." "this senior citizen is armed with a screwball, screwing up younger batters with an arsenal of trick pitches." "look at this. this is a cut fastball." "as long as i can hold my own out there, i'm going to stay with it." "actually, i didn't realize he was 74 until i saw you fellas here today." "on this day, he goes three innings and gives up no runs." "that a way to go. cotton, my man!"

unthinkable." "golly. if i made that kind of money playing ball there's no way you could get that uniform off of me. you can't get it off now." "players joke that senior baseball is a lot like little league, only slower." "good game, jim. enjoyed it." "good game." "here they play only for tim and another chance to cheat the clock. it doesn't matter at all whether you win or lose but how long you play the game." all whether you win or lose but how long you play the game." eye on america." nothing immortalizes quite like great baseball moments. all it takes is one display of greatness and for don larsen that moment came deep into the 1956 season. a flash of perfection. one the game of baseball hadn't seen before and hasn't seen since. new york city in the 1950s was

home to the giants, the dodgers and the yankees. the latter two of which were the game's greatest rivals. "the yankees and their winning ways. they did it again with young stars like mickey mantel at the plate and veterans like allie reynolds on the mound. the american league leaders kept a tight grip on their world series crown by subduing the brooklyn dodgers four games to three." in the '50s, the yankees and dodgers met each other in the world series dodgers met each other in the world series four times in five years - 1952, '53, '55, "the dodgers win it two to nothing and win their first world series." and 1956. it would be the '56 series that would grab the most attention all thanks to a 27 year old pitcher. before game five of the 1956 world series, don larsen was just another

his legendary teammates like mickey mantel, yogi berra and whitey ford. larsen was unsensational but all of that changed on october 8. with the series tied at two games a piece, larsen took the mound at yankee stadium. he'd hurl 97-pitches against the brooklyn dodgers that day and it would be 27-up - 27-down. a perfect game. the first and only in a world series. "and don larsen is baseball's man of the hour!" suddenly, everyone knew the name don larsen. "don larsen, we'd like to ask you the traditional question first when did you realize that you had a no-hitter going?" "oh, i don't know doug when i pitch a game it's hard to keep your eyes off the scoreboard and i sort of noticed it around the sixth inning, i guess and as every inning went on i got a little feeling, a little weak

i knew i was going to try to give everything i had." the yankees would go on to win the 1956 world series with larsen claiming the m.v.p. title. his career in the following years would slide back down into mediocrity but nothing would ever take away from his moment of greatness. his perfect day. when it comes to winning games, every little thing counts including the condition of the playing field. no one knows that better than the bossard family, who has been doing what it takes to help teams all over major league baseball win since the 1930's. we learn the tricks of their trade from the legendary family with dirt running through their veins. they are the first family of groundskeepers. it all began with ee-mull

groundskeeper for the cleveland indians for 25 years beginning in 1936. his son gene was only 22 when he landed the same position on the southside of chicago for the white sox back in 1940. and his son, roger, already working as his assistant, took over for him in the windy city when gene retired back in 1983 and it doesn't end there. "there's six of us who have been in major league baseball - my grandfather, my dad, of been in major league baseball - my grandfather, my dad, of cousin brian was the head guy with the yankees and san diego padres and then myself. we have over i think close to 230 years in the industry and it's all been good. we've done a good job at tricking everybody." no one has been fooled. you don't earn the nickname "the sodfather" with smoke and mirrors. the only tricks his family has turned are the ones known to help a team create a true home field adv antage. "tilting of the foul lines,

ago when we had a slow outfield, we literally let the outfield grass in right center, left center grow an extra three to four days to slow the ball down because we didn't have quick outfielders. i'm going back to the '70s but these are kind of things that are done." being a groundskeeper goes far beyond just cutting the grass and watering the field. in fact, when the team is in town for a homestand, bossard logs between 100 and 115 hours a week and he might have a total of ten days off from early week and he might have a total of ten days off from early february through mid-october you'll never catch him complaining. "this is my fiftieth year with the chicago white sox and i've gotta tell you, there hasn't been one day where i've woken up and said, 'aw man. i hate to go to work.' you know what, no. there has been one day. the infamous disco demolition." on july 12, 1979 the white sox, looking to fill seats at comiskey park during a down

staged an anti-disco promotional night featuring local d-j steve dahl blowing up a giant box of disco records in the outfield between games of a twi-night doubleheader. thousands of fans rushed the field afterward. a chaotic scene that damaged the field badly enough that the second game had to be forfeited. "i remember calling up the sod grower at 1:15 in morning. he thought i was joking. thought i was in a bar having a need 700 yards of sod at seven a.m. it was really something." that one bad moment has been overshadowed by many good ones over 50 years. none more thrilling than the white sox world series win in 2005. "and the white sox celebrate their first title in 88 years!" "when you have seasons like that, when you're the groundkeeper, there are no bad hops. when

always great. it was just that kind of year. you know, such a great group of guys." it was a perfect moment for a man who strives for perfection to this day. "a good groundskeeper, he tailors the field to what his players want." it's that work ethic that has made him so successful in designing fields, and creating a revolutionary drainage and irrigation system that is now used at ballparks all over major used at ballparks all over major "you literally can get one inch of moisture on the field - an instant downpour, a microburst if you will is over a 100 thousand gallons of water and with my system ... with my drainage system, we literally are able to take that and play 20 minutes later." twenty-five fields in the major leagues use bossard's system including fenway in boston, comerica park in detroit, safeco field in seattle and wrigley field where the white

chicago cubs play. a project that became the most challenging of his career. "all their infrastructure around the stadium is 100 to 120 years old. so, i couldn't really do everything i wanted as far as release of the moisture that you get for a rain delay so i actually had to put a lot of containment areas of moisture underneath the field. the people actually don't know. over in wrigley field there, i've got 12 different lines that are 24 inches wide at accumulates over 30 thousand gallons of water." while the wrigley project was his most challenging, his most memorable wasn't even in baseball. back in the mid '80s, he was hired by the royal family in saudi arabia to build soccer fields. "he was the george steinbrenner of soccer in riydah, saudi arabi, that's the capital. he wanted the first natural turf grass fields and i gave 'em to him. i gave him four. they have over 30 now in saudi arabia."

as much as groundskeeping is in the family's blood, there likely won't be a fourth generation groundskeeper. bossard wants a different life for his son brandon, who is now 18 and just graduated from high school. as for bossard's future plans, at 67, he doesn't show any signs of slowing down and has no current plans for retirement. as we continue our look back on legends of baseball, we'll turn back the lens of time to relive the greatest moment of the red sox "greatest game." plus, the american icon known as "the kid." we remember the life and legacy of a war hero and a super slugger - ted williams.

many believe that willie mays was the greatest baseball player to ever play in the majors. the "say-hey" kid was a true five-tool player with surprising power coming from a compact 5 -foot-10 inch frame. on september 22, 1969, mays became on the second player in major league history to hit 600

"now the reason this picture is right here, this picture tells a lifetime story of myself." most people who saw willie mays play in his prime called him the greatest ballplayer of his generation. mays even said that about himself. "did you ever amaze yourself with some of your own catches?" "no, no i thought i could catch every ball that came out there." and it's hard to argue with that because his accomplishments help prove that argument. that because his accomplishments help prove that argument. "this picture here was taken of me in an all-star game in chicago." he made the all-star team 24 times in his career mostly with the new york and san francisco giants, won 12 gold glove awards, rookie of the year, two most valuable player awards, and four stolen base titles. his defensive prowess was unmatched epitomized by his great over-the-shoulder catch in the 1954 world series.

his shoes. great talent, god given, nobody else has it, nobody i know of or i've seen in 50 years has it." he was also one of the great power hitters of his generation winning four home run titles and hitting over 50 in a season twice in his career. by 1969, he was approaching a milestone that only one other player had reached at that time milestone that only one other player had reached at that time only the immortal babe ruth had reached that mark. the "babe" finished his career with 714 homers. on september 22, 1969, mays joined ruth in that exclusive club hitting a two-run blast off the padres mike corkins at san diego's jack murphy stadium. the homer won the game for the giants but mays wasn't alone with the "babe" in that

a few years later, hank aaron joined mays and ended up eclipsing ruth by finishing his career with 755 homers. and by the 2000s, players like barry bonds, alex rodriguez, ken griffey, junior, jim thome and sammy sosa joined the 600 homer club as well. although some of those players were tainted by allegations of steroid use most notably bonds. but mays, who is godfather was on the field when bonds hit his 756th home run becoming the controversial all- time home run leader in the majors. carlton fisk may not have hit as many home runs as willie mays but there is one that stands out in his storied career. 1975. game six of the world series. fisk's boston red sox were facing the cincinnati reds

and he had a moment recreated in the countless imaginations of kids standing in a sandlot. "some baseball fans will tell you that this year's world series has beeen the most exciting within memory with more than its share of great moments in sports." it's a moment frozen in time. one man, boston red sox catcher carlton fisk, waving like a maniac as if trying to single- handedly blow awayur years in the making. october 21, 1975 was one of those games at boston's fenway park that could have gone either way. the sox on the brink, cincinnati's "big red machine" was up three games to two. back and forth the lead changed until it was tied at six. then, at the bottom of the twelfth, carlton fisk stepped

monster. in a moment that would be recreated by every kid to pick up a bat, fisk and the rest of the world watched it sail out and motioned wildly for the ball to stay fair. miraculously, it did. a walk off homer that would tie the series at three games a piece, boston would live to see another day. fisk crossed home plate swarmed by his elated and another day. fisk crossed home plate swarmed by his elated and exhausted teammates not to mention the 35,000 plus delirious fans in their seats. but this was boston. a decade before buckner. almost 30 years before the bloody sock. the shadow of the bambino still hung heavy. so there would be no seventh game miracle. cincinnati would take the series the next night. but carlton fisk left his mark

30 years later, boston officially named the left field pole after him. as we bring our hour long look back on the greats of baseball to a close, we turn our attention to a man some considered the greatest hitter that ever lived. when we return, we'll remember an american icon whose legacy has stood the test of time --

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baseball legend ted williams was known as "the splendid splinter," "the beantown belter" and "teddy ballgame." the left-handed hitter and left fielder is the last man to have batted over .400 in a single season. williams grew up in san diego, california, where he became a hitting sensation at herbert hoover high.

padres while still in school and went on to become a major league baseball legend. "it's great to be introduced at banquets, oh the greatest hitter that ever lived, you know? i've heard guys say that and people believe it sometimes. but i say this, i don't believe that. and i would be happy, just as happy as i could be if somebody said 'he was as good as ruth or gehrig or fox or simmons or dimaggio, or aaron or mays or musiel,' and be perfectly, perfectly happy." but many baseball experts did and do consider ted williams to be the greatest hitter of all time. the california native was called up to the boston red sox as an every day player in 1939 at the age of 20. he promptly led the american league in runs batted in that year coming in fourth in most

and in 1941, williams became the first player in more than a decade to reach the .400 batting average milestone in a single season and he is, to this day, the last to do so. but at the peak of his career, the u.s. entered world war ii, and williams put it all on hold to serve his country. he trained as a military pilot, although he never saw active duty overseas. williams went back to and the red sox after the war in 1946. "as if world wars weren't enough, opposing teams employed bizarre defensive strategies to try and stop willliams. this is the williams shift where the opposing team would put all their players except one on the right hand side of the field. williams laughed out loud when he came to bat and faced this the first time. typically defiant, he still tried to hit to the right side. but one time,

field for an inside the park home run." and at that year's all star game at fenway, williams knocked it out of the park. "ted williams is really giving the crowd a chance to exercise their lungs. then just for good measure on his final trip to the plate, big ted plays another four bagger, a perfect day at bat, four for four and a new all star game record." but a few years later in 1952, with the korean war in full swing, williams was called back into active duty swing, williams was called back into active duty and this time he did see combat flying 39 missions with the marines, about half of them as john glenn's wingman, before the war ended in july, 1953. williams again resumed his pro ball career, then age 35, and showed no signs of slowing down, finishing in the top seven in american league m-v-p voting for the next five years.

a batting average of .254, williams announced the next season would be his last. "how do you feel about the coming season?" "well, of course i'm happy to get a chance to try to play baseball again. i'm going to try to get in the best possible shape i can in scottsdale and hope that i can have a good enough year to help the red sox." "you want to get those eight home runs to don't you?" "well, i'd like to th i can, i certainly don't want to be a detriment to the team but there are some corrective treatments that i'm going through now and i think its going to help me." it certainly appeared to williams smashed home runs all season including in his final home game in his final at-bat. williams ended his career with 521 home runs and a batting average of .344. he won two american league triple crowns and two m-v-p awards in four different years and was named

the all star game over 15 times. "well, i've been a very fortunate guy since i left baseball and i can say that about all through life really. i owe it all to baseball. i owe it all to baseball - the greatest game. i remember babe ruth when he couldn't hardly talk on the thing and he said 'the only game is baseball.' boy, i agree with the babe." in 1966, williams was elected to the baseball hall of fame calling it the greatest thrill of his life. of his life. four years later, he produced the all-time batting classic, 'the science of hitting.' in 1984, williams had his number nine retired by the red sox. that was the same year that diehard red sox fan robert redford's character in the iconic baseball movie 'the natural' wore number nine and hit a home run in his final at-bat.

in 1999, williams made a triumphant return to fenway park where he threw the ceremonial first pitch at the 70th all star game. williams died of a heart attack in 2002 at the age of 83. there was a public outcry after williams's two youngest children sent his remains to be cryogenically frozen in a move that created a family feud and became cultural lore. that created a family feud and became cultural lore. a decade after his death, fans flocked to fenway park for an auction of williams memorabilia. "i used to carry his picture in my pocket. he was just my boyhood hero." "to me, he was just mr. baseball but seeing personal checks that of course were saved for his autograph and his own belongings, i mean, furniture from his home and books, his favorite books and all of

bowls and waterford crystal and it's unbelievable. it's a thrill

that'll do it for us today. i'm bill kurtis. as we leave, one last look back at baseball's greats, "through

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