Almost everyone knows the public Ted Williams: the great hitter, the war hero, the avid outdoorsman and the man who seemed to be a lightning rod for controversy his whole life. Fewer know the very private Ted, and fewer still knew him as well as his friend and confidante of over 30 years, John Underwood. From vacations off the Florida Keys, to African Safaris to the beaches of Costa Rica, Underwood and Williams vacationed together and got to know each as close personal friends. Underwood draws on both his private recordings with Williams?the audio CD contains candor from Williams about a wide variety of subjects that no baseball fan has heard before?and his personal experiences to craft a book about what he learned from his friendship. Reminiscent of bestseller Tuesdays With Morrie, It's Only Me allows the private side of Williams to educate and entertain baseball fans more than they ever imagined before. John Underwood captures Teds voice as if he were sitting in the same room." Leigh Montville That Ted Williams was a complicated figure is accepted without argument. The same can be said about his status as one of baseball s greatest hitters as well as his status as a war hero and avid outdoorsman. On just about everything else, however, opinions are greatly mixed. John Underwood knew Ted Williams for more than 30 years as a friend and as a confidant. Their friendship grew over the years, and Underwood slowly came to know Williams as few others did. Some of what he discovered about Williams did indeed square with public perceptions. Much, however, did not. It s Only Me: The Ted Williams We Hardly Knew punches through the mysteries and public misconceptions to offer a fresh and revealing perspective on this legend. John Underwood recorded hours of their conversations candid, stark, joyous, sad, anguished, profane, and triumphant discussions and this book reveals Williams unvarnished thoughts on his world, including: the mistakes of baseball, the duplicity of politicians, and the frustrations of golf the sheer joy of serendipitous sex whom he admired, who disappointed him, and who saved him from his own mistakes religion, war, and his great, abiding love for the Marine Corps reflections on Joe DiMaggio, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Richard Nixon, and John Kennedy the ins and outs of hunting, fishing and cooking and so much more . . . A riveting audio CD complements the text and includes some of the author s most provocative and engaging conversations with Williams, many recorded while the friends were scouring the waters off their beloved Florida Keys, hunting sable antelope in Africa, or fishing for bonefish and tarpon in Costa Rica. From these first-hand accounts, a portrait of Williams emerges that will surprise, delight, and maybe even rankle readers. It s Only Me is an evocative resource for fans of Ted Williams, baseball, or great American heroes. John Underwood is an award-winning journalist and author who has covered everything from space shots to murders at sea and written about most major sports and sporting events throughout the world. He coauthored Ted Williams autobiography, My Turn at Bat, and Williams instructional hitting book, The Science of Hitting, both of which were best sellers. His other best-selling books include Bear, The Death of an American Game: The Crisis in Football, and Spoiled Sport. He lives in Miami. It's Only Me The Ted Williams We Hardly Knew By John Underwood Triumph Books Copyright © 2005 John Underwood All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-57243-695-4 Contents Acknowledgments, 1. "It's Only Me", 2. An Invitation to "Make History", 3. Telling It His Way, 4. A Vindication, of Sorts, 5. Four Oh Six, 6. When Enough's Enough, 7. Last Words and Testament, CHAPTER 1 "It's Only Me" Loss is measured most accurately by the void that it leaves. The breadth of it sometimes catches us unawares. The day after Ted Williams died, Neil Amdur of the New York Times called to ask if I'd write "a reminiscence" on my experiences with Ted; he said he wanted it for the Sunday editions. Through Neil's aegis, I had become an irregular contributor to the Times over the years and enjoyed the relationship, but on this occasion, on fielding his call, I found myself more boggled than beguiled. To be sure, I could appreciate from long exposure the stratum Williams' reputation had reached, the almost mythic figure he cut as an American icon who transcended sport and moved — or so it seemed — beyond the customary constraints. In that context, I might have even numbered myself among those who weren't sure Ted Williams could die. But in fact, I knew him much differently than that and in much more earthly terms, and in the den at home that serves as my office in Miami, Neil Amdur's call roused me from the refuge I had allowed myself to take from the news. I suddenly realized I had not confronted the void it would leave. I know when our defenses kick in we mortals tend