by Paul Semendinger
November 24, 2023
***
Note - This article was written by my father who I am named after.
***
"The Kid" Blasts a Winner, by noted baseball author Bill Nowlin is, in itself, a home run.
The book documents the 110 Game-Deciding home runs hit by the great Ted Williams, who was known in his day as "The Kid." The book doesn't document 110 Walk-Off blasts, rather it tells of the 110 home runs that Teddy Ballgame hit that decided a baseball game. The reader is alerted that a game-winning homerun, a blast that is the difference in a victory, can occur in any inning.
The detailed accounts of the home runs take place in one of baseball's unique eras - the 1940s and 1950s. This was when baseball had only 16 teams, eight in the American League and eight in the National League. In this time, the two first place teams met in the World Series. There were no playoffs. There was also no designated hitter. Many ballplayers, including, of course, Ted Williams, served in the United States military. The game was different in so many ways back then.
And this was the period of time when I became a fan. My hero from the start was Ted Williams.
Reading this book brought back many memories, not only of Ted Williams, but also about his teammates on the Red Sox and his opponents from around the league. I was a joy to read the accounts of each game and to be flooded with memories from my childhood and impressionable years. I recalled games I saw, the baseball cards I had, and the box scores I read in the newspapers.
Each of the 110 stories was enjoyable to read. The book is written wonderfully. It took me back in ways other books, ones that over look the common players and the players of little note, do not (and cannot). This book allowed many of the players who have been forgotten over time to come alive again.
Interestingly, of the 110 homers, only three were walk-offs at Fenway Park. Also interesting, when Ted Williams hit his 500th home run, he was only the fourth player in baseball history to ever reach that mark. The previous three were Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Mel Ott. Yes, as I read, the greatness of Ted Williams also shined brightly.
In this interesting and well-researched book, Bill Nowlin tells great stories, but what I also found valuable are the endnotes as well as the lengthy list of sources utilized to create this text. All of this is worth reading.
I enjoyed this book a great deal and I recommend it to baseball fans of all ages.
