TRANSCRIPT
September 28, 1960, the last day at Fenway Park Wednesday afternoon otherwise meaningless game and Jack Fisher was the pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles.
That day, going to the ballpark, it was cold dreary it was it was a terrible, not a good day for baseball Ted walks in one of his at-bats and he hits two very long fly balls but the ball wasn't carrying well that day.
They were caught out there by the fence and I hit them both good it was a dull damp day in Boston.
The wind was really blowing in from right field so I really didn't think that against that wind he had a chance to hit it It's the eighth inning and he knew this was his last time at the plate.
People who realize they were suddenly seeing Ted Williams for the last time as a player... There was not that big a crowd that day only about 10,000 but they were all standing and you knew what they wanted and can you deliver in that situation? How hard is that to do.
The first pitch was a ball the second pitch was a fastball and it was pretty much right down the middle of the plate and he swung and missed it I missed it.
I missed it and I to this day don't know how I missed that ball.
And he said I can see it going through his mind the old man can't get around on the fastball so sure as I'm standing here I know that fastball is coming again I knew I was gonna get another one because he couldn't wait to say well I'll throw this one by him Fisher throws the ball And if there was ever going to be a time when he would go back on his pledge of not wanting to tip his cap that would have been it.
And he said later that as he rounded second, the thought crossed his mind.
I thought about it, I thought about it, but, uh, just something I couldn't quite do.
He just kept the head down, he kept churning, and went right into the dugout.
Of course people were still cheering and asking for a curtain call and this that and the other And so I kind of fumbled around on my own bag, grabbed the rosin bag took my time giving him a chance And the umpires and his teammates and the manager, Mike Higgins, were waving him out. Ted come out.
I look in the dugout there and he waved to me, go ahead and pitch. I'm not going back out.
I'''m gone.
Goodbye. Over.
