| Florida is a great place for baseball fans. You can | | | | honoring each of them in the museum. In addition |
| watch the "Grapefruit League" games of the major | | | | there are displays chronicling Ted Williams' career |
| league teams during spring training or attend the | | | | including his time in military service, and the museum |
| regular season games of the Florida Marlins or the | | | | also has a special tribute to Japanese baseball. The |
| Tampa Rays. If you attend any games at Tropicana | | | | Japanese display is unique and it also contains a |
| Field, the home of the Rays, then make it a point to | | | | Japanese language copy of Ted's book "The Science |
| visit the Ted Williams Hitters' Hall of Fame which is | | | | of Hitting" which is now given to every youngster in |
| now located just past the rotunda on the right-hand | | | | Japan's youth baseball programs. |
| side of the stadium. Admission to the museum is free | | | | The museum tries to work beyond the confines of |
| to the fans who attend the Rays home games. | | | | the displays at Tropicana field through the work of |
| The museum is named for Ted Williams and it | | | | the Ted Williams Baseball Outreach Foundation which |
| contains a lot of memorabilia related to his career, | | | | provides educational scholarships which are awarded |
| but it is more than just a Ted Williams museum | | | | to student athletes who excel in "academics, baseball |
| because it is also dedicated to the greatest hitters | | | | and citizenship." So far 24 scholarships have been |
| that the game has known. It was originally opened in | | | | awarded and the museum and foundation hope to |
| Hernando, Florida in 1994 at a location close to Ted | | | | play a positive role in the lives of young people |
| Williams' residence. | | | | today. |
| When the museum opened Ted selected his list of | | | | Here is what Ted Williams said when the museum |
| the twenty greatest hitters of all time who were | | | | was opened in 1994: "Through the Ted Williams |
| immediately inducted into the museum. In case you | | | | Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame, we hope to build a |
| are wondering who was on Ted's list, here they are: | | | | lasting monument, an architectural tribute to what I |
| Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, Rogers Hornsby, | | | | think is the single most difficult thing in all of sports: |
| Joe DiMaggio, Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Joe Jackson, | | | | hitting a baseball." |
| Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Hank Greenberg, Mickey | | | | If you are looking for inspiration and that special |
| Mantle, Tris Speaker, Al Simmons, Johnny Mize, Mel | | | | emotional thrill that comes from remembering the |
| Ott, Harry Heilmann, Frank Robinson, Mike Schmidt | | | | great players of America's national pastime, then the |
| and Ralph Kiner. | | | | Ted Williams Museum is a must-see attraction when |
| In later years, twenty more great hitters were also | | | | you visit Florida. |
| inducted into the museum and there is a display case | | | | |