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Williams may miss hoopla
By CAREY FREEMAN, Times Staff Writer CITRUS HILLS -- The list of those scheduled to attend Sunday's Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame induction ceremonies is as impressive as any since the museum opened its doors in 1995. However, it may be missing the most important name of all. Officials at the Ted Williams Museum refused to comment on the status of the 83-year-old Williams' health or whether he would be in attendance. Williams' son, John Henry, could not be reached for comment. Williams was admitted to Shands Hospital in Gainesville on Jan. 24 for what were described as flu-like symptoms, including a 100-degree temperature and low blood pressure. He was given fluids and antibiotics and released Jan. 28 and returned to his home in Citrus Hills, where he continues to require at-home, daily kidney dialysis treatment. John Henry said at the time: "Dad's doing all right. He's got some sort of cold or flu or something. But he's far from dead." Williams has battled a series of strokes and congestive heart failure in recent years. On Nov. 6, 2000, he was admitted to Shands to have a pacemaker installed, but the problems continued. He had open-heart surgery Jan. 15 in a 91/2-hour operation at Cornell Medical Center in New York and had several setbacks afterward, including kidney failure, infections and a return to a respirator. Williams was then moved to San Diego's Sharp Hospital, which specializes in cardiac care and rehabilitation. He returned to Citrus County in June 2001. Williams had two strokes in the 1990s. The first occurred in 1992 and required surgery that lasted just over two hours. He suffered a more severe stroke in 1994, one that left him partially disabled on his left side and with poor eyesight. Doctors determined that a heart rhythm was responsible for causing the blood clots that led to both strokes. Williams had hip-replacement surgery in December of 1996 and has attended every induction ceremony since in a wheelchair. Last year was the first time since the museum opened in 1995 that Williams was not present at the induction ceremonies. -- Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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