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Ailing Williams treats ceremony to surprise visit

Legend gets standing ovation during brief appearance at induction for namesake museum and hall of fame.

[Times photo: Stephen Coddington] Cal Ripken Jr. is mobbed by fans seeking autographs after his induction into the Hitters Hall of Fame.

By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 18, 2002

CITRUS HILLS -- Baseball legend Ted Williams still knows how to do two things: pick a lineup and make an entrance.

At Sunday's ninth annual Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall Fame inductions, the 83-year old Williams, who has been in poor health in recent years, upstaged many of the game's greats -- including Cal Ripken Jr. -- by making a surprise appearance. An hour into the event, a van pulled up to the ceremony tent, and shortly thereafter Williams emerged in a wheelchair.

He was rolled to the podium and greeted by a standing ovation from the estimated 2,000 in attendance.

"There he is, ladies and gentleman," said former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, the master of ceremonies. "The greatest hitter that God ever put on earth, Ted Williams!"

Williams was flanked by daughter Claudia Williams and son John Henry Williams.

"All I want him to know is, I know the hell he and I have gone through the last year and a half," John Henry Williams said, "and that I and my sister could not have done it without him. Dad, we love you."

As Williams exited, he raised his right hand to the crowd. Williams, who lives a few blocks from the museum, missed last year's event for the first time while recovering from heart surgery.

The second-loudest ovation came when Ripken, who with Dwight Evans, the late Roger Maris, Don Mattingly and Enos Slaughter were inducted into the hall, spoke to the crowd. Baseball's Iron Man retired last fall after playing 21 seasons for the Baltimore Orioles. He appeared in a record 2,632 consecutive games and finished with 3,184 hits and 431 home runs.

"It's an honor to be here," Ripken said. "But it's hard, too. It's spring training time and I'm not included for the first time in a while. People say, 'What are you doing now that you've retired?' And I say, 'Absolutely nothing.' "

Ripken stuck around after the ceremony and signed autographs for about 15 minutes.

Also honored Sunday were Barry Bonds (National League Most Productive Hitter), Jason Giambi (American League Most Productive Hitter), Derek Jeter (Splendid Splinter Award), Al Kaline (3,000-hit club), Gaylord Perry (Wall of Great Achievement), Albert Pujols (NL Rookie of the Year), Alfonso Soriano (AL Rookie of the Year) and Virgil Trucks (Wall of Great Achievement). Bonds, Jeter, Pujols and Soriano were not present.

All honorees were hand-picked by Williams.

Among those in attendance was Tampa native Dwight Gooden, who accepted awards for Jeter and Soriano. Maris' award was accepted by his children.

"This is something dad would have been proud of," Roger Maris Jr. said. "He told us Ted was the greatest hitter who ever played the game."

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