Westcott: How Ted Williams knew a winner in Mike Piazza when he saw one
From SABR member Rich Westcott at the Delaware County Times on January 7, 2016:
About 30 years ago, I scheduled an appointment to interview Hall of Fame slugger Ted Williams. Arguably baseball’s greatest hitter of all time, Williams was coming to King of Prussia to sign autographs during a memorabilia show.
The meeting was all set. I would meet the former Boston Red Sox icon at the appointed hour, and then we would do the interview before he signed for the fans.
I went to the place where were supposed to meet, but no Williams was there. I waited. And I waited. And I waited some more. Still no Williams. “The Thumper,” I surmised was not going to show up, instead ignoring me as he had so often done with the media during his playing days.
After waiting close to an hour, I was about to leave when up pulled a limousine in the parking lot. Out got Williams from the back seat. Seeing me standing there, he came over with a look on his face like he had just swallowed a piece of a rotten apple. He apologized profusely.
“I am so sorry,” he said over and over. “I am really sorry I’m late. Please forgive me. I had no idea I was going to be this late.”
Read the full article here: http://www.delcotimes.com/article/DC/20160107/NEWS/160109738
Originally published: January 8, 2016. Last Updated: January 8, 2016.