Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
position	Defence
played for	Chicago Black HawksBoston Bruins
shot	Left
height ft	5
height in	11
weight lb	200
ntl team	Canada
birth date	March 20, 1948
birth place	Parry Sound, ON, CAN
career start	1966
career end	1978
halloffame	1979
website	http://www.bobbyorr.com/ }}

Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC (born March 20, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest hockey players of all time. A defenceman, Orr used his ice skating speed and scoring and play-making abilities to revolutionize the position. , Orr remains the only defenceman to have won the league scoring title with two Art Ross Trophies and holds the record for most points and assists in a single season by a defenceman. Orr won a record eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenceman and three consecutive Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player (MVP). Orr was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979 at age 31, the youngest to that day to be inducted into the Hall.

Orr started in organized hockey at age five. He first played as a forward, but was later moved to defence by his coach. Going against the standard practice of the time, the coach felt that Orr's offensive skills were best suited for a rushing defenceman role and he gave Orr the freedom to play that role despite its inherent risks. At fourteen, Orr joined the Oshawa Generals, the Bruins' junior hockey affiliate, and he was an all-star for three of his four seasons. In 1966, Orr joined Boston, a team that had not won a Stanley Cup since 1941 and had not qualified for the playoffs since 1959. With Orr, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1970 and 1972, and lost in the 1974 Final. In both victories, Orr scored the clinching goal and was named the playoff MVP. In the final achievement of his career, he was the MVP of the 1976 Canada Cup international hockey tournament. In 1976, Orr left Boston as a free agent to join the Black Hawks, but repeated injuries had effectively destroyed his left knee, and he retired in 1978 at age 30.

Orr's first professional contract was one of the first in professional ice hockey to be negotiated by an agent. It made him the highest-paid player in NHL history as a rookie. His second contract was the first million-dollar contract in the NHL. However, after his retirement, Orr learned that he was deeply in debt and he had to sell off most of what he owned. Orr broke with his agent Alan Eagleson and sued the Black Hawks to settle his contract. Orr and his family returned to Boston where Orr went into business to rebuild his finances. Orr aided the investigations that led to Eagleson's fraud convictions and disbarment. Orr also supported the law suit that exposed the corruption of the NHL's pension plan.

Orr entered the player agent business in 1996 and today is president of the Orr Hockey Group agency. , the agency represents over 30 active NHL players. Orr is also active in charitable works and in television commercials. Since 1996, Orr has coached a team of junior hockey players in the annual CHL Top Prospects Game. Orr was married in 1972. He is the father of two sons and is a grandfather.

Hockey career

Early life

Orr was born in the town of Parry Sound located on the shores of Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada. His grandfather, Robert Orr, was a professional soccer player from Ballymena, Ireland before emigrating to Parry Sound early in the 20th century. Orr's father, Doug Orr, had once been a hockey prospect himself and was invited to join the Atlantic City Seagulls in 1942 but turned down the offer. Doug Orr instead joined the Canadian Navy, serving during the Second World War. He returned after the war to Parry Sound, to Arva Steele, who he had married before he left for war, and to a job in the CIL dynamite factory. Doug and Arva had five children together: Patricia, Ronnie, Bobby, Penny and Doug Jr. Bobby was born on March 20, 1948 at St. Joseph's Hospital, where his grandmother Elsie Orr worked as a nurse. Bobby was a sick baby at birth and his survival was tenuous.

Bobby Orr displayed his hockey talents from an early age. Orr played his first organized hockey in 1953 at age five, in the "minor squirt" division, a year after getting his first skates and playing shinny. Although he was tiny and somewhat frail, he soon was able to skate faster than anyone his own age, speed he demonstrated in races around the rink and in games. Until he was ten years old, Orr played on the wing, as a forward. His coach, former NHL player Bucko McDonald moved Orr to defence. Although Orr played defence, McDonald encouraged Orr to use his talents as a stickhandler, a natural skater and scorer to make offensive rushes. According to McDonald: "I used to tell Doug the kid was in his natural position when he played defence. You didn't have to be genius to see that - honest. I don't think Doug agreed, but he accepted my decision." Orr would later credit McDonald: "Bucko taught me almost everything I know."

Orr was first noticed by the Boston Bruins in the spring of 1961, playing in a youth hockey tournament in Gananoque, Ontario. The Bruins' Wren Blair described him as "a combination of Doug Harvey and Eddie Shore." The Bruins immediately pursued Orr. Blair made regular visits to the family home. In the fall of 1961, the Bruins invested C$1,000 (C$}} in dollars) to sponsor his minor hockey team. Although three other NHL teams (Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens) were interested in Orr, he signed in 1962 with the Bruins. Orr explained that he signed with the Bruins because "they're a team of the future. They're rebuilding and I want to be part of that building program."

Blair was involved with a plan to start a new Oshawa Generals franchise in a new arena in Oshawa, Ontario. Despite the Bruins already having a junior hockey franchise, the Niagara Falls Flyers, Blair was able to convince the Bruins to own another. He arranged a deal whereby the Bruins owned 51% of the franchise. But Orr would have to play for Oshawa. When Orr was fourteen, Blair convinced the Orr family to allow Bobby to attend the Flyers' tryout camp. When camp came to an end and it came time to sign with the Bruins, a meeting with Bruins' owner Weston Adams went sour and Orr headed back to Parry Sound. Blair was able to smooth over the situation and convince Arva that Bobby was old enough to leave home. To get the Orrs' signatures on a "C" Form, committing Bobby to the Bruins at age eighteen, Blair agreed to have Bobby stay in Parry Sound for his schooling, skipping Generals' practices and only drive south to play games on weekends. The bonus for signing was an unprecedented C$10,000 (C$}} in dollars), a new car and the Bruins would pay to stucco the family home.

Orr debuted in junior in the 1962–63 season for the new Generals in the new Metro Junior A League. Orr was only fourteen, competing against eighteen-, nineteen- and twenty-year-olds. The 1963–64 season brought further changes as the Metro League folded and Oshawa joined the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). Orr moved to Oshawa, where he started attending R. S. McLaughlin high school and boarded with a local family. Orr scored 29 goals to set a junior record for goals by a defenceman and was named to the OHA's First All-Star team.

Orr's goal and point totals increased every year during his junior career and he was named to the OHA First-All Star team every season he was in the OHA. Orr had his best season in 1965–66, his fourth season of junior. Orr scored 38 goals to increase his goal-scoring record, and finished with 94 points to average two points per game for the Generals. The Generals finished fourth in the league but won the OHA championship, the J. Ross Robertson Cup, by defeating the St. Catharines Black Hawks, the Montreal Junior Canadiens and the Kitchener Rangers. The team defeated the Northern Ontario champions North Bay Trappers and the Quebec champions Shawinigan Bruins to win a berth in the Memorial Cup Final for the junior championship of Canada.

Oshawa's hopes in the Cup Final were damaged when Orr suffered a groin injury against Shawinigan, an injury that is painful and weakens a player's skating ability. To promote the event, held in Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, the Generals had advertised that this was the last chance to see Orr in junior and were anxious for him to play. Bruins' management demanded that Orr not play in the Final, not wanting to risk any further damage to their property, while Orr and his parents were adamant that he be allowed to play for the national championship. He was not yet signed professionally to the Bruins, and they threatened that he would never play for them if he was held out. Blair decided to defy the Bruins' ownership and let Orr play. While Orr dressed and played some, he was not a factor and Edmonton defeated Oshawa for the Cup. Oshawa coach Bep Guidolin was fired for letting Orr play, while Blair left the organization of his own accord to join the expansion Minnesota North Stars.

Orr and Eagleson

By the time Orr turned 16 in 1964, he was still two years away from playing in to the NHL and his father Doug was dissatisfied with the Bruins' treatment of the prospect. Doug had asked the Bruins' Blair for more money for Bobby and was turned down. Doug Orr met Toronto lawyer Alan Eagleson at a juvenile fastball tournament dinner in Parry Sound and asked Eagleson to help out with the situation. Eagleson agreed to work with the family for free and continued to do so for the next two years. Bobby and Eagleson developed a relationship Orr would later describe as being like brothers. The two soon became a team, discussing Bobby's future plans without his father Doug.

Eagleson was determined to get Orr a top salary. When Hap Emms, the general manager of the Bruins offered a US$5,000 (US$}} in dollars) signing bonus and US$7,000 and US$8,000 (US$}} and US$}} in dollars) for his first two years in the league, Eagleson countered with US$100,000 (US$}} in dollars) for the two years. Or Orr would refuse to play with the Bruins and play for Canada's national team instead, like Carl Brewer. Orr wanted desperately to play in the NHL, but he went along with Eagleson's strategy and was willing to play for the nationals. The Bruins and Orr agreed on a US$25,000 signing bonus (US$}} in dollars), and a salary "less than $100,000" for the two years, a figure kept secret. Speculation has ranged on an annual salary of US$25,000 to US$40,000 (US$}} to US$}} in dollars) at a time when the typical maximum rookie salary was US$8,000. (US$}} in dollars) The official signing ceremony was done on Emms' boat, the ''Barbara Lynn'', where Eagleson and Emms had conferred during negotiations.

At the time, it made Orr the highest-paid player in league history. But beyond that, the signing became one of the most important in the history of professional hockey. Until that time, players had been forced to accept whatever NHL management paid in salaries. It was the start of the player's agent era in professional hockey. For Eagleson, it was the start of his sports business empire. Based on the Orr signing, Eagleson would become the executive director of the new National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and started on his rise to become one of the most powerful men in the sport and business of ice hockey.

Bruins career

Orr joined the Bruins for the 1966–67 season, his first professional season. The Bruins were not convinced at first that Orr belonged on defence, trying him out at centre first. Through the pre-season, Orr was given jersey number 27 to wear. At the season's start, the Bruins offered him jersey number 5, that of past Bruins star Dit Clapper, but Orr declined and chose jersey number 4. Orr made his NHL regular-season debut on October 19, 1966, against the Detroit Red Wings, getting one assist. On October 22, he scored his first NHL goal against the Montreal Canadiens. It was a slap shot past Gump Worsley and the Boston Garden crowd gave Orr a standing ovation.

In that first season, Orr was challenged physically as a rookie by the veterans, and he earned respect by fighting Montreal tough guy Ted Harris and defeating him in his first NHL fight. On December 4, 1966, Toronto Maple Leafs' defenceman Marcel Pronovost checked him into the boards, injuring Orr's knees for the first time in the NHL. He would miss nine games and the Bruins would lose six of them. The team finished with a 17–43–10 record, leaving the Bruins in last place. However, attendance at Boston Garden had increased by forty-one thousand fans.

For the season, Orr scored 13 goals and 28 assists, one of the best rookie seasons in NHL history to that point and unprecedented by a defenceman. Orr won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's outstanding rookie and was named to the NHL's Second All-Star team. New York Rangers' defenceman Harry Howell, won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenceman that year. In accepting the award, Howell said he was glad to win when he did, predicting "Orr will own this trophy from now on." Orr was runner-up in voting.

In 1967–68, his second season, injuries limited Orr to just 46 games. Prior to the season, Orr had injured his right knee during a charity game in Winnipeg during the summer requiring five weeks in a cast. In December, a Frank Mahovlich check caused a fracture of Orr's collar bone and a shoulder separation. Orr returned in January in time to play in the NHL All-Star Game, his first appearance of eight appearances overall. Orr had to sit out five games afterwards due to soreness in his left knee. In February, he had to leave a game against Detroit after his left knee went stiff. He would receive the first of his many operations on the knee, repairing ligament and removing cartilage. Orr did return to finish the season, but required a further operation during the off-season to remove a bone chip. Despite the injuries, Orr won the first of a record eight consecutive Norris trophies and was named to the NHL's First All-Star team.

After finishing last in 1966–67, the Bruins qualified for the 1968 playoffs, their first appearance in the playoffs since the 1958–59 season. In the pre-season, the Bruins had added Phil Esposito, Fred Stanfield and Ken Hodge from the Chicago Black Hawks in one of the most famous deals ever made. The Bruins also added rookies Glen Sather and Derek Sanderson, developing a more aggressive image that led to the nickname of the 'Big Bad Bruins.' The Bruins, happy to make the playoffs, were swept by eventual champion Montreal in the first round.

In 1968–69, Orr skipped the pre-season to rest the knee but was in uniform for the season start. He required an ice pack on the knee after every game and missed nine games after he caught a skate in a crack in the ice, twisting his knee. He returned to the lineup and finished the season playing through the pain, sometimes struggling to get up to speed and relying on team-mates instead of making the plays himself. In other games, Orr was outstanding, scoring his first career NHL hat trick on December 14 against Chicago, adding two assists for a five-point night. He scored 21 goals on the season, breaking the goal scoring record for a defenceman, and totalled 64 points to set a new point scoring record for one season for a defenceman.

Orr developed a feud with Toronto rookie defenceman Pat Quinn that season. In a late season game, Orr attempted to knock the puck loose from the Maple Leafs' goaltender Bruce Gamble and Quinn cross-checked Orr to the ice. Orr kicked Quinn and Quinn kicked Orr. On-ice officials would break it up, but the feud would continue into the 1969 playoffs. The Bruins finished second in the NHL's East Division and drew the Maple Leafs in the first round. In the first game, in Boston, Quinn would catch Orr with his head down during a rush, and catch him with an open-ice hit, knocking Orr unconscious. Quinn, assessed five minutes for elbowing, would be attacked in the penalty box by a fan and Quinn swung at the fan with his stick, breaking the glass. Quinn went back on the ice and the Boston fans showered garbage onto the ice. Orr was carried out on a stretcher to the dressing room where he revived after the concussion. According to a Boston cop at the scene "The fans here don't like anybody to touch Orr. He's their Frank Merriwell and Jack Armstrong rolled into one. To my thinking, it looked like a clean check." The game degenerated from that point into a brawl after the score reached 10–0 for the Bruins. The Bruins would go on to sweep the Maple Leafs before losing in six games to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round. Orr would return for the third game against Toronto, getting two assists as the Bruins won their first games in Toronto since 1965.

In 1969–70, Orr doubled his scoring total from the previous season, to 120 points, six shy of the league record and led the league in scoring. , Orr is the only defenceman in history to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer. In addition to the Norris and the Art Ross, Orr captured the first of three consecutive Hart Trophies as regular-season MVP and later won the Conn Smythe Trophy for his playoff performance, becoming the only player in history to win four major NHL awards in one season.

Orr went on to lead the Bruins in a march through the 1970 playoffs that culminated on May 10, 1970, when he scored one of the most famous goals in hockey history and one that gave Boston its first Stanley Cup since 1941. The goal came off a give-and-go pass with teammate Derek Sanderson at the 40-second mark of the first overtime period in the fourth game, helping to complete a sweep of the St. Louis Blues. According to Orr:

"If it had gone by me, it's a two-on-one. So I got a little lucky there, but Derek gave me a great pass and when I got the pass I was moving across. As I skated across, Glenn had to move across the crease and had to open his pads a little. I was really trying to get the puck on net, and I did. As I went across, Glenn's legs opened. I looked back, and I saw it go in, so I jumped."

The subsequent photograph by Ray Lussier of a horizontal Orr flying through the air, his arms raised in victory – as he made the shot, he had been tripped by Blues' defenceman Noel Picard while watching the puck pass by goaltender Glenn Hall – has become one of the most famous and recognized hockey images of all time.

The following season, the powerhouse Bruins shattered dozens of league offensive records. Orr himself finished second in league scoring while setting records that still stand for points in a season by a defenceman and for plus-minus (+124) by any position player. Orr's Bruins were heavy favourites to repeat as Cup champions, but were upset by the Montreal Canadiens and their rookie goaltender Ken Dryden, at one time Bruins' property, in the first round of the 1971 playoffs.

For the season, the Bruins gave Orr a solid gold puck, one of four they gave out to Bruins players - to each of the four Bruins who scored over 100 points that season - Esposito, Orr, Johnny Bucyk and Ken Hodge. Orr later gave his puck to Alan Eagleson. In 2007, Eagleson sold the puck in an auction of memorabilia for C$16,500.

Orr signed a new five-year contract on August 26, 1971, for US$200,000 (US$}} in dollars) per season - the first million dollar contract in the NHL. In the following 1971–72 season, Orr placed second in the scoring race to team-mate Phil Esposito, and won the Hart and Norris trophies, helping the Bruins to a first-place finish in the East. In the 1972 playoffs, Orr led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup again, leading the scoring in the playoffs and scoring the championship-winning goal. For his performance in the playoffs, he was awarded his second Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, making him the first two-time winner of this award. Final opponent New York Rangers forward Vic Hadfield commented "We played them pretty even, but they had Bobby Orr and we didn't." By this time, Orr already knew that his left knee was deteriorating and he would not have many seasons left. Orr also won the MVP award at the 1972 NHL All-Star Game to win three MVP awards in one season.

The 1972–73 season saw upheaval at the Bruins. Coach Sinden became the general manager. Bruins players Gerry Cheevers, Derek Sanderson and Johnny McKenzie left to join the upstart World Hockey Association. Coach Tom Johnson was fired fifty-two games into the season, replaced by Bep Guidolin, who had once coached Orr. The Adams family, which had owned the team since its founding in the 1920s, sold it to Storer Broadcasting. The Bruins' season came to a premature end in a first-round loss in the 1973 playoffs, losing Esposito to injury in that first round. Orr himself did make it to 101 points during the regular season, but had only two points in the playoff loss.

In 1973–74, Orr led the Bruins to another first-place finish in the regular season. The Bruins made it to the Stanley Cup final, but lost this time to the Philadelphia Flyers. Flyers' coach Fred Shero commented: "They had Orr and he can do an awful lot. But we've got 17 good hockey players and every one of them put out. It was 17 against one." That season, Orr set the record (since surpassed) for the most points in a game by a defenceman, scoring 3 goals and 4 assists in a November 15, 1973 game against the New York Rangers. One goal, a shot from the blue line, broke Rangers' defenceman Rod Seiling's stick.

In the 1974–75 season, Orr broke his own previous record for goals by a defenceman, scoring 46 goals to go with 89 assists for his sixth straight 100-point season. He won the league scoring title and the Art Ross Trophy for the second time. 1974–75 would be his last full season and his last season playing with Phil Esposito. The Bruins placed second in the Adams Division, and lost to the Chicago Black Hawks in the first round of the 1975 playoffs, losing a best-of-three series, two games to one.

The 1975–76 season was Orr's final season with the Bruins and it was tumultuous. Orr's contract was ending after the season, potentially making him a free agent. The Bruins were sold by Storer Broadcasting in August 1975 and the new Jacobs ownership group had to promise to keep Orr as a condition of the purchase. The Bruins and Orr reached a verbal agreement with the Jacobs during the summer of 1975, including a controversial agreement for Orr to take an 18.5% share of the Bruins after his playing days were over. The agreement was to be checked out as to whether it would be legal for tax reasons and whether or not the league would approve it.

Before the season started though, Orr underwent another surgery on September 20, 1975. The Bruins' contract talks with Orr and Eagleson became difficult. The Bruins' insurer would not insure a contract with Orr and doctors advised the Bruins that Orr would not be able to play much longer. Orr returned to the lineup on November 8, 1975, the day after the Bruins traded Esposito to the New York Rangers. Orr was able to play the next ten games for the team, but had to stop on November 28 due to pain in his knee. The next day, he underwent another knee surgery. Originally thought to only be out for seven to eight weeks, his knee did not respond to therapy and he returned home to Parry Sound. His season was over after ten games and he would not play again for the Bruins. His impending free agency led to speculation that the Bruins would trade him, but despite his injury, they were negotiating to keep him until the end.

During his Bruins career, Orr was often the player the press wanted for a post-game interview. Orr instead would hide in the trainer's room. Team-mate Terry O'Reilly described him as a "very private, very shy guy, who just happened to be the best hockey player in the world." According to the Bruins public relations director Nate Greenberg "one of my toughest jobs in the day was trying to get Orr to come out of the trainer's room to talk to the press. The reason he wouldn't or didn't all the time was that he really wanted his team-mates to get proper accolades, while everybody, all the time wanted him." , Orr has not authorized a biography of himself, preferring to not be the center of attention.

Free agency, and the move to Chicago

In September 1975, the Bruins and Eagleson had reached a deal that would pay Orr US$4 million (US$}} in dollars) for ten years. But when Orr's knee required surgery, the Bruins reduced its offer to US$295,000 (US$}} in dollars) per season and a payment of US$925,000 (US$}} in dollars) or 18.6% of the Bruins in June 1980. Eagleson turned down the offer and on June 7, 1976 was quoted in the ''Toronto Star'' as saying "Boston offered a five-year deal at US$925,000 or 18.6 percent ownership of the club in 1980. I didn't think it would be wise for him to be a player-owner." On June 9, 1976, after Orr had signed with Chicago, Eagleson told the ''Toronto Globe and Mail'' that the Bruin offer was "a five-year offer for US$295,000 a year. In addition, Orr was to receive US$925,000 in cash payable in June 1980. That was to be a cash payment or involve Orr's receiving 18.6 percent of the Bruins stock." According to a famous 1990 story in the ''Toronto Star'' by Ellie Tesher, Orr stated that Eagleson never told him of the offer, during negotiations or after. While Eagleson had spoken publicly to reporters of the offer, he had not discussed it with Orr.

In 1976, the Bruins offered Orr US$600,000 (US$}} in dollars) per season, but he would have to pass a physical examination at the start of each season's training camp. Only the first year's money was guaranteed. Eagleson was quoted at the time "There is only one way that Bobby Orr will ever be back with the Bruins. And that's if Jeremy Jacobs asks him for another meeting and straightens out the whole situation. Otherwise he's gone." Instead, Orr became a free agent, with Boston to receive compensation. Orr and Eagleson whittled down a list of potential teams to St. Louis and Chicago. Chicago offered a five-year guaranteed contract with the Black Hawks, and on June 8, 1976, he officially signed with the Black Hawks. The Bruins' general manager, Harry Sinden complained of tampering by the Black Hawks, and demanded that Chicago owner Bill Wirtz submit to a lie detecter test. According to documents held by Orr, they had a valid case. Orr signed with the Black Hawks at a secret meeting in May 1976, prior to becoming a free agent.

Then-Bruins head coach Don Cherry suggested that the reason Orr never re-signed with the Bruins was Orr's complete trust in Eagleson at the time (Orr said that he described Eagleson as a brother). Cherry recalled Orr had refused to speak with the Bruins team president directly, allowing Eagleson to mislead or withhold enough details from Boston's offer. Orr's departure from the Bruins was acrimonious and he has not held an official role with the Bruins since. Years later, it emerged that Eagleson had very good relations with Black Hawks owner Bill Wirtz and NHL president John Ziegler that colluded to hold back salaries of certain players. Orr disassociated himself from Eagleson in 1980.

Orr's contract with Chicago, five years in length, was for US$3 million dollars, (US$}} in dollars), to be paid over 30 years. Spreading out the payments in this way was done to minimize taxes. While a player, he never cashed a Chicago paycheck, stating that he was paid to play hockey and would not accept a salary if he was not playing.

1976 Canada Cup

After signing with Chicago, Orr was given permission by the Black Hawks to play for Team Canada in the 1976 Canada Cup tournament. Orr did not play in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union and he wanted badly to play for Canada. Orr had been unable to play in the Summit Series due to knee surgery, although he did participate as a non-player. Orr's participation in the Canada Cup was considered ill-conceived and Eagleson later thought it may have been the 'last straw' that killed his career. Orr himself said that he knew before the tournament that "I knew I didn't have much longer. That series didn't do it. I thought I could get the next season in, but not much after that. I knew, looking at that team, I wouldn't have to do as much. I wouldn't have traded it for anything."

Despite his knee, Orr's performance in the Canada Cup led to him being named to the tournament All-Star team and he was named the overall MVP for the tournament. According to team-mate Bobby Clarke, Orr "would hardly be able to walk on the morning of the game. And he would hardly be able to walk in the afternoon. And then, at night, he would be the best player on one of the greatest teams ever assembled. He was the best player in every game; he was the best player in the tournament. He couldn't skate like he used to, but he could still go." According to team-mate Darryl Sittler, "Bobby Orr was better on one leg, than anybody else was on two."

Retirement

Orr signed with Chicago, but his injuries limited him to only 26 games over the next three seasons. He sat out the entire 1977–78 season. By 1978, Orr had undergone over a dozen knee surgeries, was having trouble walking and barely skated any more. However, in the summer of 1978, he decided to make a comeback. He played six games of the 1978–79 season and came to the conclusion that he could no longer play and informed the Black Hawks that he was retiring. He started a new role as an assistant to Chicago general manager Bob Pulford. He scored his last NHL goal and point against Detroit on October 28, 1978, at Detroit's Olympia Stadium.

Orr retired having scored 270 goals and 645 assists in 657 games, adding 953 penalty minutes. At the time of his retirement, he was the leading defenceman in league history in goals, assists and points, tenth overall in assists and 19th in points. , the only players in league history to have averaged more points per game than Orr are Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy, all of them forwards. "Losing Bobby", said Gordie Howe, "was the greatest blow the National Hockey League has ever suffered".

The Hockey Hall of Fame waived the normal three-year waiting period for induction into the Hall and he was enshrined at age 31 – the youngest player living at the time of his induction in history. , Orr is one of only ten players to get in without having to wait three years.

His number 4 jersey was retired by the Bruins on January 9, 1979. At the ceremony, the crowd at Boston Garden would not stop applauding and as a result, most of the evening's program had to be scrapped at the last second due to the constant cheering. The crowd did not allow Orr to say his thank you speech until he put on a Bruins jersey. The day was proclaimed "Bobby Orr Day" in Boston and the event raised thousands of dollars for charity. He attended the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives and was given a five-minute standing ovation.

Style of play

Orr inspired the game of hockey with his command of the two-way game, which was unusual for a defenceman in the NHL before his arrival. Orr pioneered an offensive style for a defenceman, and he has influenced countless defencemen who followed him. His speed – most notably a rapid acceleration – and his open-ice artistry electrified fans as he set almost every conceivable record for a defenceman. When Orr and the Bruins visited cities, attendance was usually a sell-out.

According to the Bruins' Phil Esposito, "No matter how fast an opponent was, Bobby could skate faster than him if he needed to do it in the framework of a play. If he was caught up-ice and the other team had an odd-man rush, that's when you saw his truly great speed. Very seldom did he not get back to have a hand in breaking up the play."

Former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden described of Orr: "When he began to move...the sensation was unique: All the Canadiens began backpedaling in a small panic, like beachgoers sighting a coming monster wave. He brought others with him; he wanted them involved. That's what made him so different: It felt like a five-player stampede moving toward you—and at his pace. He pushed his teammates, [because] you're playing with the best player in the league and he's giving you the puck and you just can't mess it up. You had to be better than you'd ever been."

In contrast to the style of hanging-back defensive play common in the later 1950s and 1960s, Orr was known for his fluid skating and end-to-end rushing. Orr's rushing enabled him to be where the puck was, allowing him not only to score effectively but also to defend when necessary. According to long-time Bruins coach and general manager Harry Sinden, "Bobby became a star in the NHL about the time they played the National Anthem for his first game with us".

Orr also benefited from playing most of his career in Boston Garden, which was shorter than the standard NHL rink. This suited his rushing style very well, as he was able to get from one end of the ice to the other faster than in a standard rink.

His style of play was hard on his left knee, leading to injuries and surgeries that shortened his career. The left knee took all of the punishment and was operated on "13 or 14" times according to Orr. Orr was a left-hand shot who played the right side. He would race down the right wing with the puck and attempt to beat the opposing defenceman using his speed and strength. He 'protected the puck', leading with his left knee, and holding his left arm up to fend off opponents. This put him into a position where a hit by the opposing defencemen would often hit the left knee. Also, he would often end up crashing into either the opposing goalie, the net or the end boards. "It was the way I played," Orr has said. "I liked to carry the puck and if you do that, you're going to get hit. I wish I'd played longer, but I don't regret it." Orr stated in 2008. "I had a style—when you play, you play all-out. I tried to do things. I didn't want to sit back. I wanted to be involved."

His right knee was basically undamaged during his career; his left knee looks like "a road map of downtown Boston" according to sportswriter Bob McKenzie. His left knee was used in a MasterCard commercial in 2008, his scar lines used in an animation connecting his many achievements to the year of the individual scar line. According to a 2009 ''Sports Illustrated'' article Orr has since had two knee replacement surgeries that have left him pain-free.

Orr was also known for his mean streak. Former coach Don Cherry recounts an incident one night in Los Angeles during a game that the Bruins were losing. With a minute to go, Orr pulled one of the Bruins off the ice, left the bench and attacked a Los Angeles Kings player. Asked why, Orr said to Cherry "He was laughing at us." According to Cherry, he fought a lot. On another occasion in November 1967, Orr was clipped in the face by a stick from the Toronto Maple Leafs' Brian Conacher. Boston team-mate Johnny McKenzie flattened Conacher from behind and started punching Conacher. Orr, cut and bleeding, got up from the ice, pulled MacKenzie off Conacher and started punching Conacher. Conacher, who was not fighting back, was also sucker-punched by the Bruins' Ken Hodge. Orr would be booed in Toronto from that date onwards.

Post-hockey career

Shortly after Orr retired, an independent accountant revealed that Orr's liabilities exceeded his assets, leaving him essentially bankrupt despite being supposedly one of the highest-paid players in the NHL. As well, Orr's taxes were under review. Eagleson had set up a corporation to receive Orr's income and pay Orr a salary, but the arrangement was rejected by US and Canadian tax authorities. His assets in July 1980 totalled US$456,604 (US$}} in dollars) and his tax, legal and accounting bills totalled US$469,546 (US$}} in dollars). Eagleson, who had once said Orr was 'fixed for life', criticized Orr for 'living beyond his means' and ignoring his investment advice. Orr split with Eagleson on April 1, 1980. As part of the legal settlement with Orr, Eagleson agreed to purchase various of Orr's assets for $US620,000 (US$}} in dollars), including his Orr–Walton Hockey Camp, which paid off US$450,000 (US$}} in dollars) of Orr's bank loans.

Orr served briefly as an assistant coach for Chicago, and as a consultant to the NHL and the Hartford Whalers. The Black Hawks balked at paying him the balance of his contract, and Orr took them to court, settling in 1983 for US$450,000 (US$}} in dollars), one-third of the money owed him. Of this, US$200,000 (US$}} in dollars) went to taxes and legal fees. Orr moved back to the Boston area and formed Can-Am Enterprises with partners Tom Kelly and Paul Shanley, which built up a clientele of endorsements for Orr, including Baybank and Standard Brands. Orr did eventually restore his finances, thanks to endorsement contracts and public relations work.

Orr later played a role in the exposure of Alan Eagleson's misconduct over the years. He had once considered Eagleson a "big brother", but broke with him after suspecting that Eagleson was not being truthful. In addition to misleading his clients about contract terms, Eagleson used NHLPA funds fraudulently to enrich himself. Orr was one of several players who filed a formal complaint of legal misconduct against Eagleson with the Law Society of Upper Canada over Eagleson's lending of trust monies without the consent or knowledge of his clients. In 1998, Eagleson was convicted of fraud, embezzlement and racketeering. After the conviction, Orr was one of eighteen former players who threatened to resign from the Hockey Hall of Fame if Eagleson was not removed. Eagleson resigned instead.

Orr was also involved in the 1991 lawsuit of retired NHL players against the NHL over its control of the players' pension fund. Eagleson was involved there too, arranging for the players to give up a seat on the trusteeship of the pension fund in 1969 to gain the acceptance of the NHLPA with the NHL owners. Orr and ex-Bruin Dave Forbes discussed the law suit with the sports newspaper ''The National''. Orr: "Our money is being used to pay pensions for current players". The NHL's response was to file a notice of libel and slander against Orr and Forbes. Carl Brewer defended Orr in a letter to then-NHL president John Ziegler: "It is regrettable that the NHL and the member clubs would resort to such treatment of one of our game's icons, Bobby Orr. And isn't it interesting that baseball players who started their pension plan in 1947, as did the NHL, have assets in their plan of some US$500 million while we, as far as we can understand, have US$31.9 million." The pension law suit was finally won by the players in 1994 after two courts ruled against the NHL. The NHL had appealed the case to the Supreme Court of Canada which decided not to hear the case.

Orr became an agent representing hockey players in 1996. Along with investors, Orr purchased the Woolf Associates agency founded by Boston lawyer Bob Woolf. To prevent conflicts of interest, Orr sold an investment in the Lowell Lock Monsters minor pro hockey team and cut his ties with a credit card firm that had a contract with the NHLPA. Orr became a certified agent, although he would not be negotiating with hockey clubs. Player agent Rick Curran merged his agency with Orr's in 2000. Curran and Orr along with partner Paul Krepelka incorporated the agency as Orr Hockey Group in February 2002.

The group represents such players as Jason Spezza, Eric Staal, Jordan Staal, Marc Staal, Nathan Horton, Jeff Carter, Steve Downie, Anthony Stewart, Tomas Kaberle, Taylor Hall and Colton Orr (no relation). Spezza, asked to comment on the experience of having Orr as an agent, replied: "I don't think I have a true feeling for how great he is. I have so much respect for him. I watch him on tapes and it's just ridiculous how good he was compared to the guys he was playing against. He's a great guy and you don't even know it's Bobby Orr, the way he talks to you."

For a number of years, Orr has coached a team of top Canadian Hockey League junior players against a similar team coached by Don Cherry in the annual CHL Top Prospects Game. Cherry, briefly his former coach in Boston, considers Orr the greatest hockey player who ever lived, noting that Orr was a complete all-around player who could skate, score, fight, and defend. , Orr's teams have won most of the games, winning seven of the eleven times Orr has coached against Cherry. Orr's participation was criticized as a conflict-of-interest while he was a player's agent and he stopped coaching in the series. Organizers of the series convinced Orr to return to coaching in the series. He stepped down again before the 2011 game for the birth of his second grand-child. One of the teams remained named 'Team Orr.'

Personal life

While on vacation, Orr met Margaret Louise "Peggy" Wood, a Detroit native and speech therapist who worked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They became engaged on Christmas Day, 1972 and married in September 1973 at a 'secret' ceremony in Parry Sound. They have two sons, Darren and Brent. Son Darren works as a player's agent at Orr Hockey Group. Orr's mother Arva died in November 2000, 18 months after being diagnosed with cancer. Orr's father Doug died in 2007. Orr became a grandfather when granddaughter Alexis was born in 2009. A second grandchild, Robert, was born in January 2011.

Orr was known to be fiercely loyal to former Bruin personnel and teammates. When Derek Sanderson had alcohol and prescription drug-abuse problems and wound up penniless, Orr spent his own money to ensure that Sanderson successfully completed rehab. Decades later, Orr and Sanderson went into business together managing finances for hockey players. Orr also helped out Bruins trainer John (Frosty) Forristall, his roommate during his first years with the Bruins, who had just been fired from the Tampa Bay Lightning for alcoholism in 1994. Forristall's drinking put him on bad terms with his brother John, so he returned to Boston jobless and soon afterwards was diagnosed with brain cancer. Orr took Forristall into his home for a year until he passed away at age 51. Orr was a pallbearer at his funeral.

Orr was well-known for his charitable works, although he kept mentions of them out of the newspaper. Writer Russ Conway writes of one occasion when Orr visited Boston Children's Hospital, with a box of programs, pennants, pucks, pictures and Boston memorabilia: "We went from room to room, Orr popping in, unannounced to visit the kids. Some couldn't believe their eyes; sick as they were, they laughed in astonishment and delight. Bobby Orr! He talked and joked with every one of them, asking names, rubbing heads, giving everybody a little present from the box, leaving a stick, autographing everything in sight." Orr made Conway promise to not print a word in the newspaper. Orr was involved in numerous charity fund raisers. In 1980, Orr was awarded the ''Multiple Sclerosis Silver Hope Chest Award'' by the Multiple Sclerosis Society for his "numerous and unselfish contributions to society".

Among other personal interests, Orr has a passion for fishing which he has had since childhood. He has a talent for solving jigsaw puzzles quickly. Orr is also known for his taste in clothes and style of dress. When living as a bachelor with Forristall during his years with the Bruins, Orr was also known for keeping a clean apartment and not drinking or smoking or going night-clubbing. Orr projected a clean image.

Honours

In 1979, Orr was invested as an officer in the Order of Canada. Two buildings in Parry Sound honour Orr. A museum, called the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame, where his Order of Canada medal is on display along with other exhibits. Also named in his honour is The Bobby Orr Community Centre. Orr has been honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. On November 27, 2008, the Oshawa Generals retired Orr's number 2 jersey; the Generals had not issued the number since Orr transferred to the NHL in 1966. Orr thanked all who helped him in the four years he played in Oshawa: "I did a lot of growing up in Oshawa from ages 14 to 18 and I'll be forever grateful for those people who helped me in that time of my life." In February 2010, Orr was one of the eight bearers of the Olympic flag at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

On May 10, 2010, the fortieth anniversary of Orr scoring the game-winning goal against the St. Louis Blues in overtime to clinch the 1970 Stanley Cup, the Bruins commemorated the event with a bronze statue of Orr outside the TD Garden, the Bruins' home rink. The statue depicts Orr sprawled in mid-flight after scoring the goal. The unveiling was attended by many of Orr's past team-mates. Orr spoke at the unveiling: "This specific moment and time we celebrate with this statue is something we can all now nostalgically remember with fondness, together, each time we enter Boston Garden. To all of you, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I'm honoured. Guys, thank you."

Career achievements

Despite playing only twelve seasons and 657 games (of which only his first nine seasons, totaling 621 games, were full seasons), and only playing 47 NHL games after his 27th birthday, Orr accomplished many records and achievements, a number of which still stand today, and are listed below.

As of the end of the season: First defenceman to score 30 goals in a season (1969–70)

First defenceman to score 40 goals in a season (1974–75)

First player to record 100 assists in a season (1970-71)

Only defenceman to lead the league in scoring (1969–70, 1974–75)

Only player ever to win the Norris Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy, and Conn Smythe Trophy in one season (1969–70) Second all-time in career plus-minus rating (+597) (retired as the overall leader) Fourth in league history in career point-per-game average, all-time, (1.393) Fifty-ninth overall in league history in career assists and 90th in career points

Awards

OHA First All-Star Team - 1964, 1965, 1966 Awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year) in 1967, the youngest ever to win the award, and the youngest ever to win a major NHL award up to that time Named to the Second All-Star Team in 1966–67 (his only full season when he did not make the First Team, as a rookie) Named to the NHL First All-Star Team eight times consecutively (1968-1975) Awarded the James Norris Trophy eight times (from 1968 to 1975, his last full season)

Played in the NHL All-Star Game eight times (from 1968 to 1975)

Won the Art Ross Trophy in 1969–70 and 1974–75

NHL Plus/Minus leader in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974 and 1975, the most in history

Awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy three times consecutively (from 1970 to 1972) Awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1970 and 1972, the first two-time winner of the playoff MVP award Stanley Cup winner in 1970 and 1972 Won Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadian athlete of the year in 1970 NHL All-Star Game MVP in 1972 Received ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award in 1970 Voted the greatest athlete in Boston history in the ''Boston Globe'' newspaper's poll of New Englanders in 1975, beating out baseball and basketball stars such as Ted Williams, Bill Russell, Carl Yastrzemski and Bob Cousy Awarded the Lester B. Pearson Award in 1975 Named the Canada Cup Tournament MVP in 1976. Awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1979 Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979, with the mandatory three-year waiting period waived, making him the youngest inductee at 31 years of age

Voted the second greatest hockey player of all time by an expert committee in 1997 by ''The Hockey News''. Orr is behind only Wayne Gretzky and ahead of Gordie Howe as well as being named the top defenceman of all time

Ranked 31 in ESPN's ''SportsCentury: 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century'' in 1999 Named the top defenceman of all time in 2010 by ''The Hockey News''

Records

Most points in one NHL season by a defenceman (139; 1970–71) Most assists in one NHL season by a defenceman (102; 1970–71). Highest plus/minus in one NHL season (+124; 1970–71) Tied for most assists in one NHL game by a defenceman (6; tied with Babe Pratt, Pat Stapleton, Ron Stackhouse, Paul Coffey and Gary Suter)

;Records since surpassed: Held record for most assists in one NHL season from 1970 to 1981 (87 in 1969–70, which he surpassed in 1970–71 with 102; broken by Wayne Gretzky and also bettered by Mario Lemieux) Held record for most goals in one NHL season by a defenceman from 1968 to 1986 (21, in 1967–68, 37 in 1970–71, broke own record in 1974–75 with 46; broken in 1985–86 by Paul Coffey with 48) Held record for most points by a defenceman in one game from 1973 until 1977 (7 (3 goals/4 assists) in game November 15, 1973) Held record for longest consecutive point-scoring streak by a defenceman from 1971 until 1984 ( 15 games, set in 1970–71 and 1973–74) Held record for career goal-scoring by a defenceman (270) until surpassed by Denis Potvin in 1987. Held record for most consecutive 100-or-more point seasons from 1974 until 1980 ( 6, from 1969–70 until 1974–75) Held record for career plus-minus rating from 1978 until 1985 (+597) Held record for most assists in a season by any player from 1971 until 1981 (102)

Career statistics

Career highs in each statistical category are marked in boldface.

{| style="text-align:center; width:75%; padding: 2px; border-spacing: 0;" |- style="background: #e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" style="background: #fff;" | ! rowspan="99" style="background: #fff;" | ! colspan="9" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" style="background: #fff;" | ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- style="background: #e0e0e0;" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! +/- ! PP ! SH ! GW ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 1962–63 | Oshawa Generals | Metro Jr.A | 34 || 6 || 15 || 21 || 45 ||—||—||—||— | — ||—||—||—||— |- style="background: #f0f0f0;" | 1963–64 | Oshawa Generals | OHA | 56 || 29 || 43 || 72 || 142 ||— || —|| —||— | 6 || 0 || 7 || 7 || 21 || |- | 1964–65 | Oshawa Generals | OHA | 56 || 34 || 59 || 93 || 112 || —|| —|| —||— | 6 || 0 || 6 || 6 || 10 |- style="background: #f0f0f0;" | 1965–66 | Oshawa Generals | OHA | 47 || 38 || 56 || 94 || 92 || —||— ||— ||— | 17 || 9 || 19 || 28 || 14 |- | 1966–67 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 61 || 13 || 28 || 41 || 102 || — || 3 || 1 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- style="background: #f0f0f0;" | 1967–68 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 46 || 11 || 20 || 31 || 63 || +30 || 3 || 0 || 1 | 4 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 2 |- | 1968–69 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 67 || 21 || 43 || 64 || 133 || +65 || 4 || 0 || 2 | 10 || 1 || 7 || 8 || 10 |- style="background: #f0f0f0;" | 1969–70 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 76 || 33 || 87 || 120 || 125 || +54 || 11 || 4 || 3 | 14 || 9 || 11 || 20 || 14 |- | 1970–71 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 78 || 37 || 102 || 139 || 91 || +124 || 5 || 3 || 5 | 7 || 5 || 7 || 12 || 10 |- style="background: #f0f0f0;" | 1971–72 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 76 || 37 || 80 || 117 || 106 || +86 || 11 || 4 || 4 | 15 || 5 || 19 || 24 || 19 |- | 1972–73 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 63 || 29 || 72 || 101 || 99 || +56 || 7 || 1 || 3 | 5 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 7 |- style="background: #f0f0f0;" | 1973–74 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 74 || 32 || 90 || 122 || 82 || +84 || 11 || 0 || 4 | 16 || 4 || 14 || 18 || 28 |- | 1974–75 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 80 || 46 || 89 || 135 || 101 || +80 || 16 || 2 || 4 | 3 || 1 || 5 || 6 || 2 |- style="background: #f0f0f0;" | 1975–76 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 10 || 5 || 13 || 18 || 22 || +10 || 3 || 1 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1976–77 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 20 || 4 || 19 || 23 || 25 || +6 || 2 || 0 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- style="background: #f0f0f0;" | 1978–79 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 6 || 2 || 2 || 4 || 4 || +2 || 0 || 0 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- style="background: #e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" | OHA totals ! 193 !! 107 !! 173 !! 280 !! 391 !! !! !! !! ! 29 !! 9 !! 32 !! 41 !! 45 |- style="background: #e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 657 !! 270 !! 645 !! 915 !! 953 !! +597 !! 76 !! 16 !! 26 ! 74 !! 26 !! 66 !! 92 !! 92 |} Source: hockeydb.com

International play

Was named to Canada's 1972 Summit Series team, but did not play due to injuries.

Played for Team Canada in the 1976 Canada Cup.

International statistics

! Year	! Team	! Event	! GP	! G	! A	! Pts	! PIM
1972	Canada	Summit Series	0	0	0	0	0
	Canada		7	2	7	9	8

See also

List of NHL players with 100-point seasons

References

;Bibliography

External links

Order of Canada Citation

Bobby Orr Hall of Fame Website

His game-winning overtime goal ending the 1970 Stanley Cup finals

Category:1948 births Category:Art Ross Trophy winners Category:Boston Bruins players Category:Calder Trophy winners Category:Canada's Sports Hall of Fame inductees Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen Category:Canadian people of Irish descent Category:Chicago Blackhawks coaches Category:Chicago Blackhawks players Category:Conn Smythe Trophy winners Category:Hart Memorial Trophy winners Category:Hartford Whalers Category:Hockey Hall of Fame inductees Category:Ice hockey people from Ontario Category:James Norris Memorial Trophy winners Category:Lester B. Pearson Award winners Category:Lester Patrick Trophy recipients Category:Living people Category:Lou Marsh Trophy winners Category:National Hockey League All-Stars Category:National Hockey League players with 100 point seasons Category:National Hockey League players with retired numbers Category:Officers of the Order of Canada Category:Oshawa Generals alumni Category:People from Parry Sound, Ontario Category:Sports agents Category:Stanley Cup champions

cs:Bobby Orr de:Bobby Orr fr:Bobby Orr he:בובי אור lv:Bobijs Ors hu:Bobby Orr nl:Bobby Orr ja:ボビー・オア pl:Bobby Orr pt:Bobby Orr ru:Орр, Бобби simple:Bobby Orr sk:Bobby Orr sl:Bobby Orr fi:Bobby Orr sv:Bobby Orr uk:Боббі Орр

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
Name	Fred Cusick
Birth name	Frederick Michael Cusick
Birth date	November 07, 1918
Birth place	Brighton, Massachusetts
Death date	September 15, 2009
Death place	Barnstable, Massachusetts
Occupation	Former NHL broadcaster }}

Frederick Michael Cusick (November 7, 1918 - September 15, 2009) was an American ice hockey broadcaster who served as the Boston Bruins play-by-play announcer from 1971 until 1997 on WSBK-TV (Channel 38) in Boston, and from 1984 until 1995 on NESN. Counting his radio broadcasts, he was a Bruins' announcer for an unprecedented 45 years, and was an active sports announcer for over seven decades. He is best known for yelling "SCORE!" when a Boston player scored a goal.

Biography

Early life and career

Fred Cusick was born in the Brighton section of Boston. A graduate of (and former hockey player at) Northeastern University in Boston, Cusick began broadcasting sports at WCOP in Boston in 1941 while a senior at Northeastern, crediting his hockey background as the entree to the position. He subsequently went into the United States Navy in World War II, rising to lieutenant in command of a subchaser. After the war, he worked for several radio stations, hosting the popular ''Irish Hour'' on WVOM in Brookline, which focused on sports, especially hockey. After a brief time in Washington during the Korean War and upon the retirement of Bruins' radio broadcaster Frank Ryan, Cusick - paired with ex-Bruin Jack Crawford - became the radio play-by-play broadcaster of the Bruins from 1952 to 1970, during which time he was also Sports Director for WEEI radio in Boston.

Cusick was the announcer for the first US network NHL broadcast (CBS-TV in January 1957); he would spend four years in all working the ''NHL Game of the Week'' for CBS.

1960s-1970s

Fred Cusick was the color commentator on WEEI for the very first game of the fledgling American Football League, a Friday night contest between the Denver Broncos and the Boston Patriots on September 9, 1960, at Nickerson Field on the campus of Boston University. He served as the color man for Patriots radio between 1960 and 1964. He also had a notable interview with golfing legend Francis Ouimet in 1963, the fiftieth anniversary of Ouimet's 1913 U.S. Open victory, the only video interview of Ouimet in existence.

In the early 1960s, Cusick was responsible for getting Boston Bruins' games on local television on a regular basis. In 1963, Bruins CEO Weston Adams asked Fred and producer/director Neal P. Cortel to arrange the first-ever live telecast of a Bruins game from the old Boston Garden. The experimental telecast was wildly popular, and later during the 1963/1964 season, Fred hosted the Sunday morning rebroadcasts of edited CBC Television tapes of Saturday night Bruins games in Montreal and Toronto; flown back overnight with the team, seen first at 9:00 AM on WMUR-TV in Manchester, New Hampshire and WTEV-TV (now WLNE-TV) in the Providence/New Bedford market (the signal[s] of which covered most of the Boston area), then at 1:00 PM on the old WHDH-TV (now WCVB-TV) in Boston, WWLP-TV in Springfield, and WRLP-TV in Northhampton. Fred's telecasts were enormously popular, and within a few years, games would be shown live on WKBG and later began a long run at WSBK.

From 1969 through 1971, Cusick was the radio voice of the Boston Bruins on WBZ-AM 1030 (Bob Wilson replaced him on WBZ-AM starting in 1972) when they reached the pinnacle of their popularity, winning their first Stanley Cup in 29 years in 1970, and setting a regular-season record for points and goals scored in 1970–71. His broadcasting partners were former NHL players Johnny Peirson in 1969–70 and Cal Gardner in 1970–71.

In 1971, Cusick returned to television, succeeding Don Earle, who had been hired by WSBK when they began covering the Boston Bruins, as play-by-play man for Bruins' games on WSBK with Peirson as his color man; when NESN was formed in 1984, he did double duty for a few years, calling games for both channels. In his last years before he retired from broadcasting the Bruins, Cusick did games only for WSBK.

1980s-1990s

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the first wave of media honorees in 1984, and in that year was also named the first winner of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award (along with Danny Gallivan, Rene Lecavalier and Hewitt himself), "in recognition of members of the radio and television industry who made outstanding contributions to their profession and the game during their career in hockey broadcasting." He has also won the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1988 for outstanding service to hockey in the United States.

It was Cusick who did the television play-by-play of the last Bruins' game at the old Boston Garden (a pre-season game against Montreal in 1995) and the first Bruins' game in the Fleet Center, the 1995–96 season-opener against the New York Islanders.

2000s

After retiring from the Bruins' broadcasts in 1997, he began broadcasting home games for the AHL Lowell Lock Monsters with former Bruin Brad Park as his partner. He retired for good as a hockey sportscaster after the 2002 season at the age of 83.

In 2007, he returned to the broadcast booth as the Cape Cod Baseball League game of the week play-by-play announcer on WBZ (AM) Radio.

His autobiography, ''Fred Cusick: Voice of the Bruins'' (ISBN 1–58261–981–6), was published in October 2006.

Death

Fred Cusick died in his sleep on September 15, 2009 at his home in Barnstable, Massachusetts from complications from bladder cancer. The following day he was posthumously inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

References

External links

Fred Cusick's official site

From Cape Cod League website

Category:1918 births Category:2009 deaths Category:Deaths from bladder cancer Category:Cancer deaths in Massachusetts Category:National Hockey League broadcasters Category:Boston Bruins sportscasters Category:Lowell Lock Monsters Category:Lester Patrick Trophy recipients Category:Sports in Boston, Massachusetts Category:Boston Patriots broadcasters Category:American Football League announcers Category:Northeastern University alumni Category:Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winners

Robert "Bob" Lobel is a former sportscaster for WBZ-TV in Boston, Massachusetts. He anchored the sports segments on the evening newscasts between Sunday and Thursday, and hosted the weekly programs ''Sports Final'' and ''Patriots 5th Quarter''. During a round of layoffs in April 2008, Lobel's contract was bought out by the station.

WBZ

A native of Apple Creek, Ohio, Lobel joined the station as weekend sports anchor in 1979 and was promoted to weekday anchor and sports director in 1981. Before joining the television side of WBZ, Lobel worked at WBZ radio for three years, most notably as the co-host (with Upton Bell) of ''Calling All Sports'', a sports talk show that aired nightly on the station. He also worked at WJOY in Burlington, Vermont and WGIR in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Lobel has also done some play-by-play work, calling WBZ's annual broadcast of the Boston Marathon, Boston Celtics games from 1989-1993, Boston College Eagles football games in 1986, New England Patriots preseason games from 1985-1991, and two NFL games for NBC in 1985. He was a sideline reporter for the NCAA Mens' Basketball Tournament between 1995 and 1997.

On the air, Lobel was known for using props and catchphrases during his sportscasts:

"Why can't we get players like that?" - when any former player for a Boston team is shown making a big play for his new team. This is emphasized in instances when the former Boston player burns a Boston team.

the "Panic Button" when a local team is on a losing streak

a support beam from the Boston Garden occasionally used for Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics highlights.

Lobel is also known for his local charity work for Children's Hospital and The Genesis Fund among many others.

During a 2003 edition of ''Sports Final,'' ''Boston Globe'' columnist Bob Ryan said that the wife of New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd needed someone to "smack" her for taking his young children to NBA playoff games where they could be taunted. Kidd had recently faced charges of domestic violence. Lobel immediately interrupted Ryan and tried to get Ryan to retract his comment, but Ryan refused. The ''Globe'' suspended Ryan for three weeks. In an Internet chat that summer, Lobel said that his actions were not "an act of heroism on my part, just knowing what is acceptable and what is not acceptable".

On April 2, 2008, it was announced that Lobel will be released from WBZ-TV after almost thirty years with the station. Due to back surgery in October 2008, Lobel was replaced on WODS on November 11, 2008.

Lobel appeared on The Boston Sports Show on Boston's ESPN Radio affiliate, WAMG-890, until it was cancelled in September 2009.

Controversies

Lobel has been reported as having appeared on air in an intoxicated state which Lobel denies. Lobel was a judge at Kiss 108's 2007 Turkey Toss in which local high schools sent two members of their football team to compete in a turkey throwing competition. Although the contest was held at 7 AM, Lobel was accused of being intoxicated by a number of participants. He interrupted the competition and made a number of calls which visual evidence later clearly refuted.

Get Fuzzy

An edition of the comic strip Get Fuzzy published on May 13, 2005 resulted in legal action. In the original strip, characters Rob, Bucky and Satchel are watching television. Satchel asks "Is this sportscaster... ''drunk''?" Rob replies "Lobel? Who knows. He's like some TV outreach program or something."

Less than a week later, Lobel filed a libel lawsuit against cartoonist Darby Conley, United Features Syndicate, and the ''New Bedford Standard-Times'' newspaper. The New Bedford paper was named specifically because it did ''not'' censor the strip as several other Boston-area papers did, including ''The Boston Globe''; most either refused to run the strip or substituted "Him?" in place of Lobel's name. The lawsuit claimed that the strip was both personally and professionally damaging, especially given that his contract was under negotiation for renewal at the time.

On November 16, 2005, a brief article in the ''Boston Herald'' reported that Lobel and Conley had settled the suit out of court. Conley made a public apology to Lobel, saying the strip was not intended to imply that he had been drunk on the air. Further details of the settlement were confidential, but the ''Herald'' quoted an unnamed source as saying Conley had made a substantial donation to charity.

The strip was left out of the Get Fuzzy collection ''Take Our Cat, Please.''

Affair

In late 2004, the ''Boston Herald'' reported that he had an extra-marital affair. Lobel has denied all allegations.

Personal life

Lobel was married to fellow former WBZ news anchor Susan Wornick during the 1980s; they are now divorced.

References

External links

Interview with ''Boston'' magazine

Interview on Plum TV

Announcement Regarding Bob Lobel's TruFan.com Webcast

Category:American radio personalities Category:American television personalities Category:Boston, Massachusetts television anchors Category:National Football League announcers Category:People from Wayne County, Ohio Category:Sports in Boston, Massachusetts Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
Name	Ted Williams
Position	Left fielder
Bats	Left
Throws	Right
Birth date	August 30, 1918
Birth place	San Diego, California
Death date	July 05, 2002
Death place	Inverness, Florida
Debutdate	April 20
Debutyear	1939
Debutteam	Boston Red Sox
Finaldate	September 28
Finalyear	1960
Finalteam	Boston Red Sox
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.344
Stat2label	Home runs
Stat2value	521
Stat3label	Hits
Stat3value	2,654
Stat4label	Runs batted in
Stat4value	1,839
Teams	As player Boston Red Sox (–, –) As manager Washington Senators / Texas Rangers (–)
Highlights	19× All-Star (1940, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1959², 1960, 1960²) 2× AL MVP (1946, 1949) Boston Red Sox #9 retired Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Hofdate
Hofvote	93.38% (first ballot) }}

Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002), was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox (1939–1942 and 1946–1960). Williams was a two-time American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) winner, led the league in batting six times, and won the Triple Crown twice. A nineteen-time All-Star, he had a career batting average of .344, with 521 home runs, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966.

Williams was the last player in Major League Baseball to bat over .400 in a single season (.406 in 1941). Williams holds the highest career batting average of anyone with 500 or more home runs. His career year was 1941, when he hit .406 with 37 HR, 120 RBI, and 135 runs scored. His .551 on base percentage set a record that stood for 61 years. Nicknamed "The Kid", "The Splendid Splinter", "Teddy Ballgame", "The Thumper" and, because of his hitting prowess, "The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived", Williams's career was twice interrupted by service as a U.S. Marine Corps fighter-bomber pilot. An avid sport fisherman, he hosted a television program about fishing, and he was inducted into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame.

Early life

Ted Williams was born in San Diego as Teddy Samuel Williams, named after his father, Samuel Stuart Williams, and President Teddy Roosevelt, although Williams claimed that his middle name stemmed from one of his mother's brothers (in truth, her dead brother was Daniel) who had been killed in World War I. At some point, Williams changed the name on his birth certificate to Theodore. The elder of his brother, Danny, his father was a soldier, sheriff, and photographer from New York, while his mother, May Venzor, from El Paso, Texas, was an evangelist and lifelong soldier in the Salvation Army. Williams resented his mother's long hours work in the Salvation Army, and Williams and his brother cringed whenever they were brought by her to the Army's street-corner revivals.

Williams's paternal ancestors were a mix of Welsh and Irish, and his maternal ancestors were of Mexican and French descent. The Mexican side of Williams's family was quite diverse, having Spanish (Basque), Russian, and American Indian roots. Of his Mexican ancestry he said that "If I had had my mother's name, there is no doubt I would have run into problems in those days, [considering] the prejudices people had in Southern California".

Williams lived in San Diego's North Park neighborhood (4121 Utah Street), and was taught how to throw a baseball by his uncle Saul Venzor, a former semi-pro baseball player and one of his mother's four brothers who had previously pitched against Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Joe Gordon in an exhibition game, at the age of eight. As a child, Williams' heroes were Pepper Martin of the St. Louis Cardinals and Bill Terry of the New York Giants. Williams graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in San Diego, where he played baseball as a hitter-pitcher and was the star of the team. Though he had offers from the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees while he was still in high school, his mother thought he was too young to leave home, so he signed up with the local minor league club, the San Diego Padres.

Baseball career

Throughout his career, Williams stated his goal was to have people point to Williams and remark, "There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived."

While in the Pacific Coast League in 1936, Williams met future teammates and friends Dom DiMaggio and Bobby Doerr, who were on the Pacific Coast League's San Francisco Seals. Williams played back-up on the team behind DiMaggio's brother Vince DiMaggio and Ivey Shiver. When Shiver announced he was quitting to become a football coach at the University of Georgia, the job, by default, was open for Williams. Williams posted a .271 batting average on 107 at-bats in 42 games for the Padres in 1936. Unknown to Williams, he had caught the eye of the Boston Red Sox's general manager, Eddie Collins, while Collins was scouting Bobby Doerr and the shortstop George Myatt in August 1936. Collins later explained, "It wasn't hard to find Ted Williams. He stood out like a brown cow in a field of white cows." In the 1937 season, after graduating Hoover High in the winter, Williams finally broke into the line-up on June 22, when he hit an inside-the-park home run to help the Padres win 3 - 2. The Padres ended up winning the PCL title, while Williams ended up hitting .291 with 23 home runs. Meanwhile, Collins kept in touch with Padres general manager Bill Lane, calling him two times throughout the season. In December 1937, during the winter meetings, the deal was made between Lane and Collins, sending Williams to the Boston Red Sox and giving Lane $35,000 and two major leaguers, Dom D'Allessandro and Al Niemiec, and two other minor leaguers.

In 1938, the nineteen-year-old Williams was ten days late to spring training camp in Sarasota, Florida, because of a flood in California blocking the railroads. Williams had to borrow $200 from a bank to make the trip from San Diego to Sarasota. Also during spring training Williams was nicknamed "The Kid" by Red Sox equipment manager Johnny Orlando, who after Williams arrived to Sarasota for the first time, said, "The Kid' has arrived". Orlando still called Williams "The Kid" twenty years later, while the nickname stuck with Williams the rest of his life. Williams remained in major league spring training for about a week. Williams was then sent to the Double-A-league Minneapolis Millers. While in the training camp of the Millers camp for the springtime, Williams met Rogers Hornsby, who had hit over .400 three times, including a .424 average in 1924, who was a coach for the Millers for the spring. Hornsby told Williams useful advice, including to "get a good pitch to hit". Talking with the game's greats would become a pattern for Williams, who talked with Hugh Duffy who hit .438 in 1894, Bill Terry who hit .401 in 1930, and Ty Cobb against whom he would argue that a batter (baseball) should hit up on the ball, opposed to Cobb's view that a batter should hit down on the ball.

While in Minnesota, Williams quickly became the team's star. He collected his first hit on the Millers' first game of the season, and his first and second home runs on his third game. Both were inside-the-park home runs, while the second traveled an estimated five-hundred feet on the fly to a five-hundred and twelve foot center field fence. Williams later had a twenty-two game hitting streak that lasted from Memorial Day to mid-June. While the Millers ended up sixth place in an eight-team race, Williams ended up hitting .366 with 46 home runs and 142 RBIs while receiving the American Association's Triple Crown and finishing second in the voting for Most Valuable Player voting.

1939 - 40

Williams came to spring training three days late in , thanks to Williams driving from California to Florida and respiratory problems, the latter of which would plague Williams for the rest of his career. In the winter, the Red Sox traded right fielder Ben Chapman to the Cleveland Indians to make room for Williams on the roster, with Williams inheriting Chapman's number 9 on his uniform opposed to Williams' number 5 in the previous spring training, even though Chapman had hit .340 in the previous season, which led ''Boston Globe'' sports journalist Gerry Moore to quip, "Not since Joe DiMaggio broke in with the Yankees by "five for five" in St. Petersberg in 1936 has any baseball rookie received the nationwide publicity that has been accorded this spring to Theodore Francis [sic] Williams". Williams made his major league debut against the New York Yankees on April 20, going 1-for-4 against Yankee pitcher Red Ruffing. This was the only game in which featured both Williams and Lou Gehrig playing against one another. In his first series at Fenway Park, Williams batted a double, a home run, and a triple, the first two against Cotton Pippen, who gave Williams his first strikeout as a professional while Williams had been in San Diego. By July, Williams was hitting just .280, but leading the league in RBIs. Johnny Orlando, now Williams' friend, then gave Williams a quick pep talk, telling Williams that he should hit .335 with 35 home runs and he would drive in 150 runs. Williams said he would buy Orlando a Cadillac if this all came true. Williams ended up hitting .327 with 31 home runs and 145 RBIs, leading the league in the latter category, the first rookie to lead the league in runs batted in. and finishing fourth in MVP voting. Even though there was not a Rookie of the Year award yet in 1939, Babe Ruth declared Williams to be the Rookie of the Year, to which Williams later said was "good enough for me".

Williams pay doubled in , going from $5,000 to $10,000. With the addition of a new bullpen in right field of Fenway Park, which reduced the distance from home plate from 400 feet to 380 feet, the bullpen was nicknamed "Williamsburg", because the new addition was "obviously designed for Williams". Williams was then switched from right field to left field, as there would be less sun in his eyes, and it would give Dominic DiMaggio a chance to play. Finally, Williams was flip-flopped in the order with the great slugger Jimmie Foxx, with the idea that Williams would get more pitches to hit. Pitchers, though, were not afraid to walk him to get to the 33-year-old Foxx, and after that the 34-year-old Joe Cronin, the player-manager. Williams also made his first of sixteen All-Star Game appearances in 1940, going 0-for-2. Although Williams hit .344, his power and runs batted in were down from the previous season, with 23 home runs and 113 RBIs. Williams also caused a controversy in mid-August when he called his salary "peanuts", along with saying he hated the city of Boston and reporters, leading reporters to lash back at him, saying that he should be traded. Williams said that the "only real fun" he had in 1940 was being able to pitch once on August 24, when he pitched the last two innings in a 12 - 1 loss to the Detroit Tigers, allowing one earned run on three hits, while striking out one batter, Rudy York.

1941

In the second week of spring training in , Williams broke a bone in his right ankle, limiting him to pinch hitting for the first two weeks of the season. Bobby Doerr later claimed that the injury would be the foundation of Williams's season, as it forced him to put less pressure on his right foot for the rest of the season. Against the Chicago White Sox on May 7, in extra innings, Williams told the Red Sox pitcher, Charlie Wagner, to hold the White Sox, since he was going to hit a home run. In the 11th inning, Williams's prediction came true, as he hit a 600-footer to help the Red Sox win. The home run is still considered to be the longest home run ever hit in the old Comiskey Park, some saying that it went 600 feet (183 meters). Williams's average slowly climbed in the first half of May, and on May 15, he started a 22-game hitting streak. From May 17 to June 1, Williams batted .536, with his season average going above .400 on May 25 and then continuing up to .430. By the All-Star break, Williams was hitting .405 with 62 RBIs and 16 home runs.

In the 1941 All-Star Game, Williams batted fourth behind Joe DiMaggio, who at that time had broken the consecutive hitting streak record and already had a 48 consecutive game hitting streak by the All-Star break. In the fourth inning, Williams doubled to drive in a run, but the National League was winning 5 - 2 in the eighth inning, and Williams struck out in the bottom half of the inning in the middle of a rally by the American League team. In the ninth inning, with the American League trailing 5 - 3, Ken Keltner got an infield single, Joe Gordon singled, and then Cecil Travis walked to fill the bases. After that, Joe DiMaggio grounded to the infield, and in attempting to carry out a double play, Billy Herman was distracted by Travis as Travis slid into second base, and the throw to first base was wide, with Keltner scoring, making the score 5-4. With runners on first base and third base, Williams stepped to the plate. With a two ball and one strike count, Williams swung with his eyes closed and hit a home run, making the American League walk-off to win 7 - 5. Williams later said that the moment "remains to this day the most thrilling hit of my life".

In late August, Williams was hitting .402. Williams said that "just about everybody was rooting for me" to hit .400 in the season, including Yankee fans, who gave pitcher Lefty Gomez a "hell of a boo" after walking Williams with the bases loaded after Williams had gotten three straight hits one game in September. In mid-September, Williams was hitting .413, but dropped a point a game from then on. Before the game on September 28, Williams was batting .39955, which would have been rounded up to a .400 average. Williams, who had the chance to sit out the final, decided to play a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics. Williams explained that he didn't really deserve the .400 average if he did sit out). Williams went 6-for-8 on the day, finishing the baseball season at .406. (The present-day baseball sacrifice fly rule was not in effect in 1941; had it been, Williams would have hit .416.) Portions of the 10,268 people in the crowd ran out on the field to surround Williams after the game, forcing him to grab his hat in fear of its getting stolen, and he was helped into the clubhouse by his teammates. Along with his .406 average, Williams also hit 37 home runs and 120 RBIs. Williams's baseball season of 1941 is often considered to be the best offensive season that a Red Sox player has ever had. The .406 batting average was Williams's first of six batting championships, and it is still the highest single-season batting average in Red Sox history and the highest batting average in the major leagues since 1924. Williams's on-base percentage of .553 and slugging percentage of .735 that season are both also the highest single-season averages in Red Sox history. The .553 OBP stood as a major league record until it was broken by Barry Bonds in 2002 and his .735 slugging percentage was highest mark in the major leagues between 1932 and 1994. His OPS of 1.287 that year, a Red Sox record, was the highest in the major leagues between 1923 and 2001. Williams led the league with 135 runs scored and 37 home runs, and he finished third with 335 total bases, the most home runs, runs scored, and total bases by a Red Sox player since Jimmie Foxx's in 1938. Williams placed second in MVP voting, with Joe DiMaggio winning with 291 votes to 254 votes on the strength of his record-breaking 56-game hitting streak and large number of RBIs.

On December 7, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, forcing the United States into World War II a day later.

1942 and Baseball during the War

In January , Williams was drafted into the military, being put into Class 1-A. A friend of Williams suggested that Williams see the advisor of the Governor's Selective Service Appeal Agent, since Williams was the sole support of his mother, ever since his parents had divorced in 1939. The agent agreed that Williams should not have been placed in Class 1-A, and said Williams should be reclassified to Class 3-A. The attorney took the case to the Appeals Board and the board rejected the case. Angry, the attorney took the case to the Presidential Board. Williams was reclassified to 3-A ten days later. Afterwards, the public reaction was extremely negative, and Quaker Oats stopped sponsoring Williams, and Williams, who had previously had eaten them "all the time", never had "eaten one since".

Despite the trouble with the draft board, Williams had a new salary of $30,000 in 1942. In the season, Williams won the Triple Crown, with a .356 batting average, 36 home runs, and 137 RBIs. On May 21, Williams also hit his 100th career home run. He was the third Red Sox player to hit 100 home runs with the team, following his teammates Jimmie Foxx and Joe Cronin.. Despite winning the Triple Crown, Williams came in second in the MVP voting to Joe Gordon of the Yankees. Williams felt that he should have gotten a "little more consideration" because of him winning the Triple Crown, and he thought that that "the reason I didn't get more consideration was because of the trouble I had with the draft [boards]".

After going into the U.S. Marine Corps as an aviator at the end of 1942, Williams also played on the baseball team in Chapel Hill, North Carolina along with his Red Sox teammate Johnny Pesky in pre-flight training, after eight weeks in Amherst, Massachusetts and the Civilian Pilot Training Course. While Williams played on the baseball team, he was sent back to Fenway Park on July 13, 1943 to play on an All-Star team managed by Babe Ruth. The newspapers reported that Babe Ruth said when finally meeting Williams, "Hiya, kid. You remind me a lot of myself. I love to hit. You're one of the most natural ballplayers I've ever seen. And if my record is broken, I hope you're the one to do it". Williams later said he was "flabbergasted" by the incident, as "after all, it was Babe Ruth". In the game, Williams hit a 425-foot home run to help give the American League All-Stars a 9-8 win.

On August 18, 1945, twelve days after an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Williams was sent overseas to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. While in Pearl Harbor, Williams played baseball in the Army League. Also in that league were Joe DiMaggio, Joe Gordon, and Stan Musial. The Service World Series with the Army versus the Navy attracted crowds of 40,000 for each game. The players said it was even better than the actual World Series being played between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs that year. Williams was discharged by the Marine Corps in January 1946, in time to begin preparations for the upcoming pro baseball season.

1946–1947

Joining the Red Sox again in , Williams signed a $37,500 contract. In July, after Williams hit three home runs and eight RBIs in the first game of a doubleheader, Lou Boudreau, inspired by Williams consistent pull hitting to right field, created what would later be known as the Boudreau shift against Williams, having only one player on the left side of second base (the left fielder). Ignoring the shift, Williams walked twice and grounded out to second base. Also during 1946, the All-Star Game was held in Fenway Park. In the game, Williams homered in the fourth inning against Kirby Higbe, singled in a run in the fifth inning, singled in the seventh inning, and hit a three-run home run against Rip Sewell's notorious "eephus pitch" in the eighth inning to help the American League win 12 - 0.

For the 1946 baseball season, Williams hit .342 with 38 home runs and 123 RBIs, helping the Red Sox win the pennant on September 13, hitting the only inside-the-park home run in his Major League career in a 1 - 0 win against Cleveland. Williams ran away as the winner in the MVP voting. During an exhibition game in Fenway Park against an All-Star team during early October, Williams was hit on the elbow by a curveball by the Washington Senators' pitcher Mickey Haefner. Williams was immediately taken out of the game, and X-rays of his arm showed no damage, but his arm was "swelled up like a boiled egg", according to Williams. Williams could not swing a bat again until four days later, one day before the World Series, when he reported the arm as "sore". During the series, Williams batted .200, going 5-for-25 with no home runs and just one RBI. The Red Sox lost in seven games, with Williams going 0-for-4 in the last game. Fifty years later when asked what one thing he would have done different in his life, Williams replied, "I'd have done better in the '46 World Series. God, I would". The 1946 World Series was the only World Series Williams ever appeared in.

In the off-season between the 1946 and season, Williams was offered a three-year, $300,000 dollar contract to play for the Mexican League, which Williams declined. Williams later signed a $70,000 contract in 1947. Williams was also almost traded for Joe DiMaggio in 1947. In late April, Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey and Yankees owner Dan Topping agreed to swap the players, but a day later canceled the deal when Yawkey requested that Yogi Berra come with DiMaggio. In May, Williams was hitting .337. Williams also won the Triple Crown in 1947, but lost the MVP award to Joe DiMaggio, with 201 votes compared to DiMaggio's 202 votes. One writer (whom Williams thought was Mel Webb, who Williams called a "grouchy old guy", although the identity of the writer remains unknown) completely left Williams off his ballot, who would have tied DiMaggio or won if one writer who had voted Williams as second had voted him first.

1948

In , under their new manager Joe McCarthy, Williams hit a league-leading .369 with 25 home runs and 127 RBIs, and was third in MVP voting. On April 29, Williams hit his 200th career home run. He became just the second player to hit 200 home runs in a Red Sox uniform, joining his former teammate Jimmie Foxx. On October 2, against the Yankees, Williams hit his 222nd career home run, tying Foxx for the Red Sox all-time record. In the Red Sox final two games against the Yankees to force a one-game playoff against the Cleveland Indians, Williams got on base eight times out of ten plate appearances. In the playoff, Williams went 1-for-4, with the Red Sox losing 8–3 due to McCarthy's decision to start Denny Galehouse over southpaw Mel Parnell.

1949

In , Williams got a new salary of $100,000. On April 28, Williams hit his 223rd career home run, breaking the record for most home runs in a Red Sox uniform, passing Jimmie Foxx. Williams is still the Red Sox career home leader. However, despite being ahead of the Yankees by one game right before the series, the Red Sox lost both games they had to play against the Yankees. The Yankees won the first of what would be five straight World Series titles in 1949. For the rest of Williams' career, the Yankees won eight pennants and five World Series titles, while the Red Sox never finished better than third place.

1950

In , Williams was playing in his eighth All-Star Game. In the first inning, Williams caught a line drive by Ralph Kiner, slamming into the Comiskey Park scoreboard and breaking his left arm. Williams played the rest of the game, and he even singled in a run to give the American League the lead in the eighth inning, but by that time Williams' arm was a "balloon" and he was in great pain, so he left the game. Both of the doctors who X-rayed Williams held little hope for a full recovery. The doctors operated on Williams for two hours. When Williams took his cast off, he could only extend the arm to within four inches of his right arm. Williams only played 89 games in 1950. After the baseball season, Williams's elbow hurt so much he considered retirement, since he thought he would never be able to hit again. Tom Yawkey, the Red Sox owner, then sent Jack Fadden to Williams's Florida home to talk to Williams. Williams later thanked Fadden for saving his career.

1951

In , Williams "struggled" to hit .318, with his elbow still hurting. Williams also played in 148 games, sixty more than Williams had played the previous season, 30 home runs, two more than he had hit in 1950, and 126 RBIs, twenty-nine more than 1950. Despite his lower-than-usual production at bat, Williams made the All-Star team. On May 15, 1951, Williams became the 11th player in major league history to hit 300 career home runs. On May 21, Williams passed Chuck Klein for 10th place, on May 25 Williams passed Rogers Hornsby for 9th place, and on July 5 Williams passed Al Simmons for 8th place all-time in career home runs. After the season, manager Steve O'Neill was fired, with Lou Boudreau replacing him. Boudreau's first announcement as manager was that all Red Sox players were "expendable", including Williams.

1952 - 55

Williams name was called from a list of inactive reserves to serve in the Korean War on January 9, 1952. Williams, who was livid at his recalling, had a physical scheduled for April 2. Williams passed his physical, and was named a Captain in the Marine Corps after only playing in six games. Right before leaving for Korea, the Red Sox had a "Ted Williams Day" in Fenway Park. Friends of Williams gave him a Cadillac, and the Red Sox gave Williams a memory book that was signed by 400,000 fans. The Governor of Massachusetts and Mayor of Boston were there, along with a Korean veteran in a wheelchair. At the end of the ceremony, everyone in the park held hands and sang "Auld Lang Syne" to Williams, to which he later said that the moment "moved me quite a bit". The Red Sox went on to win 5-3 thanks to a two-run home run by Williams in the seventh inning. Williams, after returning from the Korean War in August , practiced with the Red Sox for ten days before playing in his first game back, garnering a large ovation from the crowd and hitting a home run in the eighth inning. In the season, Williams ended up hitting .407 with 13 home runs and 34 RBIs in 37 games and 110 at bats. On September 6, Williams hit his 332nd career home run, passing Hank Greenberg for seventh all-time.

On the first day of spring training in , Williams broke his collarbone running after a line drive. Williams was out for six weeks, and in April he wrote an article with Joe Reichler of the ''Saturday Evening Post'' saying that he intended to retire at the end of the season. Williams returned to the Red Sox lineup on May 7, and he hit .345 with 386 at bats in 117 games, although Bobby Avila, who had hit .341, won the batting championship. This was because it was required then that a batter needed 400 at bats, despite Lou Boudreau's attempt to bat Williams second in the lineup to get more at-bats. On August 25, Williams passed Johnny Mize for sixth place, and on September 3rd, Williams passed Joe DiMaggio for fifth all-time in career home runs with his 362nd career home run. He finished the season with 366 career home runs. On September 26, Williams "retired" after the Red Sox's final game of the season.

During the off-season of 1954, Williams was offered the chance to be manager of the Red Sox. Williams declined, and he suggested that Pinky Higgins, who had previously played on the 1946 Red Sox team as the third baseman, become the manager of the team. Higgins later was hired as the Red Sox manager in 1955. Williams sat out the first month of the season due to a divorce settlement with his wife, Doris. When Williams returned, he signed a $98,000 contract on May 13. On his first game back, Williams hit a home run, and he batted .356 in 320 at bats on the season, lacking enough at bats to win the batting title over Al Kaline, who batted .340 in 1955, while hitting 28 home runs and driving in 83 runs, while being named the "Comeback Player of the Year".

1956 – 60

On July 17, , Williams became the fifth player ever to hit 400 home runs, following Mel Ott in 1941, Jimmie Foxx in 1938, Lou Gehrig in 1936, and Babe Ruth in 1927. On August 7, , after Williams was booed for dropping a fly ball from Mickey Mantle, Williams spat at one of the fans that was taunting him on the top of the dugout. Williams was fined $5,000 for the incident. The next day against Baltimore, Williams was greeted by a large ovation, and received an even larger ovation when he hit a home run in the sixth inning to break a 2 - 2 tie. In ''The Boston Globe'', the publishers ran a "What Globe Readers Say About Ted" section made out of letters about Williams, which were either the sportswriters or the "loud mouths" in the stands. Williams explained years later, "From '56 on, I realized that people were for me. The writers had written that the fans should show me they didn't want me, and I got the biggest ovation yet". Williams lost the batting title to Mickey Mantle in 1956, batting .345 to Mantle's .353, with Mantle on his way to winning the Triple Crown.

In , Williams batted .388 to lead the Major Leagues, and remarkably at the age of 40 in 1958, he led the American League with a .328 batting average.

When Pumpsie Green became the first black player on the Boston Red Sox in 1959 — the last major league team to integrate its team — Williams openly welcomed Green.

Williams ended his career dramatically, hitting a home run in his very last at-bat on September 28, . The classic John Updike essay "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu" chronicles this event and is often mentioned among the greatest pieces of sports writing in American journalism.

Williams is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades.

Playing style

Williams was an obsessive student of hitting. He famously used a lighter bat than most sluggers, because it generated a faster swing. David Halberstam's ''Summer of '49'' recalls him warning teammates not to leave their bats on the ground as they would absorb moisture and become heavier. His biographer Leigh Montville relates the often told story that Hillerich & Bradsby presented Williams with four bats weighing 34 ounces and one weighing 33 1/2 ounces, and challenged him to identify the lighter bat, which he was consistently able to do. His devotion allowed him to hit for power and average while maintaining extraordinary plate discipline. In 1970 he wrote a book on the subject, ''The Science of Hitting'' (revised 1986), which is still read by many baseball players. Williams was known to discuss hitting with active players enthusiastically until very late in his life. A conversation with Tony Gwynn was filmed for television.

Williams nearly always took the first pitch, reasoning that the ability to gauge the pitcher's "stuff" was worth conceding a first strike. He was occasionally criticized for refusing to swing at a borderline pitch to put a ball in play when it might have helped advance a runner or score a run (a recurring theme among sportswriter critics was that "Ted plays for himself."). Yet, Williams argued persuasively about the great advantage that accrues to pitchers when hitters swing at a pitch even one baseball width outside the strike zone. In a graphic from 1968 that accompanied an article in ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine, Williams divided the strike zone into 77 baseballs, with each baseball containing his projected batting average for pitches thrown in that location.

Williams was frequently critical of pitchers and their refusal to bring the related kind of strategic thinking to their pitch selection that he brought to hitting. However, he did show great respect for Red Sox pitcher Bill "Spaceman" Lee, crediting him with that kind of mindset.

Williams lacked foot speed, as attested by his 19-year career total of only one inside-the-park home run, one occasion of hitting for the cycle, and just 24 stolen bases. (Interestingly, despite his slowness on the basepaths, he is one of only four players in history - along with the noted speedsters Tim Raines, Rickey Henderson, and Omar Vizquel - to have stolen a base in four different decades.) Williams always felt that had he had more speed, he could have raised his average considerably and helped him hit .400 in at least one more season. Williams was sometime considered to be an indifferent outfielder with a good throwing arm. He often spent time in left field practicing "shadow swings" for his next at-bat. Williams occasionally expressed regret that he had not worked harder on his defense. However, Williams did become an expert at playing the rebounds of batted balls off of the left-field wall and fences in Fenway Park. Later on, he helped pass this expertise to the left-fielder Carl Yastrzemski of the Red Sox.

Military service

Name	Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams
Birth date	August 30, 1918
Death date	July 5, 2002
Placeofburial	Scottsdale, Arizona
Placeofburial label	Place of burial
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch	United States NavyUnited States Marine Corps
Serviceyears	1942-1946, 1952-53
Rank	Captain
Battles	World War IIKorean War
Laterwork	Baseball player }}

Ted Williams service to his country.

World War II

Williams served as a naval aviator (a U.S. Marine Corps pilot) during World War II and the Korean War. He had been classified 3-A by Selective Service prior to the war, a dependency deferment because he was his mother's sole means of financial support. When his classification was changed to (1-A) following the American entry into World War II, Williams appealed to his local draft board. The draft board rule that his draft status should not have been changed. He made a public statement that once he had built up his mother's trust fund, he intended to enlist. Even so, criticism in the media, including withdrawal of an endorsement contract by Quaker Oats, resulted in his enlistment in the Marine Corps on May 22, 1942.

Williams could have received an easy assignment and played baseball for the Navy or the Marine Corps. Instead, he decided to defend his country and he joined the V-5 program to become a Naval aviator. Williams was first sent to the Navy's Preliminary Ground School at Amherst College for six months of academic instruction in various subjects including math and navigation, where he achieved a 3.85 grade point average.

Williams's Red Sox teammate, Johnny Pesky, who went into the same aviation training program, said this about Williams: "He mastered intricate problems in fifteen minutes which took the average cadet an hour, and half of the other cadets there were college grads."

Pesky again described Williams's acumen in the advance training for which Pesky personally did not qualify: "I heard Ted literally tore the sleeve target to shreds with his angle dives. He'd shoot from wingovers, zooms, and barrel rolls, and after a few passes the sleeve was ribbons. At any rate, I know he broke the all-time record for hits." Ted went to Jacksonville for a course in aerial gunnery, the combat pilot's payoff test, and broke all the records in reflexes, coordination, and visual-reaction time. "From what I heard. Ted could make a plane and its six 'pianos' (machine guns) play like a symphony orchestra," Pesky says. "From what they said, his reflexes, coordination, and visual reaction made him a built-in part of the machine."

Williams completed pre-flight training in Athens, Georgia, his primary training at NAS Bunker Hill, Indiana, and his advanced flight training at NAS Pensacola. He received his pilot's wings and his commission in the U.S. Marine Corps on May 2, 1944.

Williams served as a flight instructor at the Naval Air Station Pensacola teaching young pilots to fly the complicated F4U Corsair fighter plane. Williams was in Pearl Harbor awaiting orders to join the Fleet in the Western Pacific when the War in the Pacific ended. He finished the war in Hawaii, and then he was released from active duty on January 12, 1946, but he did remain in the Marine Forces Reserves.

Korean War

On May 1, 1952, at the age of 34, Williams was recalled to active duty for service in the Korean War. He had not flown any aircraft for about eight years but he turned down all offers to sit out the war in comfort as a member of a service baseball team. Nevertheless, Williams was somewhat resentful of being called up, which he admitted years later, particularly regarding the Navy's odd policy of calling up Inactive Reservists rather than members of the Active Reserve.

After eight weeks of refresher flight training and qualification in the F9F Panther jet fighter at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Williams was assigned to VMF-311, Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33), based at the K-3 airfield in Pohang, South Korea.

On February 16, 1953, Williams was part of a 35-plane air raid against a tank and infantry training school just south of Pyongyang, North Korea. During the mission a piece of flak knocked out his hydraulics and electrical systems, causing Williams to have to "limp" his plane back to K-13, a U.S. Air Force airfield close to the front lines. For his actions of this day he was awarded the Air Medal.

Williams stayed on K-13 for several days while his plane was being repaired. Because he was so popular, GIs and airmen from all around the base came to see him and his plane. After it was repaired, Williams flew his plane back to his Marine Corps airfield.

In Korea, Williams flew 39 combat missions before being being withdrawn from flight status in June 1953 after a hospitalization for pneumonia. This resulted in the discovery of an inner ear infection that disqualified him from flight status. During the Korean War, Williams also served in the same Marine Corps unit with John Glenn, and in the last half of his missions, Williams was flying as Glenn's wingman.

While these absences in the Marine Corps, which took almost five years out of the heart of a great baseball career, significantly limited his career totals, he never publicly complained about the time devoted to service in the Marine Corps. His biographer Leigh Montville argued that Williams was not happy about being pressed into service in South Korea, but he did what he thought was his patriotic duty.

Williams had a strong respect for General Douglas MacArthur, referring to him as his "idol". For Williams' fortieth birthday, MacArthur sent him an oil painting of himself with the inscription "To Ted Williams - not only America's greatest baseball player, but a great American who served his country. Your friend, Douglas MacArthur. General U.S. Army."

Relationship with Boston media and fans

Ted Williams was on uncomfortable terms with the Boston newspapers for nearly twenty years, as he felt they liked to discuss his personal life as much as his baseball performance. He maintained a career-long feud with ''SPORT'' magazine due to a 1948 feature article in which the ''SPORT'' reporter included a quote from Williams' mother. Insecure about his upbringing, and stubborn because of immense confidence in his own talent, Williams made up his mind that the "knights of the typewriter" were against him. Some seemingly were. After having hit for the league's Triple Crown in 1947, Williams narrowly lost the MVP award in a vote where one midwestern newspaper writer left Williams entirely off his ten-player ballot.

He treated most of the press accordingly, as he described in his memoir, ''My Turn at Bat.'' Williams also had an uneasy relationship with the Boston fans, though he could be very cordial one-on-one. He felt at times a good deal of gratitude for their passion and their knowledge of the game. On the other hand, Williams was temperamental, high-strung, and at times tactless. In his biography, Ronald Reis relates how Williams committed two fielding miscues in a doubleheader in 1950 and was roundly booed by Boston fans. He bowed three times to various sections of Fenway Park and made an obscene gesture. When he came to bat he spit in the direction of fans near the dugout. The incident caused an avalanche of negative media reaction, and inspired sportswriter Austen Lake's famous comment that when Williams name was announced the sound was like "autumn wind moaning through an apple orchard."

Another incident occurred in 1958 in a game against the Washington Senators. Williams struck out, and as he stepped from the batters box swung his bat violently in anger. The bat slipped from his hands, was launched into the stands and struck a 60 year-old woman — one who turned out to be the housekeeper of the Red Sox general manager Joe Cronin. While the incident was an accident and Williams apologized to the woman personally, to all appearances it seemed at the time that Williams had hurled the bat in a fit of temper.

One of the paradoxes of Williams life is that he gave generously to those in need. He was especially linked with the Jimmy Fund of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which provides support for children's cancer research and treatment. Williams used his celebrity to virtually launch the fund, which has raised more that $750 million between 1948 and 2010. Throughout his career, Williams made countless bedside visits to children being treated for cancer, which Williams insisted on going unreported. Often, parents of sick children would learn at check-out time that "Mr. Williams has taken care of your bill." The Fund recently stated that, "Williams would travel everywhere and anywhere, no strings or paychecks attached, to support the cause . . . . His name is synonymous with our battle against all forms of cancer."

Williams demanded loyalty from those around him. He could not forgive the fickle nature of the fans — booing a player for booting a ground ball, then turning around and roaring approval of the same player for hitting a home run. Despite the cheers and adulation of most of his fans, the occasional boos directed at him in Fenway Park led Williams to stop tipping his cap in acknowledgement after a home run.

Williams maintained this policy up to and including his swan song in 1960. After hitting a home run in his last career at-bat in Fenway Park, Williams characteristically refused either to tip his cap as he circled the bases or to respond to prolonged cheers of "We want Ted!" from the crowd by making an appearance from the dugout. The Boston manager Pinky Higgins sent Williams to his fielding position in left field to start the ninth inning, but then immediately recalled him for his back-up Carroll Hardy, thus allowing Williams to receive one last ovation as he jogged on and off the field. But he did so without reacting to the crowd. Williams's aloof attitude led the writer John Updike to wryly observe that "Gods do not answer letters."

Williams's final home run did not take place during the final game of the 1960 season, but rather in the Red Sox's last home game that year. The Red Sox played three more games, but they were on the road in New York City and Williams did not appear in any of them, as it became clear that Williams's final home at-bat would be the last one of his career.

In 1991 on Ted Williams Day at Fenway Park, Williams pulled a Red Sox cap from out of his jacket and tipped it to the crowd. This was the first time that he had done so since his earliest days as a player.

A Red Smith profile from 1956 describes one Boston writer trying to convince Ted Williams that first cheering and then booing a ballplayer was no different from a moviegoer applauding a "western" movie actor one day and saying the next "He stinks! Whatever gave me the idea he could act?" But Williams rejected this; when he liked a western actor like Hoot Gibson, he liked him in every picture, and would not think of booing him.

He once had a friendship with Ty Cobb, with whom he often had discussions about baseball. He often touted Rogers Hornsby as being the greatest right-handed hitter of all time. This assertion actually led to a split in the relationship between Ty Cobb and Ted Williams. Once during one of their yearly debate sessions on the greatest hitters of all-time Williams asserted that Hornsby was one of the greatest of all-time. Cobb apparently had strong feelings about Rogers and he threw a fit, expelling Williams from his hotel room. Their friendship effectively terminated after this altercation.

Hall of Fame induction speech

In his induction speech in 1966, Williams included a statement calling for the recognition of the great Negro Leagues players: "I've been a very lucky guy to have worn a baseball uniform, and I hope some day the names of Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson in some way can be added as a symbol of the great Negro players who are not here only because they weren't given a chance." (Montville, p. 262).

Williams was referring to two of the most famous names in the Negro Leagues, who were not given the opportunity to play in the Major Leagues before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. Gibson died early in 1947 and thus never played in the majors; and Paige's brief major league stint came long past his prime as a player. This powerful and unprecedented statement from the Hall of Fame podium was "a first crack in the door that ultimately would open and include Paige and Gibson and other Negro League stars in the shrine." (Montville, p. 262) Paige was the first inducted, in 1971. Gibson and others followed, starting in 1972 and continuing off and on into the 21st Century.

In 1954, Williams was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.

Career ranking

At the time of his retirement, Williams ranked third all-time in home runs (behind Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx), seventh in RBIs (after Ruth, Cap Anson, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Foxx, and Mel Ott; Stan Musial passed Williams in 1962), and seventh in batting average (behind Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Lefty O'Doul, Ed Delahanty and Tris Speaker). His career batting average is the highest of any player who played his entire career in the live-ball era following 1920.

Williams was also second to Ruth in career slugging percentage, where he remains today, and first in on-base percentage. He was also second to Ruth in career walks, but has since dropped to fourth place behind Barry Bonds and Rickey Henderson. Williams remains the career leader in walks per plate appearance.

Most modern statistical analyses place Williams, along with Ruth and Bonds, among the three most potent hitters to have played the game. Williams's baseball season of 1941 is often considered favorably with the greatest seasons of Ruth and Bonds in terms of various offensive statistical measures such as slugging, on-base and "offensive winning percentage." As a further indication, of the ten best seasons for ''OPS'', short for ''On-Base Plus Slugging Percentage'', a popular modern measure of offensive productivity, four each were achieved by Ruth and Bonds, and two by Williams.

Although Williams' career did not overlap with that of Ruth or Bonds, a direct comparison with another great hitter, Hank Aaron, is possible. From 1955 to 1960, Williams maintained an average OPS of 1.092, as compared with .950 for Aaron. Williams' age (37-42) was well past the prime of most hitters, but he still managed to hit .388 at the age of 39. Although Aaron (age 21 - 26) recorded only one of his five best seasons, their averages are not too far from the career averages of the two baseball players.

In 1999, Williams was ranked as number eight on ''The Sporting News''' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, where he was the highest-ranking left fielder.

Family life

On May 4, 1944, Williams married Doris Soule, daughter of his hunting guide. Their daughter, Barbara Joyce ("Bobbi Jo"), was born on January 28, 1948, while Williams was fishing in Florida. They divorced in 1954. Williams married the socialite model Lee Howard on September 10, 1961, but they divorced in 1967.

Williams married Dolores Wettach, a former Miss Vermont and ''Vogue'' model, in 1968. Their son John-Henry was followed by daughter Claudia (born October 8, 1971). They were divorced in 1972.

Williams lived with Louise Kaufman for twenty years until her death in 1993. In his book, Cramer called her the love of Williams's life. After his death, her sons filed suit to recover her furniture from Williams's condominium as well as a half-interest in the condominium they claimed he gave her.

Both John-Henry and Williams's brother Danny died of leukemia.

Retirement

After retirement from play, Williams helped new left fielder Carl Yastrzemski in hitting. He then served as manager of the Washington Senators, from 1969–1971, then continued with the team when they became the Texas Rangers after the 1971 season. Williams's best season as a manager was 1969 when he led the expansion Senators to an 86–76 record in the team's only winning season in Washington. He was chosen "Manager of the Year" after that season. Like many great players, Williams became impatient with ordinary athletes' abilities and attitudes, particularly those of pitchers, whom he admitted he never respected. He occasionally appeared at Red Sox spring training as a guest hitting instructor. Williams would also go into a partnership with friend Al Cassidy to form the Ted Williams Baseball Camp in Lakeville, Massachusetts. It was not uncommon to find Williams fishing in the pond at the camp. The area now is owned by the town and a few of the buildings still stand. In the main lodge one can still see memorabilia from Williams' playing days.

On the subject of pitchers, in Ted's autobiography written with John Underwood, Ted opines regarding Bob Lemon (a sinker-ball specialist) pitching for Cleveland Indians around 1951: "I have to rate Lemon as one of the very best pitchers I ever faced. His ball was always moving, hard, sinking, fast-breaking. You could never really uhmmmph with Lemon."

Willims was much more successful in fishing. An avid and expert fly fisherman and deep-sea fisherman, he spent many summers after baseball fishing the Miramichi River, in Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada. Williams was named to the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame in 2000. Thus, he is the only athlete to be inducted into the Halls of Fame of two different sports. Shortly after Williams's death, conservative pundit Steve Sailer wrote:

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Williams reached an extensive deal with Sears, lending his name and talent toward marketing, developing, and endorsing a line of in-house sports equipment - specifically fishing, hunting, and baseball equipment. Williams continued his involvement in the Jimmy Fund, later losing a brother to leukemia, and spending much of his spare time, effort, and money in support of the cancer organization.

In his later years, Williams became a fixture at autograph shows and card shows after his son (by his third wife), John Henry Williams, took control of his career, becoming his de facto manager. The younger Williams provided structure to his father's business affairs, exposed forgeries that were flooding the memorabilia market, and rationed his father's public appearances and memorabilia signings to maximize their earnings.

On November 18, 1991, Ted Williams was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H. W. Bush.

One of Ted Williams's final, and most memorable, public appearances was at the 1999 All-Star Game in Boston. Able to walk only a short distance, Williams was brought to the pitcher's mound in a golf cart. He proudly waved his cap to the crowd — a gesture he had never done as a player. Fans responded with a standing ovation that lasted several minutes. At the pitcher's mound he was surrounded by players from both teams, including fellow Red Sox player Nomar Garciaparra. Later in the year, he was among the members of the Major League Baseball All-Century Team introduced to the crowd at Turner Field in Atlanta prior to Game two of the World Series.

The Ted Williams Tunnel in Boston (December 1995), and Ted Williams Parkway in San Diego County (1992) were named in his honor while he was still alive.

Death

In his last years, Williams suffered from cardiomyopathy. He had a pacemaker implanted in November 2000 and he underwent open-heart surgery in January 2001. After suffering a series of strokes and congestive heart failure, he died of cardiac arrest at the age of 83 in Citrus Hills, Florida, on July 5, 2002.

Though his will stated his desire to be cremated and his ashes scattered in the Florida Keys, John-Henry and Claudia chose to have his remains frozen cryonically.

Ted's eldest daughter, Bobby-Jo Ferrell, brought suit to have her father's wishes recognized. John-Henry's lawyer then produced an informal "family pact" signed by Ted, John-Henry, and Ted's daughter Claudia, in which they agreed "to be put into biostasis after we die" to "be able to be together in the future, even if it is only a chance." Bobby-Jo and her attorney, Richard S. "Spike" Fitzpatrick (former attorney of Ted Williams), contended that the family pact, which was scribbled on an ink-stained napkin, was forged by John-Henry and/or Claudia. Fitzpatrick and Ferrell believed that the signature was not obtained legally. Laboratory analysis proved that the signature was genuine. John-Henry said that his father was a believer in science and was willing to try cryonics if it held the possibility of reuniting the family.

Though the family pact upset some friends, family and fans, a public plea for financial support of the lawsuit by Ferrell produced little result. Citing financial difficulties, Ferrell dropped her lawsuit in exchange that a $645,000 trust fund left by Williams would immediately pay the sum out equally to the three children. Inquiries to cryonics organizations increased after the publicity from the case.

In ''Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero'', author Leigh Montville claims that the family cryonics pact was a practice Ted Williams autograph on a plain piece of paper, around which the agreement had later been hand written. The pact document was signed "''Ted Williams''", the same as his autographs, whereas he would always sign his legal documents "''Theodore Williams''", according to Montville. However, Claudia testified to the authenticity of the document in a sworn affidavit. Ted's two 24-hour private caregivers who were with him the entire period the note was said to have been created also stated in sworn affidavits that John-Henry and Claudia were never present at any time for that note to be produced.

Following John-Henry's unexpected illness and death from acute myelogenous leukemia on March 6, 2004, John-Henry's body was also transported to Alcor, in fulfillment of the family agreement.

According to the book "Frozen", co-authored by Larry Johnson (who is a former executive from Alcor), Williams' head was damaged by a worker when Alcor employees were handling the head. Although Johnson didn't work at Alcor when Ted was initially preserved, he claimed witness of the handling of the frozen head during a transfer to its final container (though numerous other Alcor employees refute this claim).

The Tampa Bay Rays home field, Tropicana Field, has installed the Ted Williams Museum (formerly in Hernando, Florida) behind the right field fence. From the Tampa Bay Rays website: "The Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame brings a special element to the Tropicana Field. Fans can view an array of different artifacts and pictures of the 'Greatest hitter that ever lived.' These memorable displays range from Ted Williams' days in the military through his professional playing career. This museum is dedicated to some of the greatest players to ever 'lace 'em up,' including Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris."

Career batting statistics

! Career	! G	At bat>AB	Run (baseball)>R	Hit (baseball)>H	Double (baseball)>2B	Triple (baseball)>3B	Home run>HR	Grand slam (baseball)>GS	Run batted in>RBI	Stolen bases>SB	Caught Stealing>CS	Base on balls>BB	Intentional walk>IBB	Strikeout>SO	Sacrifice hit>SH	Sacrifice fly>SF	Hit by pitch>HBP	! GIDP	Batting average>AVG	On base percentage>OBP	Slugging percentage>SLG	On-base plus slugging>OPS	OPS+#Adjusted OPS .28OPS.2B.29>OPS+
19 Years	2,292	7,706	1,798	2,654	525	71	521	17	1,839	24	17	2,021	86	709	5	20	39	197	.344	.482	.634	1.116	190

See also

Red Sox Hall of Fame

List of Major League Baseball Home Run Records

500 home run club

DHL Hometown Heroes

List of MLB individual streaks

List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters

List of major league players with 2,000 hits

List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs

Hitting for the cycle

Triple Crown

List of Major League Baseball RBI champions

List of Major League Baseball batting champions

List of Major League Baseball home run champions

List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions

List of Major League Baseball doubles champions

Major League Baseball titles leaders

Notes

References

George Bush Presidential Library & Museum

Further reading

Baldasarro, Lawrence (ed.). ''The Ted Williams Reader''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991. ISBN 0-671-73536-5.

Halberstam, David. ''The Teammates''. New York: Hyperion, 2003. ISBN 1-4013-0057-X.

Updike, John. ''Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu: John Updike on Ted Williams''. New York: Library of America, 2010. ISBN 978-1-59853-071-1

Williams, Ted, and John Underwood. ''Ted Williams' Fishing the Big Three: Tarpon, Bonefish, Atlantic Salmon''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1982. ISBN 0-671-24400-0.

Williams, Ted, and David Pietrusza. ''Ted Williams: My Life in Pictures'' (also published as ''Teddy Ballgame''). Kingston, N.Y.: Total/Sports Illustrated, 2002. ISBN 1-930844-07-7.

Williams, Ted, and Jim Prime. ''Ted Williams' Hit List: The Best of the Best Ranks the Best of the Rest''. Indianapolis: Masters Press, 1996. ISBN 1-57028-078-9.

Cramer, Richard Ben. ''What Do You Think Of Ted Williams Now? - A Remembrance''. Simon & Schuster, 2002. ISBN 0-7432-4648-9.

Cramer, Richard Ben. ''What do you think of Ted Williams now?''. Esquire, June 1986.

External links

Baseball Library

Ted Williams: A life remembered - article at ''Boston Globe''

Ted Williams Tribute - article at ''Sports Illustrated''

Videos of Ted Williams Cryonics Debate

Ted Williams Museum

Photo of Ted Williams with Joe and Dom DiMaggio

Ted Williams: Hitter - slideshow by ''Life magazine''

Retrieved on 2008-07-11

Category:500 home run club Category:American League Most Valuable Player Award winners Category:American League All-Stars Category:American League batting champions Category:American League home run champions Category:American League RBI champions Category:American League Triple Crown winners Category:American military personnel of the Korean War Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:Cardiovascular disease deaths in Florida Category:Cryonically preserved people Category:Major League Baseball left fielders Category:Baseball players from California Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Category:American baseball players of Mexican descent Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Category:People from Boston, Massachusetts Category:People from San Diego, California Category:Recipients of the Air Medal Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Category:San Diego Padres (minor league) players Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Russian descent Category:Texas Rangers managers Category:United States Marine Corps pilots of World War II Category:United States Marine Corps officers Category:Washington Senators (1961–1971) managers Category:American people of Welsh descent Category:American people of Mexican descent Category:1918 births Category:2002 deaths Category:American people of Basque descent Category:American people of Spanish descent

cs:Ted Williams da:Ted Williams de:Ted Williams es:Ted Williams fr:Ted Williams ko:테드 윌리엄스 he:טד ויליאמס lv:Teds Viljamss ja:テッド・ウィリアムズ pl:Ted Williams sq:Ted Williams fi:Ted Williams sv:Ted Williams zh:泰德·威廉斯

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
Width	200
Position	Forward
Number	33
Height ft	6 |height_in9
Weight lbs	220
Birth date	December 07, 1956
Birth place	West Baden, Indiana
Career start	1979
Career end	1992
Draft year	1978
Draft team	Boston Celtics
Draft round	1
Draft pick	6
College	Indiana State (1976–1979)
Years1	– |team1 Boston Celtics
Cyears1	– |cteam1 Indiana Pacers
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	21,791 (24.3 ppg)
Stat2label	Assists
Stat2value	5,695 (6.3 apg)
Stat3label	Rebounds
Stat3value	8,974 (10.0 rpg)
Letter	b
Bbr	birdla01
Highlights	3× NBA Champion (, , ) 3× NBA Most Valuable Player (–) 12× NBA All-Star (–, –) 2× NBA Finals MVP (, ) 9× All-NBA First Team (–) All-NBA Second Team () 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (–) NBA Rookie of the Year () NBA All-Rookie First Team () NBA All-Star Game MVP () 3× Three-point Shootout champion (–) NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team #33 retired by Boston Celtics NBA Coach of the Year () John R. Wooden Award (1979) Naismith College Player of the Year (1979) AP National Player of the Year (1979) Oscar Robertson Trophy (1979) Adolph Rupp Trophy (1979) NABC Player of the Year (1979)
Hof player	larry-j-bird }}

Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish and forward Kevin McHale. Due to chronic back problems, he retired as a player in 1992. Bird was voted to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. He served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. In 2003, he assumed the role of president of basketball operations for the Pacers, which he currently holds.

Early life

Larry Bird was born in West Baden, Indiana, the son of Georgia (née Kerns) and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird. He grew up in both West Baden and the adjacent town French Lick, which earned him the nickname "the Hick from French Lick" in his later basketball career. Financial troubles would plague the Bird family for most of Larry's childhood. Bird recalled how his mother would make do on the family's meager earnings: "If there was a payment to the bank due, and we needed shoes, she'd get the shoes, and then deal with them guys at the bank. I don't mean she wouldn't pay the bank, but the children always came first." According to Bird, his being poor as a child "motivates me to this day". He sometimes was sent to live with his grandmother due to the family's struggles. The Bird family's struggle with poverty was compounded by the alcoholism and personal difficulties of Joe Bird, who likely suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from serving in the Korean War. Joe and Georgia Bird divorced in 1975; Joe Bird committed suicide the same year.

In spite of his domestic woes, by the time he was a high school sophomore, Bird had become one of the better basketball players in French Lick. He started for French Lick/West Baden's high school team, Springs Valley High School, where he left as the school's all-time scoring leader. Bird's high school coach, Jim Jones, was a key factor to Bird's success. "Jonesie", as Bird called him, would come help Bird and his friends practice any day of the week. Bird would often go to the gym early, shoot between classes, and stay late into the evening. He quit both football and baseball to focus on basketball.

Collegiate career

Bird received a basketball scholarship to Indiana University in 1974. However, he was overwhelmed by the size of the campus and number of students and was not mentally ready for this stage of life; according to Bird, "it didn't take long to realize that I was out of my cocoon." Bird was also treated poorly by an established IU star, Kent Benson; as Bird recalled, the other upperclassmen of the team treated him well. He dropped out of Indiana after 24 days, disappointing his mother. Bird returned home to French Lick where he enrolled in the nearby Northwood Institute before dropping out and getting a job with the Street Department (the department picked up garbage, repaired roads, removed snow, mowed lawns, etc.) for a year. He played AAU basketball for Hancock Construction and, after that year, decided to enroll at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, where he was coached by Bob King.

King suffered a stroke prior to the 1978–79 season and assistant Bill Hodges, who had persuaded Bird to return to college basketball, was promoted to head coach. Before Bird, the Sycamores had never been to the Division I NCAA tournament; he led the team to the NCAA championship game in 1979, his senior season, only to lose to the Michigan State University Spartans, who were led by his future NBA rival, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The Sycamores finished the season 33–1. That year, Bird won the USBWA College Player of the Year, Naismith and Wooden Awards, given to the year's top male college basketball player. After his three seasons at Indiana State, he left as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. Bird finished his collegiate career with an average of 30.3 points per game. In 2007, he was voted as one of the Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball 50 greatest players.

NCAA career statistics

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 1976–77 | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana State | 28 || ... || 36.9 || .544 || ... || .840 || 13.3 || 4.4 || ... || ... || 32.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1977–78 | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana State | 32 || ... || ... || .524 || ... || .793 || 11.5 || 3.9 || ... || ... || 30.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1978–79 | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana State | 34 || ... || ... || .532 || ... || .831 || 14.9 || 5.5 || ... || ... || 28.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| ... | 94 || ... || 36.9 || .533 || ... || .822 || 13.3 || 4.6 || ... || ... || 30.3 |-

1979–1981: Immediate impact

The Boston Celtics selected the 6'9", 220-pound Bird 6th overall in the 1978 NBA Draft, even though they were uncertain whether he would enter the NBA or remain at Indiana State to play his senior season. Bird ultimately decided to play his final college season, but the Celtics retained their exclusive right to sign him until the 1979 NBA Draft, because of the NBA's "junior eligible" rule that existed at that time (allowing a collegiate player to be drafted when the player's original "entering" class was graduating and giving them one calendar year to sign them, even if they went back to college). Shortly before that deadline, Bird agreed to sign with the Celtics for a US $650,000 a year contract, making him at the time the highest-paid rookie in the history of the NBA. Shortly afterwards, the NBA draft eligibility rules were changed to prevent teams from drafting players before they were ready to sign. The rule is called the Bird Collegiate Rule.

Bird's impact on the Celtics was immediate. The Celtics were 29–53 during the 1978–79 season, but with Bird the team improved to 61–21 in the 1979–80 season, posting the league's best regular season record. Bird's collegiate rival, Magic Johnson, also had entered the NBA in 1979, joining the Los Angeles Lakers. In 1980, despite a strong rookie season from Johnson, Bird was named the league's Rookie of the Year and was voted onto the Eastern Conference All-Star team (an honor he would receive for each of his 12 full seasons in the NBA). For the 1980 season, Bird led the Celtics in scoring (21.3 points/game), rebounding (10.4 rebounds/game), steals (143), and minutes played (2,955) and was second in assists (4.5 assists/game) and three-pointers (58). Though Boston was beaten by the more athletic Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference finals that year, Bird's addition to the team had renewed the promise of Celtic glory.

Following Bird's first season, the Celtics acquired center Robert Parish and the 3rd pick in the 1980 NBA Draft via a trade with the Golden State Warriors (in exchange for the 1st and 13th picks in the draft). After the Warriors took Joe Barry Carroll with the 1st pick and the Utah Jazz chose Darrell Griffith second, the Celtics selected University of Minnesota power forward Kevin McHale. With Bird at small forward, the additions of Parish and McHale gave Boston one of the most formidable frontcourts in the history of the NBA. The three would anchor the Celtics throughout Bird's career.

In his second season, Bird led the Celtics into the playoffs, where they faced off for a second consecutive year with Julius Erving's Philadelphia 76ers. Bird helped the Celtics overcome a 3–1 deficit by winning the last 3 games by 2, 2, and 1 point margins, propelling them into the NBA Finals, where they defeated the Houston Rockets in six games with Bird averaging 15.3 points on .419 shooting, 15.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. It would be the first of three championships in Bird's career, as well as the first of his five Finals appearances.

1982–1987: MVPs, championships and the rivalry with Magic Johnson

The additions of Bird and Johnson rejuvenated the NBA, which had suffered from low attendance and minimal television interest through much of the 1970s. Immediately upon their entry into the league, the two players became repeating presences in the NBA Finals. Johnson's Lakers won the championship in 1980, Bird's Celtics captured the NBA title in 1981, and Johnson's Lakers wrested it back in 1982. Bird and Johnson first dueled in the 1979 NCAA title game; as professional basketball players, they would face off numerous times during the 1980s, including the NBA Finals of 1984, 1985 and 1987. Lakers versus Celtics, and specifically Bird versus Magic, quickly became one of the greatest rivalries in the history of basketball.

In 1984, the Celtics defeated the Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning game seven 111–102. Bird averaged 27.4 points on .484 shooting and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the award of Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Bird was also named the league regular season MVP for that year. In 1985, however, the Lakers avenged the loss, defeating the Celtics in game 6 of the Finals in the Boston Garden. In a losing effort against Los Angeles, Bird averaged 23.8 points on .449 shooting, 8.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. That year, the NBA again named Bird the league MVP.

On , in a game played between the Celtics and Atlanta Hawks at the University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana, Bird scored a career high 60 points in a tremendous shooting display. Bird scored all 19 of his points in the third quarter without the aid of a free throw; instead, he scored on jump shots from 20 feet and out. Bird scored Boston's last sixteen points in the game. In the fourth quarter, he made a fadeaway three-point shot while being fouled. He was not given continuation and the basket was not allowed (instead it was ruled a non-shooting foul and he received two free throws). Bird's 59th and 60th points were scored on a 17-foot jump shot at the buzzer. For the game, Bird officially shot 22 of 36 from the field, 1 of 4 from three-point range, and 15 of 16 from the free throw line.

Boston would have another great season the next year, with help from another Hall of Famer, Bill Walton. Walton, whose up and down career had been plagued by foot injuries, was looking for a team, and after having been turned down by the Lakers called Celtics president and general manager Red Auerbach in a last ditch effort to close out his career on an upswing. Because of Walton's reputation for being injury prone, Auerbach was initially unwilling to take a risk on him, but Bird, who happened to be in Auerbach's office at the time of Walton's call, urged him to sign Walton, saying that if Walton felt he was healthy enough to play, it was all Bird needed to hear.

With Walton backing up Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, the Celtics would return to the finals in 1986, albeit not against Johnson and the Lakers, who lost in the Western Conference Finals to the Houston Rockets. The 1986 Celtic team, which finished the regular season 67–15 and defeated the Rockets in six games, is generally considered to be the best of Bird's career. Bird again was named the Finals' MVP for that year, averaging 24 points on .482 shooting, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. He also won his third consecutive league MVP award, a feat matched only by the great Celtic center Bill Russell and the dominant Wilt Chamberlain, who played for Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

In 1987, the Celtics made their last Finals appearance of Bird's career, fighting through difficult series against the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons but as they reached the NBA Finals, the Celtics, hampered by devastating injuries, lost to a dominant Lakers team which had won 65 games during the season. The Celtics ended up losing to the Lakers in six games, with Bird averaging 24.2 points on .445 shooting, 10 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in the championship series. The Celtics would fall short in 1988 losing to the Pistons in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals as the Pistons made up from the heartbreak the previous season. Between them, Bird and Johnson captured eight NBA championships during the 1980s, with Magic getting five and Bird three. During the 1980s, either Boston or Los Angeles appeared in every NBA Finals.

Throughout the 1980s, contests between the Celtics and the Lakers—both during the regular season and in the Finals—attracted enormous television audiences. The first regular season game between the Celtics and the Lakers in the 1987–88 season proved to be a classic with Magic Johnson banking in an off balance shot from near the 3-point line at the buzzer for a 115–114 Lakers win at Boston Garden. The historical rift between the teams, which faced each other several times in championship series of the 1960s, fueled fan interest in the rivalry. Not since Bill Russell squared off against Wilt Chamberlain had professional basketball enjoyed such a marquee matchup. The apparent contrast between the two players and their respective teams seemed scripted for television: Bird, the introverted small-town hero with the blue-collar work ethic, fitted perfectly with the throwback, hard-nosed style of the Celtics, while the stylish, gregarious Johnson ran the Lakers' fast-paced "Showtime" offense amidst the bright lights and celebrities of Los Angeles. A 1986 Converse commercial for its "Weapon" line of basketball shoes (endorsed by both Bird and Johnson) reflected the perceived dichotomy between the two players. In the commercial, Bird is practicing alone on a rural basketball court when Johnson pulls up in a sleek limousine and challenges him to a one-on-one match.

Despite the intensity of their rivalry, Bird and Johnson became friends off the court. Their friendship blossomed when the two players worked together to film the 1986 Converse commercial, which depicted them as archenemies. Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony on February 4, 1993 and emotionally described Bird as a "friend forever."

1988–1992: The twilight years

In 1988, Bird had the best statistical season of his career, but the Celtics failed to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in five years, losing to the Pistons in six games during the Eastern Conference Finals. Bird started the 1988–89 season with Boston, but ended his season after six games to have bone spurs surgically removed from both of his heels. He returned to the Celtics in 1989, but debilitating back problems and an aging Celtic roster prevented him from regaining his mid-1980s form. Nonetheless, through the final years of his career, Bird maintained his status as one of the premier players in the game. He averaged over 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists a game in his last three seasons with the Celtics, and shot better than 45% from the field in each. Bird led the Celtics to playoff appearances in each of those three seasons.

Bird's body, however, continued to break down. He had been bothered by back problems for years, and his back became progressively worse. After leading the Celtics to a 29–5 start to the 1990–91 season, he missed 22 games due to a compressed nerve root in his back, a condition that would eventually lead to his retirement. He had off-season surgery to remove a disc from his back, but his back problems continued and he missed 37 games during the 1991–92 season. During the 1992 Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers Bird missed 4 of 7 games in the series due to his back problems.

}} In the summer of 1992, Bird joined Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and other NBA stars to play for the United States basketball team in that year's Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. It was the first time in America's Olympic history that the country sent professional basketball players to compete. The "Dream Team" won the men's basketball gold medal.

Following his Olympic experience, on August 18, 1992, Bird announced his retirement as an NBA player. He finished his career with averages of more than 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game, while shooting 49.6% from the field, 88.6% from the free throw line and 37.6% from three-point range. Following Bird's departure, the Celtics promptly retired his jersey number 33.

In 1989, Bird published his autobiography, ''Drive: The Story of My Life'' with Bob Ryan. The book chronicles his life and career up to the 1989 NBA season.

NBA career after retirement

The Celtics employed Bird as a special assistant in the team's front office from 1992 until 1997. In 1997, Bird accepted the position of coach of the Indiana Pacers and said he would be on the job for no more than 3 years. Despite having no previous coaching experience, Bird led the Pacers to a 58–24 record—the franchise's best as an NBA team at the time—in the 1997–98 season, and pushed the Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals. He was named the NBA Coach of the Year for his efforts, becoming the only person in NBA history to have won both the MVP and Coach of the Year awards. He then led the Pacers to two consecutive Central Division titles in 1999 and 2000, and a berth in the NBA finals in 2000.

Bird resigned as Pacers coach shortly after the end of the 2000 season, following through on his initial promise to coach for only 3 years. In 2003, he returned as the Pacers' President of Basketball Operations, where he oversees team personnel and coaching moves, as well as the team's draft selections. Bird promoted David Morway to general manager in 2008, but Bird still has the final say in basketball matters.

Head coaching record

|- | align="left" |IND | align="left" | |82||58||24||.707|| align="center" |2nd in Central||16||10||6||.625 | align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals |- | align="left" |IND | align="left" | |50||33||17||.660|| align="center" |1st in Central||13||9||4||.692 | align="center" |Lost in Conf. Finals |- | align="left" |IND | align="left" | |82||56||26||.683|| align="center" |1st in Central||23||13||10||.565 | align="center" |Lost in NBA Finals |-class="sortbottom" | align="left" |Career | ||214||147||67||.687|| ||52||32||20||.615

Legacy

}}

In 1999, Bird ranked #30 in ''ESPN's SportsCentury's 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century''.

For the 2008 NBA Finals, which featured a rematch of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, Bird appeared in a split-screen advertisement with Magic Johnson (as part of the "There Can Only Be One" campaign which had played throughout the 2008 NBA Playoffs but to that point only featured players from the two teams competing in a given series) discussing the meaning of rivalries.

Bird was widely considered one of Red Auerbach's favorite players. He considered Bird to be the greatest basketball player of all time. Auerbach was so enamored with the player that he drafted him out of Indiana State and waited a year before Bird was eligible to suit up for the Celtics. During his introductory press conference, after Auerbach's contentious negotiations with agent Bob Woolf, Bird announced he "would have played for free." This was after Woolf asked for the most lucrative contract in NBA history, to which Auerbach was quick to point out that Bird hadn't played a game in the NBA yet.

Player profile

Bird, a versatile wing man who played the power forward and small forward positions, is considered one of the greatest players of all time, to which his twelve All-Star team nominations are a testament. The sharpshooting Bird made his name stepping up his performance in critical situations, and is credited with a long list of dominating games, buzzer beaters and clutch defensive plays. He won two NBA Finals MVP and three regular-season MVP awards. He won them all in a row, a feat only shared by Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.

Bird possessed an uncanny and unparalleled ability to anticipate and react to the strategies of his opponents. His talent for recognizing the moves of opponents and teammates prompted his first coach with the Celtics, Bill Fitch, to nickname him "Kodak", because he seemed to formulate mental pictures of every play that took place on the court.

Bird scored 24.3 points per game in his career on a high .496 field goal average, a stellar .886 free throw average (9th best all-time) and a 37.6 percentage on 3-point shots. Bird was also a good rebounder (10.0 rebound career average) and an excellent playmaker (6.3 assist career average). His multidimensional game made him a consistent triple-double threat; Bird currently ranks fifth all-time in triple-doubles with 59, not including the 10 he recorded in the playoffs. Bird's lifetime player efficiency rating (PER) is 23.5, 18th all-time, a further testament to his all around game. Additionally, he is the only 20, 10, 5 player in NBA history (points, rebounds, assists per game) with a lifetime PRA rating (points + rebounds + assists per game) of 40.6, which is 8th all-time. Bird was the first player in NBA history to shoot 50% or better on field goals, 40% on 3-pointers, and 90% on free-throws in a single NBA season while achieving the league minimum for makes in each category. Bird accomplished this feat twice and is second only to Steve Nash for seasons in the 50-40-90 Club.

Bird is also remembered as an excellent defender. While he was neither fast nor quick-footed, and could not always shut down an individual player one-on-one, he consistently displayed a knack for anticipating the moves of his opponent, allowing him to intercept passes and create turnovers. His 1,556 career steals ranks 27th all-time. Unspectacular but effective defensive moves, such as jumping into a passing lane to make a steal or allowing his man to step past and drive to the hoop, then blocking the opponent's shot from behind, were staples of Bird's defensive game. In recognition of his defensive abilities, Bird was named to three All-Defensive Second Teams.

Bird's humble roots were the source of his most frequently used moniker, "The Hick From French Lick". Other observers called him "The Great White Hope". He has also acquired the nickname "Larry Legend".

Bird's competitive nature often emerged in nearly constant trash-talking on the court. Some notable examples follow:

During the three-point shooting contest on All-Star Weekend 1986, Bird entered the locker room, looked around without saying a word, then finally said, "I want all of you to know I am winning this thing. I'm just looking around to see who's gonna finish up second." He won the shooting contest.

During one game on Christmas Day against the Indiana Pacers, before the game Bird told Chuck Person that he had a Christmas present waiting for him. During the game, when Person was on the bench, Bird shot a three-pointer on the baseline right in front of Person. Immediately after releasing the ball, Bird said to Person, "Merry fucking Christmas!", and then the shot went in. This was no doubt inspired by Person (nicknamed the "Rifleman") stating prior to the game that "The Rifleman is Coming, and He's Going Bird Hunting."

Reggie Miller recalled his encounter with Larry Bird's legendary trash talking ability in his book "I Love Being The Enemy". Reggie tried to disrupt Larry's concentration when he was shooting free throws late in a game. Larry glared at him, made the first free throw and said, "You got to be kidding me. Rook, I'm the best shooter in the league right now. In the league. Understand? And you're up here trying to say something?" Then Larry buried the second free throw. Late in a tied game against the Seattle SuperSonics, Bird told Supersonics forward Xavier McDaniel, who was guarding him, “I’m going to get [the ball] right here and I am going to bury it in your face.” As McDaniel remembers it, he responded by saying, “I know, I’ll be waiting.” After a timeout, Bird made two baseline cuts, then posted in the exact spot he had indicated to McDaniel, paused, turned, and made it in his face. He finished up the sequence by telling McDaniel, “I didn’t mean to leave two seconds on the clock.” On November 9, 1984, Bird was ejected along with Julius Erving in the third quarter after an on court scuffle. At the point of both ejections, Bird had outscored Erving 42 to 6. During the game, Bird had continuously informed Erving of their tallies with every chance he got to score. Bird denies this stating that it was teammate "M.L. (Carr) talking trash from the bench" during that game. Eventually a shoving match ensued, then swings taken by both players, and finally a bench-clearing brawl.

NBA career statistics

	Led the league

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 82 || 82 || 36.0 || .474 || .406 || .836 || 10.4 || 4.5 || 1.7 || 0.6 || 21.3 |- | style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA"| † | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 82 || 82 || 39.5 || .478 || .270 || .863 || 10.9 || 5.5 || 2.0 || 0.8 || 21.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 77 || 58 || 38.0 || .503 || .212 || .863 || 10.9 || 5.8 || 1.9 || 0.9 || 22.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 79 || 79 || 37.7 || .504 || .286 || .840 || 11.0 || 5.8 || 1.9 || 0.9 || 23.6 |- | style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA"| † | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 79 || 77 || 38.3 || .492 || .247 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| .888 || 10.1 || 6.6 || 1.8 || 0.9 || 24.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 80 || 77 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| 39.5 || .522 || .427 || .882 || 10.5 || 6.6 || 1.6 || 1.2 || 28.7 |- | style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA"| † | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 82 || 81 || 38.0 || .496 || .423 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| .896 || 9.8 || 6.8 || 2.0 || 0.6 || 25.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 74 || 73 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| 40.6 || .525 || .400 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| .910 || 9.2 || 7.6 || 1.8 || 0.9 || 28.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 76 || 75 || 39.0 || .527 || .414 || .916 || 9.3 || 6.1 || 1.6 || 0.8 || 29.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 6 || 6 || 31.5 || .471 || ... || .947 || 6.2 || 4.8 || 1.0 || 0.8 || 19.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 75 || 75 || 39.3 || .473 || .333 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| .930 || 9.5 || 7.5 || 1.4 || 0.8 || 24.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 60 || 60 || 38.0 || .454 || .389 || .891 || 8.5 || 7.2 || 1.8 || 1.0 || 19.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 45 || 45 || 36.9 || .466 || .406 || .926 || 9.6 || 6.8 || 0.9 || 0.7 || 20.2 |-class=sortbottom | style="text-align:left;" colspan=2| Career | 897 || 870 || 38.4 || .496 || .376 || .886 || 10.0 || 6.3 || 1.7 || 0.8 || 24.3 |-

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 1980 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 9 || 9 || 41.3 || .469 || .267 || .880 || 11.2 || 4.7 || 1.6 || 0.9 || 21.3 |- | style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA"| 1981† | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 17 || 17 || 44.1 || .470 || .375 || .894 || 14.0 || 6.1 || 2.3 || 1.0 || 21.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1982 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 12 || 12 || 40.8 || .427 || .167 || .822 || 12.5 || 5.6 || 1.9 || 1.4 || 17.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1983 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 6 || 6 || 40.0 || .422 || .250 || .828 || 12.5 || 6.8 || 2.2 || 0.5 || 20.5 |- | style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA"| 1984† | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | bgcolor="CFECEC"| 23 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| 23 || 41.8 || .524 || .412 || .879 || 11.0 || 5.9 || 2.3 || 1.2 || 27.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1985 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 20 || 20 || 40.8 || .461 || .280 || .890 || 9.1 || 5.8 || 1.7 || 1.0 || 26.0 |- | style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA"| 1986† | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 18 || 18 || 42.8 || .517 || .411 || .927 || 9.3 || 8.2 || 2.1 || 0.6 || 25.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1987 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | bgcolor="CFECEC"| 23 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| 23 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| 44.1 || .476 || .341 || .912 || 10.0 || 7.2 || 1.2 || 0.8 || 27.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1988 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 17 || 17 || 44.9 || .450 || .375 || .894 || 8.8 || 6.8 || 2.1 || 0.8 || 24.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1990 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 5 || 5 || 41.4 || .444 || .263 || .906 || 9.2 || 8.8 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 24.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1991 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 10 || 10 || 39.6 || .408 || .143 || .863 || 7.2 || 6.5 || 1.3 || 0.3 || 17.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1992 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 4 || 2 || 26.8 || .500 || .000 || .750 || 4.5 || 5.3 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 11.3 |-class=sortbottom | style="text-align:left;" colspan=2| Career | 164 || 162 || 42.0 || .472 || .321 || .890 || 10.3 || 6.5 || 1.8 || 0.9 || 23.8 |-

Career highs

40 point games

Bird scored 40 or more points 47 times in the regular season.

! Points	! Opponent	! Home/Away	! Date	! Minutes played	Field goal (basketball)>FGM	! FGA	Three-point field goal>3PM	! 3PA	Free throw (basketball)>FTM	! FTA	Rebound (basketball)>Rebounds	Assist (basketball)>Assists	Steal (basketball)>Steals	Block (basketball)>Blocks
60	Atlanta Hawks	Neutral		43	22	36	1	4	15	16	7	3	0	0
53	Indiana Pacers	Home			21	30	0		11	11
50	Dallas Mavericks	Away		40	18	33	4	7	10	11	11	5	1	0
50	Atlanta Hawks	Home		39	19	25	1	1	11	12	13	7	0	0
49	Washington Bullets	Home		43	20	30	0	4	9	9	8	6	4	0
49	Phoenix Suns	Away		43	17	27	3	6	12	12	12	7	0	2
49	Portland Trail Blazers	Home		54	19	35	2	8	9	10	14	12	4	1
48	Atlanta Hawks	Home		42	20	32	0	2	8	9	14	5	1	1
48	Portland Trail Blazers	Home		45	17	28	2	5	12	12	10	7	3	1
48	Houston Rockets	Home		43	17	32	0	2	14	15	15	7	2	0
47	Milwaukee Bucks	Home
47	Detroit Pistons	Home		39	17	31	0	0	13	13	12	2	2	0
47	Portland Trail Blazers	Away		49	21	34	3	3	2	3	14	11	1	2
47	New York Knicks	Home		38	22	34	0	1	3	5	7	8	4	0
47	Washington Bullets	Away		53	19	29	1	2	8	10	8	7	2	0
46	Orlando Magic	Away		44	19	33	1	3	7	8	8	10	1	0
45	Phoenix Suns	Away
45	Indiana Pacers	Away		45	18	31	1	3	8	11	12	5	5	0
45	Charlotte Hornets	Home		44	18	28	0	0	9	9	8	8	2	5
44	Houston Rockets	Away		44	17	27	1	2	9	10	15	3	2	2
44	Portland Trail Blazers	Home		44	17	35	1	5	9	9	11	8	1	0
44	Chicago Bulls	Home		40	19	29	0	0	6	6	10	3	1	1
43	Cleveland Cavaliers	Neutral		29	17	24	5	6	4	4	8	3	3	0
43	Portland Trail Blazers	Home		46	17	30	1	4	8	9	10	8	2	1
43	New Jersey Nets	Home		39	16	29	2	4	9	9	15	6	2	0
43	Denver Nuggets	Home		44	14	26	3	6	12	13	8	13	2	2
42	Philadelphia 76ers	Home
42	Seattle SuperSonics	Home		46	15	28	2	5	10	10	12	5	3	3
42	Indiana Pacers	Home		42	15	24	2	2	10	10	20	5	3	2
41	Detroit Pistons	Home
41	Portland Trail Blazers	Home
41	Atlanta Hawks	Away		40	15	27	2	4	9	11	7	6	3	2
41	Chicago Bulls	Away		46	17	29	1	1	6	6	7	7	3	1
41	Golden State Warriors	Home		43	15	24	3	6	8	10	10	5	2	0
41	New York Knicks	Home		44	17	30	3	3	4	4	6	5	3	0
41	Philadelphia 76ers	Home		43	15	21	1	2	10	10	10	4	0	0
40	Detroit Pistons	Home
40	Dallas Mavericks	Away		44	16	20	0		8	8	10	9	0	1
40	Denver Nuggets	Away		46	14	28	0	2	12	13	9	6	0	0
40	New Jersey Nets	Home		46	15	28	3	7	7	8	7	7	1	0
40	Atlanta Hawks	Home		39	14	24	3	7	9	10	12	5	2	1
40	New Jersey Nets	Home		42	17	27	3	5	3	4	8	13	2	0
40	Denver Nuggets	Home		40	16	25	0	5	8	8	13	1	2	1
40	Portland Trail Blazers	Away		40	18	27	1	2	3	4	13	5	2	0
40	Seattle SuperSonics	Home		46	17	27	2	5	4	4	11	10	1	2
40	Utah Jazz	Home		41	16	30	1	2	7	7	8	5	2	0
40	Miami Heat	Home		40	14	23	2	5	10	10	6	9	1	0

Regular season

! Stat	! High	! Opponent	! Date
Points, game		Atlanta Hawks
Points, half	37	Atlanta Hawks
Points, quarter	24	vs. Indiana Pacers
Points without a free throw, quarter	19	Atlanta Hawks
Consecutive points	16	Atlanta Hawks
Field goal percentage
Field goals made	22	Atlanta Hawks
Field goals made	22	vs. New York Knicks
Field goals made, half	15	Atlanta Hawks
Field goals made, half	15	vs. Washington Bullets
Field goals made, quarter	10	vs. Indiana Pacers
Field goals made, quarter	10	vs. Washington Bullets
Field goal attempts	36	Atlanta Hawks
Field goal attempts	36	vs. Chicago Bulls
Field goal attempts, half	23	Atlanta Hawks
Free throws made, none missed
Free throws made, one missed	16—17	vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Free throws made	16	vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Free throw attempts
Three-point field goals made	7	vs. Dallas Mavericks
Three-point field goals made	7	vs. Indiana Pacers
Three-point field goal attempts	10	three	times
Rebounds	21	at Philadelphia 76ers
Rebounds	21	at Los Angeles Lakers
Rebounds	21	at Denver Nuggets
Rebounds	21	at Washington Bullets
Offensive rebounds
Defensive rebounds	18	at Chicago Bulls
Defensive rebounds	18	vs. Indiana Pacers
Assists	17	at Golden State Warriors
Assists	16	vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Steals		at Utah Jazz
Steals	8	at New Jersey Nets
Steals	8	vs. New Jersey Nets
Blocked shots
Turnovers	10	at New York Knicks
Minutes played

Playoffs

! Stat	! High	! Opponent	! Date
Points	43	vs. Detroit Pistons
Points	42	vs. Detroit Pistons
Points	42	at Milwaukee Bucks
Points, half	30	vs. Detroit Pistons
Points, quarter	24	vs. Atlanta Hawks
Field goal percentage
Field goals made	17	vs. Detroit Pistons
Field goals made	16	vs. New York Knicks
Field goals made, quarter	10	vs. Atlanta Hawks
Field goal attempts	33	vs. Detroit Pistons
Free throws made, none missed	14—14	vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Free throws made, one missed	14—15	vs. Detroit Pistons
Free throws made	14	vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Free throws made	14	vs. Detroit Pistons
Free throws made, half	12	vs. Detroit Pistons
Free throw attempts	15	vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Free throw attempts	15	vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Free throw attempts	15	at Los Angeles Lakers
Free throw attempts	15	vs. Detroit Pistons
Free throw attempts	15	at Milwaukee Bucks
Three-point field goals made	5	at Milwaukee Bucks
Three-point field goal attempts	6	vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Three-point field goal attempts	6	at Milwaukee Bucks
Rebounds	21	at Philadelphia 76ers
Rebounds	21	vs. Houston Rockets
Rebounds	21	vs. Houston Rockets
Rebounds	21	at Los Angeles Lakers
Offensive rebounds
Defensive rebounds	19	at Philadelphia 76ers
Assists	16	vs. New York Knicks
Assists, half	11	vs. New York Knicks
Steals	5	vs. Houston Rockets
Steals	5	at Houston Rockets
Steals	5	at New York Knicks
Steals	5	vs. Detroit Pistons
Blocked shots
Turnovers	10	vs. Chicago Bulls
Minutes played	56	at Milwaukee Bucks

Personal life

Prior to attending Indiana State University, Bird married his high school girlfriend, Janet Condra. The marriage lasted only 11 months, but produced a daughter, Corrie, born on August 14, 1977.

In 1998, Corrie Bird appeared on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' and revealed that she was Bird's daughter from his first marriage though Larry had denied paternity until the mid 1980s. She discussed her longing to connect with her father, whom she had not seen in 17 years. Corrie's story was also shown on ''20/20'' and was run as an article in the September 4, 1998 issue of ''Sports Illustrated''. Corrie, like her father, played basketball in high school and attended Indiana State University, graduating with a degree in elementary education.

In 2009, Boston University awarded Larry an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree.

''Game Informer'' magazine associate editor Dan Ryckert is Bird's nephew.

On October 31, 1989, Bird married Dinah Mattingly. The couple have two adopted children, son Conner and daughter Mariah.

In popular culture

In October 2005, a man in Oklahoma City, Eric James Torpy, was convicted of shooting with intent to kill and robbery. He asked that his sentence be changed from 30 years imprisonment to 33 so that it would match Bird's jersey number. His request was granted. Bird has appeared in three movies, ''Blue Chips'', released in 1994 by Paramount, the Warner Brothers film ''Space Jam'' with Michael Jordan and Bill Murray in 1996, and ''Celtic Pride'' with Dan Aykroyd, Daniel Stern, and Damon Wayans, which was also released in 1996.

Bird has appeared in several video games. In One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird Bird plays opposite Julius Erving in a game of one-on-one. A sequel, Jordan vs Bird: One on One, was a 1988 basketball video game.

The band Dispatch has a song called "Just Like Larry" about Larry Bird, who is their hometown hero from his days as a member of the Boston Celtics.

In a phone commercial when Larry Bird tells Tweety Bird that they are not related, Tweety not only comments on them having the same last name but that they "look an awful lot alike".

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson wrote a book together (with Jackie MacMullan) titled ''When The Game Was Ours''.

In a commercial during Super Bowl XLIV, Dwight Howard and LeBron James challenge each other at trick shots for a McDonald's lunch. After they finish, clapping is heard, then the camera pans to the crowd and Bird says "Great show, guys. Thanks for lunch." Howard and James share a confused look. Howard asks, "Who was that?" James replies, "I have no idea." This refers to a McDonald's commercial from 1991 in which Bird and Michael Jordan have a trick shot contest, in which the winner got the lunch and the loser had to watch the winner eat.

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are joining Michael Jordan on the cover of NBA 2K12.

See also

List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders

List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association players with most points in a game

List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game

List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds

References

Further reading

External links

Sportscentury's 30th greatest athlete of all time provided by ESPN.com

NBA.com: Where Legends Are Born

NBA History

CNN/Sports Illustrated: A Player for the Ages

1979 Oscar Robertson Trophy USBWA College Player of the Year

Videos of Larry Bird on mReplay.com

Larry Bird Statistics

Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame profile

Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from Indiana Category:Boston Celtics draft picks Category:Boston Celtics players Category:National Basketball Association head coaches Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:NBA Finals MVP Award winners Category:Indiana Pacers executives Category:Indiana Pacers head coaches Category:Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball players Category:National Basketball Association executives Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:People from Orange County, Indiana Category:Power forwards (basketball) Category:Small forwards Category:United States men's national basketball team members Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:American basketball players Category:Olympic medalists in basketball

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