"I'm going to grab you when I see you & make you squeal!" - Ted Williams writes of desires to his mistress while at war in Korea!Behind every great man is a great is a great woman...or maybe two? As much as "Teddy Ballgame" was a god on the baseball diamond, he was but a mere mortal when it came to the rigors of everyday life, falling in the trap of straying while being married. That is very evident in the offered letter, two pages, 8.5" x 10.5", circa August 7, 1952. While serving overseas during the Korean War, Williams writes to his long-time mistress, Evelyn Turner. Penned entirely in Williams' hand in fountain pen, the letter reads in full:
"Dearest Ev,
Guess you thought I'd forgot about the baby. No kidding sweet I've been on the go as I've changed squadrons & I've been checking in & our so damn much hardly know what I am doing.
Also haven't forgot your birthday so just relax & keep lovin' me. OK?
Don't know when I'm going to get down as this is suppose to be a jet squadron with no jets to fly. This is a really sorry deal The Marine Corp has no planes.
I guarantee you one thing I'm not going to load us up on gin Collins any more cause we lost one whole big nite practically. Never again in fact still felt a little cockeyed the next day.
Write soon
As Ever
Ted
I'll do better writing & I'm going to grab you when I see you & make you squeal!"
The letter is accompanied by the original mailing envelope, postmarked August 7, 1952 and written out entirely in Williams' hand.
For 10 years, “The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived” carried on an affair with Turner, a flight attendant for the now-defunct National Airlines. Williams wrote to Turner from 1952 to 1954, while he took a hiatus from baseball to train and serve in Korea. Williams was married to his first wife, Doris Soule, during the romance with Turner. Williams and Soule divorced shortly after his return from the war in 1954.
The letter exhibits expected handling wear from mailing but is otherwise fine.
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