BOSTON, MA—With the issuance of the Major League Baseball All-Stars stamps, the U.S. Postal Service recognizes the accomplishments of four baseball greats: Joe DiMaggio, Larry Doby, Willie Stargell and Ted Williams.
The Ted Williams Forever Stamp will be unveiled at historic Fenway Park in a pre-game ceremony on July 21, 2012. Representatives from the BoSox Club, the Jimmy Fund and the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame will assist Greater Boston District Manager Charles Lynch and Boston Postmaster James J. Holland and Robert Losi, Legislative and Political Director of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union in unveiling the stamp.
Ted Williams (1918-2002) was the last Major League player to bat over .400 for a single season (1941). During his stellar career, he won six American League batting titles and four home run titles. Today, “the Kid” is regarded as one of the all-time greatest hitters in Major League Baseball history.
Program participants will be on hand to pay tribute to Ted Williams’ enduring legacy to community and country – representing organizations and institutions he was associated with: The BoSox Club, The Jimmy Fund, US Marine Corps, and the Ted Williams Museum & Hitters Hall of Fame.
Agency representatives and their respective organizations that will join Postal officials in the unveiling ceremony are as follows:
Steve Dukeman
President, BoSox Club
Bruce Donahue
Past President, BoSox Club
BoSox Club: Established in 1967, the BoSox Club is recognized by the Red Sox as the official fan organization supporting Boston baseball today. Traditionally, the BoSox Club has raised funds both inside and outside its membership to support many worthy causes including the Red Sox Foundation, the Jimmy Fund and New England amateur baseball organizations. The Club also provides financial assistance to a select group of deserving boys and girls to attend baseball and softball camps each summer. The BoSox Club “The Official Booster Club of the Boston Red Sox” has been instrumental in the issuance of the Ted Williams Stamp. Working together with the Williams Family, Boston Red Sox, Club Members, U.S. Post Office and many outside friends, who took an interest in seeing this project become a reality, can now take pride in their accomplishments.
Craig Bunnell, M.D.
Dana-Faber Chief Medical Officer
Jimmy Fund
Ted Williams and the Jimmy Fund: Ted Williams was a hero on the ball field, as a Marine pilot in two wars, and in the hearts of millions of children suffering from cancer. His tireless efforts on behalf of the Jimmy Fund over nearly 50 years helped make it the best-loved charity in New England. Ted was the single most influential person in helping to raise funds for the Children's Cancer Research Foundation (now Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) in its early years. Throughout his career as a player and beyond, Ted made countless (and, at his request, unreported) visits to children being treated for cancer at the Jimmy Fund Clinic. He also took great pride in speaking publicly about Dr. Sidney Farber's research, all with the goal of saving children (and later adults) from the scourge of cancer.
Lt. Col. Gregory L. Grunwald
U. S. Marine Corps
Service to this Nation: During World War II, while in the prime of his career, Williams enlisted in the Navy and began a flight training program after the 1942 season. He earned his wings as a second lieutenant in the Marines and became a flight instructor. He missed three full seasons of baseball during the war. He also missed most of two seasons in 1952 and 1953 while flying combat missions during the Korean War.
George Katis, Board of Directors
Ted Williams Museum & Hitters Hall of Fame
Enduring Legacy: Ted Williams Museum & Hitters Hall of Fame is best described in Ted's own words: "Through the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame, we hope to build a lasting monument, an architectural tribute to what I think is the single most difficult thing in all of sports: hitting a baseball. We hope the Museum will become a place millions of baseball fans will visit and enjoy for generations to come. I hope you'll join us as we transform our dreams into reality." The Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame is the first Museum ever dedicated, at the time, to a living athlete. The Museum's goal is to preserve and build on the rich tradition and heritage of our national pastime -- baseball. The Museum's mission is one of outreach and education and is located in Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL .
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