On September 28, 1941, the last day of Major League Baseball’s
regular season, the Boston Red Sox’s Ted Williams got six hits
in eight at-bats during a doubleheader in Philadelphia, boosting
his average to .406. He becomes the first player since 1930 to hit
.400. "I guess I’ll be satisfied with that thrill out there today," he
tells the Boston Globe about hitting .400. "… I never wanted
anything harder in my life."

In addition to his .406 batting average—no major league player
since Williams has hit .400—the left fielder led the big leagues
with 37 homers, 135 runs and a slugging average of .735.

Williams, nicknamed “The Splendid Splinter” and “The Thumper,
” began his big-league career with the Red Sox in 1939.