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'''John Henry Williams''' ([[August 27]], [[1968]] - [[March 6]], [[2004]]) was the only son of baseball legend [[Ted Williams]]. His mother was Ted's third wife, Dolores. The couple also had a daughter, Claudia. |
'''John Henry Williams''' ([[August 27]], [[1968]] - [[March 6]], [[2004]]) was the only son of baseball legend [[Ted Williams]]. His mother was Ted's third wife, Dolores. The couple also had a daughter, Claudia. |
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He saw little of his father after his parents divorced in 1972. By all accounts, the relationship between Ted and Dolores remained chilly as their children grew. Dolores raised John Henry and Claudia on a 60 acre |
He saw little of his father after his parents divorced in 1972. By all accounts, the relationship between Ted and Dolores remained chilly as their children grew. Dolores raised John Henry and Claudia on a 60 acre farm near [[Putney, Vermont]]. Ted was a sporadic presence in the boy's life by design. Williams could relate well to a bat and baseball, but his relations with family were always a bit strained, both from his position as one of the superstars of the game and from a general distance that Williams used to keep all but a few loyal friends at a distance. |
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Williams name opened doors for John Henry. He was accepted into the exclusive [[Bates College]], where he spent three semesters before transferring to the [[University of Maine]]. He earned a B.S. in marketing 1991, but failed to make the baseball team. He struggled for many years trying to develop a way to shine on his own. A hat company, which Ted put seed money into and promoted at a 1991 All-Star game by wearing the cap, failed miserably, losing more than $3 million dollars. John Henry Williams had run an [[ISP]] in the [[Citrus County]] area under the name hitter.net. The ISP went out of business in 2001. |
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Critics say John Henry didn't so much care for his father as hijack his life, capitalizing on Ted's legacy to launch business ventures and support a lavish lifestyle. John Henry kept Ted on a steady schedule of memorabilia shows and signings, for which he charged top dollar. At the 1999 All-Star game at [[Fenway Park]], Ted wore not a [[Boston Red Sox]] cap, but a hat advertising John Henry's company, Hitter (it later filed for bankruptcy after losing over $3.5 million). He even sued Claudia for selling autographed bats Ted gave her. A cousin told the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' that John Henry told him in 1989 he was waiting for Ted to die so that he could "get all his money." |
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After Williams long-time girlfriend left in the 1990s, he needed help running the memorabilia business that provided a large chunk of his income in later years. Ted was much better at dealing with the adult child, John Henry. They found a common bond in baseball. At the tender age of 33,when many a baseball career is ending, John Henry entered the world of professional baseball, with his father pulling favors to get him placed in low Class-A minor league baseball in the Red Sox organization. |
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Critics say John Henry didn't so much care for his father as hijack his life, capitalizing on Ted's legacy to launch business ventures and support a lavish lifestyle. Others, including trainers and his sister Claudia, counter that John Henry Williams spent the majority of his adult life trying to be closer to his father. |
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John Henry made several attempts to land an on-field baseball position via several spring training teams. While he was bigger and stronger than his father, scouts agreed that he was a marginal player at best. |
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John Henry Williams life would have gone all but unnoticed in the shadow of his famous father had it not been for the controversy that surrounded Ted Williams' death. |
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| ⚫ | The young Williams became the scourge of the sports world after Ted died on [[July 5]], [[2002]]. Announcing there would be no funeral, John Henry had Ted's body flown to the [[Alcor Life Extension Foundation]] in [[Scottsdale, Arizona]], and placed in [[cryonic suspension]], according, he claimed, to his father's last wishes. John Henry's lawyer produced an informal family pact signed by Ted, John Henry, and Claudia in which they agreed "to be put into biostasis after we die." John Henry's story, verified by his sister, was that they discovered cryonics, and agreed that they would all like that to be their final wishes. In the child-like way in which the whole family dealt with legal issues, the note was as close to a will as they came. |
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Barbara Joyce Ferrell, Ted's daughter by his first wife, sued John Henry, and lead a holy-war in the press against her half-brother. Ferrell claimed that Ted wanted to be cremated (It should be noted that no such intention was ever found in a will or any other document.). |
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In fact, the executor of the Ted Williams estate and several hand writing experts all verified that the signature on the "pact" was that of the legendary Splendid Splinter. A judge later ruled that the signature was genuine, and, without further indication of any final wishes by the late baseball superstar, the note would stand. |
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Sports Illustrated columnists banged the drum loudly, calling for John Henry Williams head. Few sports writers liked the idea of cryonic suspension as the final chapter in the life of one of America's greatest sports heroes. They took and printed as gospel, without verification, Ferrell's accusations about John Henry's role in the memorabilia business. |
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SI quoted an "informant," who had run the Alcor lab, who told tales of the mistreatment of Ted Williams' remains, ghoulish jokes made in the lab, and an alleged "plan" to sell Ted Williams' [[DNA]] for possible [[cloning]]. No one could verify the stories about the DNA, and there was more than a touch of irony in the accusations about the lab's practices, as they were made by the only one who could have seen to a more fitting treatment of Williams' remains. |
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Feeding off of the sensationalist journalism of a few, the majority of the media failed to stop and ask if this might really be Williams' final wish. Fiction or half-truth became gospel as the storm of controversy that surrounded Ted Williams' death whipped into a media feeding frenzy. |
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Why did Williams not tell friends or relatives other than his children about cryonics? Sources close to the practice of cryonics say that people choosing this form of treatment (their term) for life ending disease often hide their intentions because of either familial or public disapproval. |
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"The media tried to ruin (John Henry) with sensationalism and untruths...he was not a villian. He was a real person, with real desire to succeed at an impossible dream," said friend and personal trainer Terry Hardtke. |
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Other publications that did their homework found that very different John Henry Williams. |
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"My brother put his dream on hold so he could be next to his father as long as he could and then waited a little bit longer so he could love him through his last days...." said Claudia Williams in a letter that appeared in Minor League News shortly after John Henry's death. |
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The John Henry Williams portrayed by the half-sister and the major sports media did not line up with the man well. John Henry was not a partcularly articulate man. He did not come off as even being especially bright or greedy. |
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After Williams death, rather than cashing in on his memory, or cloning little Teds as the press had printed as fact, he went into independent baseball playing for pennies for an independent Northern League baseball club. |
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"(John Henry) lived in my home for seven months trying to squeeze 7 months of hard work into 7 years of experience," said Hardtke. "We worked together for 6 hours per day, 5 days each week. His determination in trying to be a good professional baseball player was relentless. We had several personal discussions regarding everything going on in his life but he was driven (based on his true love of his father) to give it his best." |
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His final stop, at a bottom-of-the barrel independent ball club in Louisiana, was made with the same commitment to the thing that was driving him: John Henry Williams was a man obsessed with the need to know a father who had been so close to the world, yet so far removed from him. |
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The controversy died down on [[December 20]] when Ferrell withdrew her objections after a judge agreed that she would get her piece of a $645,000 trust would be distributed equally among the siblings. |
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| ⚫ | It was announced in October 2003 he had been diagnosed with acute myelogenous [[leukemia]], the same disease that claimed Ted's brother. He had already started [[chemotherapy]], and underwent a bone marrow transplant with a donation from Claudia. The transplant did not take. He died at [[UCLA]] Medical Center, Claudia and Dolores at his bedside. His body was delivered to [[Alcor Life Extension Foundation|Alcor]] in concordance with his wishes. |
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"In the end, he still, despite discouragement from others, gave baseball a chance (or vice versa)," said sister Claudia. "He may have been closest to his father during the opportunity that the minor leagues gave him." |
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John Henry Williams had run an [[ISP]] in the [[Citrus County]] area under the name hitter.net. The ISP went out of business in 2001. |
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Revision as of 16:15, 8 April 2005
John Henry Williams (August 27, 1968 - March 6, 2004) was the only son of baseball legend Ted Williams. His mother was Ted's third wife, Dolores. The couple also had a daughter, Claudia.
He saw little of his father after his parents divorced in 1972. By all accounts, the relationship between Ted and Dolores remained chilly as their children grew. Dolores raised John Henry and Claudia on a 60 acre farm near Putney, Vermont. Ted was a sporadic presence in the boy's life by design. Williams could relate well to a bat and baseball, but his relations with family were always a bit strained, both from his position as one of the superstars of the game and from a general distance that Williams used to keep all but a few loyal friends at a distance.
Williams name opened doors for John Henry. He was accepted into the exclusive Bates College, where he spent three semesters before transferring to the University of Maine. He earned a B.S. in marketing 1991, but failed to make the baseball team. He struggled for many years trying to develop a way to shine on his own. A hat company, which Ted put seed money into and promoted at a 1991 All-Star game by wearing the cap, failed miserably, losing more than $3 million dollars. John Henry Williams had run an ISP in the Citrus County area under the name hitter.net. The ISP went out of business in 2001.
After Williams long-time girlfriend left in the 1990s, he needed help running the memorabilia business that provided a large chunk of his income in later years. Ted was much better at dealing with the adult child, John Henry. They found a common bond in baseball. At the tender age of 33,when many a baseball career is ending, John Henry entered the world of professional baseball, with his father pulling favors to get him placed in low Class-A minor league baseball in the Red Sox organization.
Critics say John Henry didn't so much care for his father as hijack his life, capitalizing on Ted's legacy to launch business ventures and support a lavish lifestyle. Others, including trainers and his sister Claudia, counter that John Henry Williams spent the majority of his adult life trying to be closer to his father.
John Henry Williams life would have gone all but unnoticed in the shadow of his famous father had it not been for the controversy that surrounded Ted Williams' death.
The young Williams became the scourge of the sports world after Ted died on July 5, 2002. Announcing there would be no funeral, John Henry had Ted's body flown to the Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Scottsdale, Arizona, and placed in cryonic suspension, according, he claimed, to his father's last wishes. John Henry's lawyer produced an informal family pact signed by Ted, John Henry, and Claudia in which they agreed "to be put into biostasis after we die." John Henry's story, verified by his sister, was that they discovered cryonics, and agreed that they would all like that to be their final wishes. In the child-like way in which the whole family dealt with legal issues, the note was as close to a will as they came.
Barbara Joyce Ferrell, Ted's daughter by his first wife, sued John Henry, and lead a holy-war in the press against her half-brother. Ferrell claimed that Ted wanted to be cremated (It should be noted that no such intention was ever found in a will or any other document.).
In fact, the executor of the Ted Williams estate and several hand writing experts all verified that the signature on the "pact" was that of the legendary Splendid Splinter. A judge later ruled that the signature was genuine, and, without further indication of any final wishes by the late baseball superstar, the note would stand.
Sports Illustrated columnists banged the drum loudly, calling for John Henry Williams head. Few sports writers liked the idea of cryonic suspension as the final chapter in the life of one of America's greatest sports heroes. They took and printed as gospel, without verification, Ferrell's accusations about John Henry's role in the memorabilia business.
SI quoted an "informant," who had run the Alcor lab, who told tales of the mistreatment of Ted Williams' remains, ghoulish jokes made in the lab, and an alleged "plan" to sell Ted Williams' DNA for possible cloning. No one could verify the stories about the DNA, and there was more than a touch of irony in the accusations about the lab's practices, as they were made by the only one who could have seen to a more fitting treatment of Williams' remains.
Feeding off of the sensationalist journalism of a few, the majority of the media failed to stop and ask if this might really be Williams' final wish. Fiction or half-truth became gospel as the storm of controversy that surrounded Ted Williams' death whipped into a media feeding frenzy.
Why did Williams not tell friends or relatives other than his children about cryonics? Sources close to the practice of cryonics say that people choosing this form of treatment (their term) for life ending disease often hide their intentions because of either familial or public disapproval.
"The media tried to ruin (John Henry) with sensationalism and untruths...he was not a villian. He was a real person, with real desire to succeed at an impossible dream," said friend and personal trainer Terry Hardtke.
Other publications that did their homework found that very different John Henry Williams.
"My brother put his dream on hold so he could be next to his father as long as he could and then waited a little bit longer so he could love him through his last days...." said Claudia Williams in a letter that appeared in Minor League News shortly after John Henry's death. The John Henry Williams portrayed by the half-sister and the major sports media did not line up with the man well. John Henry was not a partcularly articulate man. He did not come off as even being especially bright or greedy.
After Williams death, rather than cashing in on his memory, or cloning little Teds as the press had printed as fact, he went into independent baseball playing for pennies for an independent Northern League baseball club.
"(John Henry) lived in my home for seven months trying to squeeze 7 months of hard work into 7 years of experience," said Hardtke. "We worked together for 6 hours per day, 5 days each week. His determination in trying to be a good professional baseball player was relentless. We had several personal discussions regarding everything going on in his life but he was driven (based on his true love of his father) to give it his best."
His final stop, at a bottom-of-the barrel independent ball club in Louisiana, was made with the same commitment to the thing that was driving him: John Henry Williams was a man obsessed with the need to know a father who had been so close to the world, yet so far removed from him.
The controversy died down on December 20 when Ferrell withdrew her objections after a judge agreed that she would get her piece of a $645,000 trust would be distributed equally among the siblings.
It was announced in October 2003 he had been diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia, the same disease that claimed Ted's brother. He had already started chemotherapy, and underwent a bone marrow transplant with a donation from Claudia. The transplant did not take. He died at UCLA Medical Center, Claudia and Dolores at his bedside. His body was delivered to Alcor in concordance with his wishes.
"In the end, he still, despite discouragement from others, gave baseball a chance (or vice versa)," said sister Claudia. "He may have been closest to his father during the opportunity that the minor leagues gave him."
- http://www.nanoaging.com (Cryonics + Nanotechnology = power)
- http://www.hitter.net (Former home of his ISP, now goes to his father's memorial)