March 07, 2004

Now that John Henry has died tragically at a young age, maybe it's time to stop taking shots like the one in Tom Farmer's AP story: "John Henry had also entered into a business with his father to sell Ted Williams memorabilia, in which some critics charged he was using his father's legacy for his own financial gain." Farmer doesn't bother identifying any of these critics, but I'd love to hear more on this. How was it offensive for father and son Williams to work together selling memorabilia?

posted by rcade at 08:45 AM on March 08, 2004

The thing is, rcade, is that according to some of those in Ted Williams' inner circle – friends and longtime employees -- claim that in his last years, the Splinter didn't have much of his faculties having had multiple strokes and other assorted heath problems. Those same inner circlers claim that JHW was getting his father up every day, making sure he spent the majority of his time signing memorabilia. In addition to that, Ted Williams has been said to feel ridiculously guilty for not being there physically for his son and his youngest daughter, Claudia, while they were growing up. TW and his second wife, Dorothy, divorced when JHW was 4 years old and was never close to his son until much later in his life.

Once he was in control of his father's life, John Henry Williams kept Ted Williams busy autographing baseballs, bats and shirts, said Jack Gard, 59, who worked as a health aide to Ted Williams between 1998 and 2000.
"His son tried to be there every morning," Gard said. "He would call me and say, 'Is Dad out of bed yet? We're going to do some signing. Get him ready."'
The signing of memorabilia was a constant activity, Munday said.
"Sign, sign, sign. They would do it for hours at a time until the man was so tired he couldn't write anymore," she said. "He pushed and pushed his dad to do all this stuff and of course it was for money. The ultimate thing was money."
There were times that Ted Williams got angry and refused to sign anything. -- USA Today

and

Since taking over his father's affairs from a corrupt manager in the early 1990s, John-Henry Williams has been more productive in another area: pushing his father to feed a burgeoning memorabilia businesses.
Three men who worked in Ted Williams' Citrus County home during his later years recalled Tuesday how John-Henry Williams set a torrid pace for his father.
"He was so demanding for signatures. He held his dad as a hostage, more or less," said Jack Gard, who was hired as Ted Williams' aide in 1998. -- St. Petersberg Times

Robert Hogerheide, who worked as Ted Williams' chef from 1998 to 2000, said he became disgusted by the son's attitude and left.
Every day about 11 a.m., Hogerheide said, John-Henry Williams would tote dozens of baseball bats, magazines and jerseys into his father's room for the baseball great to sign. "It was just unbelievable," Hogerheide said. "By the end, the poor old guy was completely whipped."
Hogerheide said the household was like a "revolving door," with many employees leaving after only a day or two because of mistreatment by John-Henry Williams.
"It was pretty obvious what was going on and people just didn't like it," he said. -- St. Petersberg Times

Something maybe most of us can remember is the 1999 All Star Game where Ted Williams was honored at Fenway in Boston. At this point, TW was basically in his last years and many of the players that surrounded him and those watching on tv and in the stands, knew this. Grown men near tears. The St. Petersberg Times goes on:
In recent years, the younger Williams has:

-Fallen into bankruptcy at least three times in ventures related to his father's legacy, including a 2000 filing in Orlando after an Internet site (Hitter.net) selling Williams memorabilia racked up debts of $12.8-million.
-Sued his sister, Claudia F. Williams, 30, in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court in a dispute over the sale of nearly 2,000 autographed bats Ted Williams had given her to ensure her financial security. The sister lives in a modest, one-story home in St. Petersburg's Old Northeast neighborhood.
-Been sued twice in Citrus County by creditors who say John-Henry Williams owes them more than $200,000 from expenses incurred by a Web site business. Among the debts: more than $120,000 for computer equipment and more than $9,000 for a bank card.
-Been roundly criticized for hawking his Web site at the 1999 All-Star Game in Boston as his father was being honored. As Ted Williams rolled across the infield in a golf cart, he wore a Hitter.net T-shirt and cap at the urging of his son, a moment many found demeaning of the legendary hitter. -- St. Petersberg Times

There’s also been much talk about JHW forging his father’s signature himself. Some collectors and handwriting authenticators speak out:

But it is well known in the sports-collectibles community that Ted Williams' signature is among the most-forged, prompting some dealers to caution collectors about the so-called authenticated items, as well. Phil Castinetti, owner of New England-based Sportsworld, believes that even some Williams autographs authenticated by the slugger's son might be forgeries.
"There's no way all the stuff that has come from his companies is legit," Castinetti said of the volume of paraphernalia the younger Williams has sold to dealers over the years. "I would bet my life that there are autographs that he has authenticated and sold that he signed himself."
Castinetti said two experiences cause him to question the authenticity of signatures authenticated by John Henry Williams. In 1991, Castinetti said John Henry showed him the perfect Ted Williams signature. "John Henry and his partner Brian Interland would sign 'Ted Williams,' " Castinetti said, "and they'd laugh, because you couldn't tell theirs and Ted's apart."
Then in 1999, Williams made his final public appearance at the All-Star game at Fenway Park. "I saw him sign there, and he could barely write; his signature was a scribble," Castinetti said. "Then the next week, I see signed panoramic photos of the moment authenticated by Green Diamond, and the signature was flawless." --ESPN

The real points are John Henry Williams wasn’t necessarily always looking out for the best interest of his aging father’s last days on earth and his legacy as much as he was putting financial and personal gains first and of course, Ted Williams wasn’t so much joining his son in a money making venture as he was seemingly an very elderly, very feeble man being forced at the hand of his only son to spend his last days sitting for hours, signing memorabilia.

posted by jerseygirl at 09:59 AM on March 08, 2004

Rcade, I don't think the implication was that a father and son working together to sell memorabilia was offensive. The implication, as is clear from terrapin's link, is that Junior was a crook. As someone who collects autographs and has friends in the business, Williams has always been known as a prime candidate for forgeries. This didn't help: Then in 1999, Williams made his final public appearance at the All-Star game at Fenway Park. "I saw him sign there, and he could barely write; his signature was a scribble," Castinetti said. "Then the next week, I see signed panoramic photos of the moment authenticated by Green Diamond, and the signature was flawless." Junior also signed a contract of exclusivity with Upper Deck, then sold memorabilia on the side, leading to a lawsuit and the ending of the deal. He was at best a lousy businessman, and at worst a leech who rode his dying father for all he was worth.

posted by wfrazerjr at 10:30 AM on March 08, 2004

rcade: In any case, the guy's dead at 35. Maybe it's time to retire his catalog of sins. wfrazerjr: Also — since when does dying clear you of your sins? Nobody likes to bring up ugly stuff about the deceased, but I think we can take the whitewashing too far, to the point of obscuring the truth. Apparently the truth about John Henry was really ugly.

posted by dusted at 11:30 AM on March 08, 2004

when a cure for old age is found? I've read a lot about cryonics the last few years and I think it's all bunk. It seems silly to me. Heads in one bucket, bodies in the other. But of course, I only play a scientist on tv, so what do I know. I just hope in 1000 years, when our future ancestors look at our "ancient" civilization, they don't laugh at us because some people were freezing their heads.

posted by jerseygirl at 12:56 PM on March 08, 2004

She does!

posted by jerseygirl at 01:09 PM on March 08, 2004

... when does dying clear you of your sins? I'm not suggesting that he deserves to be remembered fondly. But now that we know how his story ends, on balance, I think he should be viewed more as a pitiable figure than a contemptible one. Everything I've ever heard about the guy was pathetic, from the Snidely Whiplash business schemes to the humiliating attempt in his 30s to play minor league baseball.

posted by rcade at 01:33 PM on March 08, 2004

I think "pitiable" is reserved for people who do foolish things, not commit criminal acts. The list of folks close to the situation who say John Henry took every opportunity to wring his father for every penny he could, then screw everyone else he could in the process (i.e. the Upper Deck exclusivity lawsuit and suing his own sister to keep her from selling bats Ted gave her) while quite possibly bilking the general public out of their money pretty much chalks him up into the "hole, ass" category, dead or not. I can give no more damning testimony than this — the guy had the chance to run the business of selling Ted Williams' autograph, and he couldn't make enough money at it? Doorknob.

posted by wfrazerjr at 03:30 PM on March 08, 2004