Had he been blessed with more speed, Williams felt he could have hit over .400 for at least one more season over his career (he did it three times).In today’s game, power hitters opt for heavier bats to generate more pop; yet Williams used a lighter bat to generate more bat speed. An obsessive student of hitting, Williams often stepped out of the batter’s box whenever a cloud momentarily obscured the sun to ensure himself the best opportunity to see the ball.Perhaps the only low spot in Williams’s career was his performance in the 1946 World Series (his only appearance in the Fall Classic) in which, playing with a sore elbow, he managed just five singles in 25 at-bats, with just one RBI, as the Red Sox lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Williams hit a home run off Rip Sewell’s notorious eephus pitch (noted for its high arc and slow speed ? usually under 60 mph) during the 1946 All-Star Game at Fenway Park. He twice challenged Sewell to throw the pitch ? the first was a called strike, but Williams hit the second pitch for a home run.In a climactic ending to his career, Williams hit a home run in his very last at bat on September 28, 1960.In this modern era of baseball, it’s unlikely that any player will eclipse Williams’s prowess with the lumber, and for that reason, his .406 batting average is the most impressive accomplishment in any sport. . South Africa, England, Wales and New Zealand advanced to the semifinals of the Inaugural Tournament after ending on top of their respective pools.South Africa started their campaign in style with big wins against USA and Scotland, but found life tougher against a physical Samoa team. Watermeyer's try broke the deadlock after the teams had been tied from the first minute into the second half. The Baby Boks now meet England in the semifinals following that team's 18-13 win over a much-fancied Australian team in Pool C decider earlier in the day.
England had a similar start to the tournament as the Baby Boks with comfortable wins against Fiji and Canada, and a close game against Australia.The other semi-final will be between the tournament hosts Wales and New Zealand. Wales had a solid pool stage registering wins against Italy, Japan and France, however the score has not been as flattering as New Zealand's. New Zealand has annihilated their opponents, Tonga, Ireland and Argentina, in the group stages, and look to do the same to the hosts. The only thing that could count against the Kiwis is the fact that they have not been fully tested the way the other semi-final nations have.Come semi-final day count on South Africa and New Zealand to advance to the final. Both Southern Hemisphere nations have big forwards and exciting backs, which could make for an exciting final.. This is a series based on the question posed above: players that are worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame but for some reason have not been. He had a stellar NFL career, he put up Hall of Fame caliber numbers. This forgotten guy is the answer to several trivia questions.
Three questions NFL trivia fans: Who is the greatest backup QB in NFL history? What two-time league MVP as a QB isn’t in the Hall of Fame? What QB, who was a part of two of the biggest events in NFL history and possesses three Super Bowl rings, isn’t in the Hall of Fame? Earl Morrall QB, six different teams, 1956–1976 He was a highly-touted athlete who led his Muskegon Michigan high school football team to a state championship in 1951. He set off a determined recruitment by several top colleges, whose efforts to recruit him caused his high school principal, George A. Manning, to complain that Morrall’s education was suffering. He eventually chose Michigan State and played three seasons for the Spartans, leading them to a 9-1 regular season record in 1955. He capped his senior year with a victory over the UCLA Bruins in the 1956 Rose Bowl game. Earl Morrall played shortstop and third base on the Michigan State baseball team and played in the College Baseball World Series. He caught the attention of MLB scouts and was poised to be drafted to play Major League Baseball, but chose to play football in the NFL. He was drafted No 2 overall in the 1956 draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He was traded on September 16, 1957 along with guard Mike Sandusky to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for linebacker Marv Matuszak and two first-round draft picks. Marv Matuszak was a two-time Pro Bowl player and AFL All-Star during his 12-year career.
He is also the father of defensive end John Matuszak, who helped the Oakland Raiders win two Super Bowls. Despite the high cost of the transaction, the Steelers traded Morrall just over a year later to the Detroit Lions in order to obtain future Hall of Famer Bobby Layne. Morrall would play six seasons for the Lions, having his best season in 1963 by throwing for 24 touchdowns and 2,621 yards. The following year, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in an October 18 game against the Chicago Bears. He spent the offseason rehabilitating from his injury before he was dealt to the New York Giants as part of a three-team transaction on August 30, 1965. Taking a leadership role during a Giants’ rebuilding phase, Morrall threw for 2,446 yards and 22 touchdowns that season, yet he found himself seeing spot duty over the course of the next two years. He was traded on August 25, 1968 to the Baltimore Colts for an undisclosed draft choice. Starting quarterback John Unitas, considered by some to be the best quarterback ever, went down with a elbow injury on his throwing arm in the final preseason game. Earl Morrall became the starter. He proceeded to lead the Baltimore Colts to a 13-1 record, added two playoff wins and won the league MVP award. He threw for 2,909 yards and 26 touchdowns with 17 interceptions that season; he also had the highest passer rating in the league at 93.2 during the regular season. His performance was so impressive that coach Don Shula decided to keep him in the starting lineup after Unitas was healthy enough to play. The Colts had won 10 games in a row, including four shutouts In those 10 games the Colts allowed only seven touchdowns. Then the Colts avenged their sole loss of the season by crushing the Cleveland Browns 34-0 in the NFL championship game. The Colts offense ranked second in the league in points scored.