Ted Williams has a special place in my heart. As one of the all-time Red Sox greats and a favorite of my Dad, he is best known as the last major leaguer to finish the regular season with a batting average (BA) of .400 or better. He accomplished this feat in 1941 with an average of .406 marking the 28th occurrence of this rare accomplishment (including competing pro leagues in the late 1800s).
Over time, the .400 batting average has gone the way of the dinosaur. It’s been over 75 years since it was last accomplished. In the 1890’s it was achieved 11 times, including 5 players who had a BA over .400 in the 1894 season. Through the first 65 years of pro baseball, its occurrence has risen and fallen, eventually being snuffed out since Ted Williams made it happen.