As a major-league baseball Hall of Famer, there is little doubt that Ted Williams was the greatest hitter of his era. THE KID presents the story of Williams' formative years, the years before he made it to the major leagues. From Mexican-American and English-Welsh roots, and from a broken home, this child of the Depression determined to become "the greatest hitter who ever lived" and many feel he accomplished his goal. This book presents the perspectives of eight authors--representing the Ted Williams Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research, the SABR chapter based in San Diego. The authors write about Ted's family roots, his sandlot ball, high school play and his seasons with the Pacific Coast League and American Association teams before, at age 20, he joined the Boston Red Sox and began his career in big league baseball.