Teddy Ballgame is the only one in the Baseball, Anglers and Marines halls of fame.

He has the highest OBA in history, the highest BA of anyone who didn't play in the 1920s, and hit a home run on 3 of 4 occasions when everyone including him believed he was having his last at bat ever.

He lost 5 prime years as a pilot in WWII and Korea (the only HOFer to be in both conflicts) and was John Glenn's wingman in Korea.

The Kid raised tens of millions of dollars for The Jimmy Fund for research, treatment and cure of cancer for kids.

I've met some accomplished people including presidents and PMs but The Thumper struck me as the most intelligent person I ever met.

The Splendid Splinter 1st championed the right of black players to be in the HOF.

At our dinner in the Chatham officers mess, Ted was asked how fast he exited the Panther  in Korea that blew up seconds later.  "If I'd run that fast during my baseball career, I'd have hit .500 every year", he joked. 

He was the real John Wayne!