Baseball Slugger Ted Williams; Be Dedicated: Relentless practice ensured that the hits kept on coming.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)

Byline: CURT SCHLEIER

Ted Williams knew he had great natural ability. His eyes were so good that he could see the baseball flatten out as it hit his bat.

But for Williams, natural ability wasn't enough.

"Hundreds of kids have the natural ability to become great ball players," he told Time magazine. "But nothing except practice, practice, practice will bring out that ability." So he practiced all the time - both on and off the field.

"The kid swung any object that happened to be around, swung the bedroom pillows in simulation of the swing he would use at the plate," wrote Leigh Montville in "Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero." "He swung nothing, just the imaginary bat, if no object could be found. Repetition bought subtle innovation."

For years, people marveled at his "natural swing" -- as "natural" as constant repetition could make it.

All the practice time paid off, because Williams became one of the greatest pure hitters in the history of Major League Baseball. He was twice named most valuable player, and won baseball's "triple crown" twice (highest average, most home runs and most runs batted in) as well. He led the league in batting average six times and participated in 17 All-Star games. But perhaps his most enduring feat was hitting .406 for the 1941 season. He was the last batter to break the magic .400 mark.