Baseball: The Return of No. 9

On a chill, leaden afternoon nine years ago, Ted Williams came to bat for the last time in the final Boston Red Sox home game. As he had done so often in 19 storied seasons, Williams stroked a towering home run. Preferring to leave baseball as he had played it—with unsurpassed style—he retired on the spot.

Last week Williams, 50, returned to Boston's Fenway Park as the rookie manager of the Washington Senators. It was in that ballpark that he became known as Terrible Ted, throwing bats, spitting in derision, cursing unfriendly sportswriters...