Article: Splendid Splinter was idol of Yankees legend Mickey Mantle.

Ted Williams was Mickey Mantle's idol.

"Williams is the best hitter I ever saw," Mantle always said, "my choice for the finest batter who ever lived."

"I loved watching Ted hit. He attacked a pitch, exploded at the ball. The man was just unbelievable.

"He had a reason for everything he did with a bat in his hand. And he worked like hell at it. Nobody worked harder at learning everything there is to know about hitting than Ted Williams. When it came to hitting, he knew it all.

"We used to talk hitting," Mantle would laugh, "and when we got through I sometimes didn't know what the hell he was talking about.

"Ted treated it as ...

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