Monday, March 9, 2009

Unassuming house in North Park
is boyhood home of baseball legend

DESTINATIONS | Anthony Tarantino
4121 Utah St. | San Diego

It's a simple one-story house in San Diego's North Park neighborhood. A blue and white striped canopy covers a small entry way. A green painted walkway leads you to a screened front door. Overgrown plants cover a good portion of the house as you look from the street. A simple chain-link fence keeps you off the grass.

So what's so special about 4121 Utah St. anyway?

It's the boyhood home of Ted Williams.

Williams moved into the house with his family in 1924. As a child, he would walk the streets of North Park swinging his bat. He played ball just a block away at what is today North Park Community Park.

The diamond at the park has a sign. It reads: Ted Williams Field officially named in honor of baseball's Hall-of Famer by the Park and Recreation Board on November 16, 1990.

The house has no such sign. No statue. Not even a plaque.

You could drive by and not even know it was any different than the house across the street.

But this house and this neighborhood are special. They are where a little boy honed his skills on his way to becoming arguably the greatest hitter the game has ever seen.

4 comments:

  1. I think that's really cool. I don't want to be a stalker or anything, but I like driving by places like that to look.

    Hope this becomes a recurring feature.

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  2. The writing here is outstanding. Hang a star!

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  3. Thanks so much for posting this. Can't wait to find the house next time I'm in SD.

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  4. I lived in this house in the 1970's. After my husband and I moved in an old guy who lived next door came over while I was watering the lawn. He said, " This probably doesn't mean anything to you, but Ted Williams lived here as a boy." It did mean something. Yes it did.

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