On September 28, 1960--a day that will live forever in the hearts of
fans--Red Sox slugger Ted Williams stepped up to the plate for his last
at-bat in Fenway Park. Seizing the occasion, he belted a solo home
run--a storybook ending to a storied career.
In the stands that afternoon was twenty-eight-year-old John Updike,
inspired by the moment to make his lone venture into the field of sports
reporting. More than just a matchless account of that fabled final game,
Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu is a brilliant evocation of Williams' entire
tumultuous life in baseball.
Now, on the fiftieth anniversary of the dramatic exit of baseball's
greatest hitter, The Library of America presents a commemorative edition
of Hub Fans, prepared by the author just months before his death. To
the classic final version of the essay, long out-of-print, Updike added
an autobiographical preface and a substantial new afterword.