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Sign of progress Williams returns to Florida to continue rehabilitation
Updated: Wednesday June 20, 2001 3:57 AM
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- After a 4 1/2-hour flight from San Diego, Ted Williams returned to Florida on Tuesday to continue rehabilitation from open-heart surgery. Upon landing in Gainesville, the 82-year-old baseball great was wheeled off the airplane and placed in a waiting ambulance that drove him to Shands Hospital at the University of Florida. A handful of Williams' family members were at the airport, but they refused to grant interviews, blocked photographers' shots and called security to shoo away reporters. At the family's request, Shands officials aren't allowed to "confirm or deny whether Mr. Williams is here," spokesman Garrett Hall said. Williams had been discharged from Sharp Hospital in San Diego earlier Tuesday and taken to Lindbergh Field for his flight aboard an air ambulance. In early November, the Hall of Famer was admitted to Shands and a pacemaker was placed in his chest to regulate his heartbeat. His problems continued, however, and Williams underwent heart surgery Jan. 15 in a 9 1/2-hour operation performed by a team of 14 doctors, nurses and technicians at New York's Weill Cornell Medical Center. He had several setbacks after the surgery, including kidney failure, infections and the need to return to a respirator. Williams was moved from a New York hospital to Sharp on Feb. 19. The hospital, which specializes in cardiac care and rehabilitation, is just a few miles from where Williams grew up. "While the majority of his time at Sharp was spent in the intensive care unit, Williams made significant improvements and was in fair and stable condition for his transfer to the University of Florida," Dr. Allan Goodman, Williams' admitting physician, said in a statement. Goodman said the Sharp staff was "thrilled to see his progress. We understand and support the Williams family in their decision to move Ted closer to his home in Florida. The progress we have seen is encouraging and we hope his therapy and rehabilitation will continue." Williams has lived in Florida since his playing days with the Boston Red Sox. Gainesville is about 50 miles from his home in Hernando. While hospitalized in San Diego, Williams was visited by former Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda and former Red Sox teammate Dom DiMaggio. Williams, who played his entire 19-year career with the Red Sox, was the last man to bat over .400 for a season, hitting .406 in 1941. After playing 1 1/2 seasons of minor league ball with San Diego, he was obtained by the Red Sox in 1937 for the then-outrageous sum of $25,000 and five players. After a year in Minneapolis, he went to the major leagues in 1939.
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