PHOTO: EAST NEWS/AFP (FILES) This 03 August 1997 file photo shows former Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams during his induction ceremony at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. According to the Boston Globe, Williams, 82, the last major leaguer to hit .400 and regarded as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, is suffering from cardiovascular deterioration and will undergo a risky open-heart surgery 15 January 2001.