Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends about baseball and whether they are true or false. Click here to view an archive of the baseball urban legends featured so far.

BASEBALL URBAN LEGEND: A condom company used a drawing of Ted Williams’ picture to promote a sports-themed brand of condoms.

It’s a cool thing if your picture is used on the front of a box of Wheaties.

On a condom wrapper, not so much.

ESPECIALLY when you are not even reimbursed for the use!!!

Up until the 1950s, purchasing prophylactics were still pretty much “hush hush.”

But in the 1950s, the sale of condoms became much more “above the counter,” and a great example of this is “Champ Condoms,” a sports-themed brand of condoms (designed for the prevention of diseases, they say).

Here’s one with a golfer on the front…

But the best is this baseball one….

Look familiar?

Here’s a picture of Ted Williams…

Here they are together…

Pretty crazy, huh?

Williams was never paid for the usage of his likeness, and really, publicity laws of the day were so weak he likely never would have had a chance to push the case, so he had to just deal with it.

We know it didn’t bother him TOO much, though, because in 2004, Heritage Sports Auctions was auctioning off a (authenticated) AUTOGRAPHED Ted Williams condom!

I can only imagine how odd of a conversation it must have been getting that condom signed!!

The legend is…

STATUS: True

Thanks to the Baseball Reliquary for the picture of the condom!

Feel free (heck, I implore you!) to write in with your suggestions for future urban legends columns! My e-mail address is bcronin@legendsrevealed.com