Son freezes body of Red Sox baseball legend

Having played 19 seasons for the Boston Red Sox, Ted Williams – the American baseball legend who died last week – enjoyed a long career. But there is a chance that his career could go on yet further.

A row was raging yesterday within the late batter's family because John Williams has arranged for his father's body to be frozen for posterity and then thawed out – and hopefully revived – in the future. While the baseball world will honour Mr Williams at an all-star game tonight in Milwaukee, the record-breaker's body will be lying in a vat of liquid nitrogen in the cryonic warehouse at Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Quite why John Williams should wish to freeze his father's body is unclear. Some have suggested he simply hopes to bring his father back to life, while others have suggested that he may wish to profit from his father's DNA – perhaps helping to clone identical batters with the late star's legendary hand-to-eye co-ordination.

Other members of the family and his friends are now trying to see Mr Williams is cremated as he wished. Eric Abel, his attorney, said: "Ted Williams was a private person in life, and in death he wished to remain private. He did not wish to have any funeral."

Alcor did not comment on Mr Williams, who died last week aged 83. The company offers "neuro-suspension", in which only the head is frozen for $50,000, and full-body treatment for $120,000 (£80,000).