Hall of Very Good - Bernie Williams
May 21, 2020 18:05:26 GMT
FrankSobotka1514, nutsberryfarm 🏜, and 1 more like this
Post by klawrencio79 on May 21, 2020 18:05:26 GMT
Bernabe Williams Figueroa, Jr., the longtime Yankee centerfielder, graces our board today. Basically the 5th Wheel of the Yankees' dominant 90s after the Core Four of Jeter, Rivera, moose knuckle Pettitte and dickhead Posada, Bernie Williams was a quiet, steady force and probably the most unheralded player of those Yankee teams. This isn't to say he was an unknown or an unsung hero, but when people talk about those Yankee teams, most people automatically gravitate to the Core Four. In spite of that, Williams was one of the most important players for the franchise.
In 1985, Williams, the son of a Merchant Marine, was scouted by Roberto Rivera, a Yankees scout who was smitten with Williams' smooth style, but wasn't interested in his good friend Juan Gonzalez, whom he felt wasn't serious about the game. Whoops! Part of the allure to Williams was his obvious athletic ability - he had won 4 gold medals in 1984 at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in track. Ultimately signed on his 17th birthday by the Yankees, Williams wasn't able to break into the majors until 1991 after being blocked by the likes of Roberto Kelly, Jesse Barfield, Mel Hall, Danny Tartabull, and it took an injury to Kelly to get him into the lineup.
I remember vividly about how George Steinbrenner openly hated Williams, particularly in those early years. By 1993, Williams had become the regular CF, but after a slow start to the season, the boss grew publicly impatient and insisted that Stick Michael trade the young CF. Michael was able to get a potential trade on the table for Larry Walker on the Expos but ultimately didn't pull the trigger. Talk about a trade that could have seriously altered the course of history for both players. In that season, his first full year in the majors, Williams slashed .268/.333/.400 (.734) with 12 homers and 68 RBI on a 2nd place Yankees team.
In 1995, Steinbrenner again wanted Williams gone, this time nearly orchestrating a trade with San Francisco for Darren Lewis. After again not following through, Williams had a breakout year, slashing .307/.392/.487 (.878) with 18 homers and 82 runs knocked in, and he led the team in hits (173), runs (93) and total bases (274).
In the 8 seasons from 1995 through, and including, 2002, Williams was his quietly excellent self, slashing .321/.406/.531 (.937), 142 OPS+, averaging 24 homers, 102 RBI, 177 hits, 105 runs, 33 doubles, and 292 total bases. During that same stretch, he made 5 All-Star Games, won 4 Gold Gloves a Silver Slugger Award, and a batting title with his sparkling .339 average in 1998. All in all, Williams finished his career with 2,336 hits, 287 HRs, 1,257 RBI, 1,366 runs scored and 4 WS rings.
All that is great, but it's the postseason where Williams truly shined. He played in 121 total postseason games:
I remember all those years watching those great Yankees teams and Williams and Paul O'Neill were always the guys that I felt were the toughest outs in the lineup. Neither of them ever let you get away with a mistake, both had great eyes and both were very tough to strike out.
Some fun facts:
In 2003, Williams released his major label debut, The Journey Within, on which Williams plays rhythm and lead guitar. Smooth swing and smooth guitar chops!
In 1985, Williams, the son of a Merchant Marine, was scouted by Roberto Rivera, a Yankees scout who was smitten with Williams' smooth style, but wasn't interested in his good friend Juan Gonzalez, whom he felt wasn't serious about the game. Whoops! Part of the allure to Williams was his obvious athletic ability - he had won 4 gold medals in 1984 at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in track. Ultimately signed on his 17th birthday by the Yankees, Williams wasn't able to break into the majors until 1991 after being blocked by the likes of Roberto Kelly, Jesse Barfield, Mel Hall, Danny Tartabull, and it took an injury to Kelly to get him into the lineup.
I remember vividly about how George Steinbrenner openly hated Williams, particularly in those early years. By 1993, Williams had become the regular CF, but after a slow start to the season, the boss grew publicly impatient and insisted that Stick Michael trade the young CF. Michael was able to get a potential trade on the table for Larry Walker on the Expos but ultimately didn't pull the trigger. Talk about a trade that could have seriously altered the course of history for both players. In that season, his first full year in the majors, Williams slashed .268/.333/.400 (.734) with 12 homers and 68 RBI on a 2nd place Yankees team.
In 1995, Steinbrenner again wanted Williams gone, this time nearly orchestrating a trade with San Francisco for Darren Lewis. After again not following through, Williams had a breakout year, slashing .307/.392/.487 (.878) with 18 homers and 82 runs knocked in, and he led the team in hits (173), runs (93) and total bases (274).
In the 8 seasons from 1995 through, and including, 2002, Williams was his quietly excellent self, slashing .321/.406/.531 (.937), 142 OPS+, averaging 24 homers, 102 RBI, 177 hits, 105 runs, 33 doubles, and 292 total bases. During that same stretch, he made 5 All-Star Games, won 4 Gold Gloves a Silver Slugger Award, and a batting title with his sparkling .339 average in 1998. All in all, Williams finished his career with 2,336 hits, 287 HRs, 1,257 RBI, 1,366 runs scored and 4 WS rings.
All that is great, but it's the postseason where Williams truly shined. He played in 121 total postseason games:
- Career slash line of .275/.371/.480 (.850) in 545 PAs
- 1996 ALCS MVP against the Orioles with a Ruthian .474/.583/.947 (1.531) line, 2 HRs, 6 RBI, 6 runs scored.
- 128 career hits - #2 all time (Jeter)
- 83 career runs - #2 all time (Jeter)
- 223 career total bases - #2 all time (Jeter)
- 29 career doubles - #2 all time (Jeter)
- 22 career HR - #2 all time (Manny Ramirez)
- 80 RBI - #1 all time (yay!)
I remember all those years watching those great Yankees teams and Williams and Paul O'Neill were always the guys that I felt were the toughest outs in the lineup. Neither of them ever let you get away with a mistake, both had great eyes and both were very tough to strike out.
Some fun facts:
- Bernie played on the last losing Yankees team, the 1992 team that went 76-86 in Buck Showalter's first year.
- In 1998, he became the first player in MLB History to win a batting title, gold glove and word series ring in the same season.
- Got a hit in his major league debut game, on July 7, 1991, notching an RBI single off Gregg Olson in the 9th.
- In 90 career ABs off soft-tossing Jamie Moyer, Williams cruised to a .389 average with 8 HRs. Take that, bitch.
In 2003, Williams released his major label debut, The Journey Within, on which Williams plays rhythm and lead guitar. Smooth swing and smooth guitar chops!
