| Bernie Williams | |
|---|---|
| Center fielder | |
| Born: September 13, 1968 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
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| Batted: Switch | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| July 7, 1991 for the New York Yankees | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 2006 for the New York Yankees | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .297 |
| Home runs | 287 |
| Runs batted in | 1,257 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
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Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. (born September 13, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.
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Growing up, Williams played classical guitar as well as baseball. He was also active in track and field, winning medals at an international meet at the age of 15.[1] He was one of the world's best 400-meter runners for his age.[2]
On his 17th birthday, he signed a professional contract with the New York Yankees organization.[3]
Playing for the Yankees' Double-A team in Albany,[4] he continued to develop his athletic skills — particularly as a switch hitter.[5] Although viewed as a great prospect by Yankee management, his rise to the Majors was delayed by the solid outfield that the team had developed in the early 1990s.[6]
Williams managed to break into the majors in 1991 to replace the injured Roberto Kelly for the second half of that season. He batted .238 in 320 at bats.[3] He was demoted to the minors until Danny Tartabull was injured, and Williams earned his stay at center by putting up solid numbers.[3]
Williams had become the regular Yankees center fielder by 1993. Buck Showalter helped keep him with the Yankees through 1995, when George Steinbrenner sought to trade him. Steinbrenner was frustrated by the team's difficulty in placing him in any of the traditional baseball player molds. He had good speed, but rarely stole bases. In center, he was highly capable at tracking down fly balls and line drives, but had a weak throwing arm. He was a consistent hitter, but only had mild home run power. Throughout the early 1990s he hit in the middle of the order as management tried to figure out where his best fit was.
1995 was a breakout season for Williams. He hit 18 home runs and led the team in runs, hits, total bases and stolen bases.[3] Bernie continued his hot hitting into the postseason, leading the Yankees with a .429 batting average in the ALDS against Seattle.
After continuing to improve in 1996, Bernie again showcased his skills to the baseball world in the postseason. He batted .467 in the ALDS against Texas and played a sparkling center field. He picked up where he left off in the ALCS against Baltimore, belting an 11th-inning walk-off homer in Game 1. Ending with a .474 ALCS average and two homers, Bernie was named the ALCS MVP. Bernie collected just four hits in the 1996 World Series but his 4 RBI led the Yankees and a clutch homer in the eighth inning of Game 3 helped capture the team's first championship since 1978.
During the 1998 season, in which the Yankees went 114-48 to set a then American League regular season record, Williams finished with a .339 average, becoming the first player to win a batting title, Gold Glove award, and World Series ring in the same year.
After the 1998 season, Williams signed a 7-year, $87.5-million contract with the Yankees,[3] one of the largest in baseball at the time. The Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks were the main contenders for Bernie's services.[3] For the length of the contract, the Yankees made the playoffs every single year, and as a result Bernie continued to add to his postseason statistics, placing in the top 10 of various career postseason categories.
The last year covered by his contract, 2005, proved to be a difficult one. He started 99 games in center field and 22 games as designated hitter, but his already weak arm was highlighted as his fielding and batting abilities considerably weakened. He had a career-worst .321 OBP and batting average on balls in play (.274). As expected, the Yankees announced on August 2, 2005, that they would not pick up the $15 million option on Williams' contract for the 2006 season, opting to pay a $3.5 million buyout instead. In December Williams was offered arbitration by team general manager Brian Cashman to allow an additional month for negotiation. On December 22, the Yankees re-signed Williams to a 1-year, $1.5 million contract.[7]
In 2006, Williams saw a good amount of playing time in the corner outfield spots with both Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield out with wrist injuries, and did spot duty in center field on days when starting center fielder Johnny Damon was given time off to rest, playing more than was expected when he signed his one-year extension with the Yankees in 2006.
Williams played for Puerto Rico in the 2006 MLB World Baseball Classic, joining Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltrán, Mike Lowell, Javier Vázquez, and José Vidro amongst others representing the island nation in a team managed by St. Louis Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo.
On July 26, 2006, Williams got his 2,300th career hit, becoming the 11th active player in the Majors with 2,300 or more career hits. Bernie continued to climb the Yankees record books by hitting his 443rd career double on August 16, 2006, surpassing then-bench coach Don Mattingly for second-most as a Yankee. For the year, he walked only 7.3% of the time, a career-worst.
After two years of inactivity, Williams returned to action playing for the Gigantes de Carolina in the Puerto Rico Baseball League (formerly LBPPR) interested in gauging his condition prior to a possible participation in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.[8] MLB.com reported on December 30, 2008 that Bernie Williams had injured his quad while playing for Carolina and may not be able to play in the World Baseball Classic for Puerto Rico.
On February 19, 2009 Williams worked out with the Yankees at the team's spring training complex.[9] Williams hinted that if he performs well in the World Baseball Classic he might consider returning to the Yankees.[10] Williams, a fan favorite with the Yankees during the Joe Torre era, still has several friends and former teammates in pinstripes.
Williams' contract expired at the end of the 2006 season. He had hoped to return to the Yankees in 2007 and was willing to accept a role as a back-up outfielder and pinch hitter.[11] The Yankees offered Williams an invitation to spring training as a non-roster invitee, giving him a chance to compete for a job. Williams, however, wanted a guaranteed roster spot and declined the invitation.[12]
On September 21, 2008, Williams made his first return to Yankee Stadium since 2006 for the ceremonies preceding the final game at the stadium. He was the last former player to be introduced and received a standing ovation that lasted a minute and 42 seconds.[13]
In March 2009 he played for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, going 0-for-5 with two walks; after the series concluded, he expressed interest in playing in the Major Leagues again.[14]
Though he has not played in Major League Baseball, Williams never officially retired. At the February 2011 retirement press conference for Andy Pettitte, Williams acknowledged that his career was over and stated that he would officially announce his retirement soon thereafter.[15]
As of 2007, he holds career postseason records for games (121), runs batted in (80) and extra base hits (51). On October 5, in Game 2 of the 2007 American League Division Series, Manny Ramírez broke Bernie's post-season home run record of 22 when he hit a walk-off home run off then-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's closer Francisco Rodríguez.[16]
Standing on Yankee all-time lists as of the beginning of the 2008 season:[17]
A classically trained guitarist, Williams plays and composes music with influences that include jazz, classical, pop, Brazilian, and Latin sounds. Following his career with the New York Yankees, he studied guitar and composition for a year at the State University of New York at Purchase in preparation for his album, "Moving Forward".
Williams signed with Paul McCartney's publishing company, MPL Communications,[18] and his major label debut, The Journey Within, was released on June 22, 2003.[19] In addition to playing lead and rhythm guitar, Williams composed seven songs for the album. Tracks like “La Salsa En Mi” and “Desvelado” mix Bernie’s love of jazz with the sophisticated Latin rhythms of his Puerto Rican heritage.
The first single was a remix of his “Just Because”, featuring David Benoit. Other highlights include Williams’ heartfelt tribute to his father, “Para Don Berna”, a reworking of the Baden Powell song, “Samba Novo”, and “La Salsa En Mi”, featuring background vocals from 2003 Grammy Winner Ruben Blades and salsa legend Gilberto Santa Rosa. Also joining Williams is an all-star ensemble of musicians including multiple Grammy-winning banjo player Béla Fleck, keyboardist David Sancious, percussionist Luis Conte, bassist Leland Sklar, guitarist Tim Pierce, and drummers Kenny Aronoff and Shawn Pelton, among others.
Bernie's second major album, Moving Forward, was released on April 14, 2009 under the Reform Records label. The album features fourteen tracks and includes some collaborative tracks with other artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa, Jon Secada, and Dave Koz.[20]
On September 17, 2009, Bernie Williams was nominated for a Latin Grammy for his latest album, Moving Forward.
As of Spring of 2010 Williams was participating in the World Rhythms Tour with Basia. On July 18, 2010 he performed at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games opening ceremony.
In July, 2011, Williams' book, "Rhythms of the Game", co-authored by Williams, Dave Gluck and Bob Thompson with a foreword by Paul Simon will be published by Hal Leonard Publishing.
| Year | Title | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. Jazz |
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| 2003 | The Journey Within
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157 | 3 |
| 2009 | Moving Forward
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178 | 2 |
Bernie married wife Waleska on February 23, 1990. They have 3 children; Bernie Jr., Beatriz, and Bianca. One song on Bernie's 2009 release "Moving Forward" is named after Beatriz (Lullaby for Beatriz). This song is performed by Bernie Williams and his brother, Hiram Williams on the cello. This song was recorded in Puerto Rico at the Alpha Recording Studios.
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tim Salmon Iván Rodríguez |
American League Player of the Month August 1997 May 1998 |
Succeeded by Juan González Rafael Palmeiro |
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