Williams, Bernie
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Wikipedia-Article "Bernie Williams"
- For a baseball player from the 1970s named Bernie Williams, see Bernard Williams (baseball).
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| Position | Center Field |
| Team | New York Yankees |
| Years of Experience | 15 years |
| Age | 37 |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in |
| Weight | 205 lbs. |
| Bats | Both |
| Throws | Right |
| College | University of Puerto Rico |
| 2005 Salary | $12,357,143 |
| Place of Birth | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Selection | Amateur Free Agent, 1985 |
| Drafted by | New York Yankees |
| Major League Debut | July 7, 1991 |
Bernabé "Bernie" Figueroa Williams (born September 13, 1968 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a center fielder for the New York Yankees. Bernie Williams was one of the top outfielders in Major League Baseball from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. With his graceful play in the field matching his dignified and soft-spoken temperament, Williams has played his entire career (1991-present) with the New York Yankees.
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Background
As a young man growing up in Puerto Rico, the athletic Williams developed strong interests in baseball and classical guitar. He was also active in track and field, winning 4 gold medals at an international meet at the age of 15. He was one of the world's best 400-meter runners for his age. On his seventeenth birthday, September 13 1985, he signed a professional contract with the New York Yankees' organization.
Playing for the Yankee's Double-A team in Albany, he continued to develop his athletic skills - particularly in the coveted area of switch hitting. Although viewed as a great prospect by the Yankees' management, his rise to the majors was delayed by the solid outfield that the team had developed in the early 1990s; an outfield filled by the popular Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson and Claudell Washington.
Nevertheless, he 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 some 300 at bats. He was demoted to the minors until Danny Tartabull was injured, and Williams earned his stay at center by putting up solid numbers.
Career
Williams had become the regular Yankees center fielder by 1993. The management of 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 flyballs and linedrives, but had a weak throwing arm. He was a consistent hitter, but lacked home run power. Throughout the early 1990s he hit in the middle of the order as management tried to figure out where he fit in.
1995 was a breakout season for Williams. He cranked out 18 home runs and posted an above .300 average. He led the team in runs, hits, total bases and stolen bases. That year the Yankees finally reached the post season after a drought of over a decade. In 1996, Williams' power swing continued to develop and he was moved into the cleanup spot by manager Joe Torre, where he would bat for most of the next 6 years. In the American League Championship Series, Williams hit a memorable walk-off homer in Game 1 and went on to win the ALCS MVP award. The Yankees won the World Series that year, thanks in large part to his clutch hitting in the playoffs. Through the late '90's, Bernie Williams became the cornerstone of a Yankee Dynasty that repeatedly played in the post-season. The steady, reliable hitting, specially in timely situations, coupled with stellar defense in center field, were crucial to the Yankees' ability to win consistently.
It was also during this time that Williams developed his trademark keen eye at the plate. He gained a reputation as one of the smart batters in the game, and one of the game's toughest outs. After a disappointing 1997 season, Bernie guided the team as they reclaimed the World Series title in 1998, in what has been regarded as one of the most successful seasons of any team in the history of sports. The league-record 114 wins was coupled with a batting title for Williams that year, as he finished with a .339 average, narrowly edging out Mo Vaughn of the Boston Red Sox on the final day of the season. Williams became the first player to win a batting title, Gold Glove award, and World Series ring in the same year.
After that season Williams inked a seven year, $85 million, contract with the Yankees. His team won the championship again in 1999, beating the Atlanta Braves a second time, and in 2000 in the Subway Series against the New York Mets. The Yankees have been to the World Series twice since then, losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 and to the Florida Marlins in 2003.
The 2003 and 2004 seasons brought major changes to the Yankees lineup. Whereas they had previously relied on the consistent, but low power, hitting of Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius and Derek Jeter, the ownership had now brought in all-star sluggers like Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, and Jason Giambi. In 2004, the Yankees unthinkably lost the ALCS to the Boston Red Sox after holding a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
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 a designated hitter, but his already weak arm was highlighted as his fielding and batting abilities considerably weakened. 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.
Through 15 Major League Seasons, all with the Yankees at a time when most players do not play entire careers with the same team, Bernie Williams has a career batting average of .298, a .384 on-base percentage, 275 homeruns and 1196 runs batted in (through the 2005 season).
Bernie Williams is often praised for his dignified persona on and off the field and is often regarded an example of excellent professional conduct in the sporting world. His friendly and cordial, if slightly withdrawn, style with fans and reporters has earned him the nearly unparalleled respect of New Yorkers and fans everywhere.
Bernie Williams was one of the Puerto Rican players to agree to play for Puerto Rico in the 2006 MLB World Baseball Classic, joining Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Mike Lowell, Javier Vazquez and Jose Vidro amongst others representing the US Territory Island Nation in a team managed by Saint Louis Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo.
Career Highlights
- 5 Time All-Star (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)
- 1995 ALCS MVP
- 4 Time Gold Glove Winner (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
- 1998 AL Batting Champion (.339 AVG)
Trivia
From 1997-2000 Williams won the Gold Glove Award for his center field play.
He has played in five All-Star Games.
He released an album of instrumental classical and jazz recordings titled The Journey Within, which debuted in July 2003
He is referenced in the third season of the TV show The West Wing. The fictional president, Josiah Bartlet, mentions 'the centerfielder for the New York Yankees is an accomplished classical guitarist' to demonstrate to his opponent that popular entertainment such as athletics is not in contradiction with artistic entertainment.
In 1997 he became the Yankees representative to the Children's Health Fund, which provides healthcare for impoverished children.
Played guitar as a guest musician on the Flecktones album Little Worlds.
His jersey number "51" is a hint of his political view that his native Puerto Rico should become the 51st State of the United States of America.
See also
External links
- Williams' statistics on the Baseball Almanac site
- Williams' bio on the Baseball Library site
- Williams' statistics on the Baseball Reference site