The fire is almost out
He has been the mainstay of the Yankees line-up for the best part of the past 15 years but now it seems as though father time has caught up with Bernie Williams.
He was the first player I ever saw score a winning run in a game (my first live game on TV was the 2001 WS - Game 3) and he was a five time All Star. Four gold gloves and one silver slugger. 2336 hits, 22 round trippers in the post season, 80 RBI in October, all impressive stats in themselves and when you add them to his 162 game average of .297/22/98 you have to agree that he was one of the premier players in his position throughout his career.
However despite saying all that, he shouldn't be given a guaranteed spot on the 25 man roster for 2007. I am all for sentiment but when a player is solely on a roster just because of past glories then it isn't good for the team. Williams will surely have his # retired and a plaque in Monument Park and would be welcome to become a special advisor at Spring Training but you get the feeling he has other avenues to explore.
A music career beckons for the former Yankee great and it is time to concentrate on that part of his life. He will always have a special place in Yankee fans hearts but if fans want to return to the World Series and to win it, then they have a better chance doing it without Bernie Williams as a 5th OF on the bench.
Father time catches up to us all, and as one door closes another one opens. Williams' baseball career is coming to an end but the future is still bright.
posted by Neil Monnery @ 6:02 pm
4 threw a strike
4 threw a strike:
All good things come to an end. As a Red Sox fan, I always worried when he came to bat. Here's hoping that his retirement is as good as his career in baseball.
A plague in Monument Park? That would be cool :)
In a nutshell, he's still not a bad player but he's not really good enough to be an outfielder for a championship team and you know they're going to have to pay fairly decent money for him to be basically a fifth outfielder.
He's been on the wain for a couple of years now and he's not near any landmarks so there is no reason for him to keep going.
Well he only cost $1.5m last season but I agree with your sentiments that his career is on the vast slide and it's better for him if he concentrates on his music.
He would surely be welcome to ST as a special instructor like many former Yankees are and I don't think TV is in his plans.
Great call s1c, he is a class individual, who had a great career. I just hope he goes now before people remember the struggling 5th OF.
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