Yankees News: Yankees Will Wear Special Patch to Honor Bernie Williams

Before this Sunday’s game against the Texas Rangers the New York Yankees will retire five-time All Star Bernie Williams’ No. 51 and honor the four-time gold glove center fielder with a pre-game ceremony and a plaque in monument park. The Yankees will also wear a patch on their hats honoring Williams.

Williams who played 16 seasons with the Yankees and was the starting center fielder during the incredible run in which they won 4 World Series championships in 5 years from 1996-2000 will have his number and name enshrined with the Yankee legends including his fellow center fielder alumni Mickey Mantle’s No. 7  and Joe Dimaggio’s No. 5.

Sep 25, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter (2) is greeted by Bernie Williams and Joe Torre (center) after defeating the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

When looking at an already crowded field of Yankees’ retired numbers it is easy to wonder if the Yankees are retiring too many numbers. But, it is nearly impossible to argue that any of them are undeserving.

Bernie Williams was one of the best players on one of the best dynasties in baseball. His career numbers did not warrant Hall of Fame consideration and he fell of the ballot after only two years and never gained more than 3.3% of the vote, far below the 75% that is required. But from 1995-2001 there were few players who were better than Bernie.  In 1998, the team that many say was one of the greatest teams in MLB history, he was the best offensive player producing a .339/.422/.575 with an OPS+ of  .160.

It isn’t always the numbers that tell the story. While Williams’ number are impressive and in his peak he was HOF worthy, it is likely two things that most Yankees’ fans will be thinking of as they watch the ceremony on Sunday. The postseason, in which Williams’ excelled, and his debut as a young prospect who fans, weary of losing, could finally rally behind and cheer for.

In 1991, when Williams joined the Yankees they had not made the playoffs in a decade and he played his first two seasons on losing teams; but what made Williams special was the excitement that this young player brought with him. For the first time in a long time, many fans felt excited about the possibility that they Yankees could be, no would be, good again. And they were right, behind Williams, came Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter, and Andy Pettitte, a group who would become one of the most successful dynasties in sports. It is also a group who will follow Williams into monument park:  Posada and Pettitte in August of this year and Mo and Jeter, in time.

It was in those many postseasons that Williams brought to fruition the promise that excited fans when he debuted in the early nineties.  He played in 12 postseasons, 121 games, and averaged .275/.371/.480. But it may be October of 1996 when he hit .345/.435/.707 with six home runs to win the World Series that made fans really fall in love with him. Postseason heroics are often the cornerstone on which monument park plaques are born, and Williams extra-inning walk-off home run against the Orioles in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series earned him that title along with the Most Valuable Player honors in the ALCS that year.

On Sunday, the Yankees will be honoring Bernie Williams, the prospect who allowed fans to hope of better days, and the player who played well enough to ensure those days became a reality.  Congratulations to Williams, as he is well-deserving of this day.

What is your favorite memory of Bernie Williams? Share it with us in the comments below.