as if i wasn't emotional enough yesterday, leave it to the post to start me choking up all over again:

There were early career moments when [Bernie's] talent was questioned. The game came hard to Williams; still does. The instinct he found in his fingers to play guitar never came to his baseball brain. He weathered it. He knew the organization doubted him, he heard all the trade rumors, experienced the Yankees undervaluing him. The Yanks nearly signed Albert Belle after the 1998 season, continuing a career pattern of feeling Williams was not worth his requests. Williams nearly ended up a Red Sox, though his heart was always here. The Yanks finally caved and gave him $87.5 million over seven years. That, too, changed baseball history.


Belle, a nuisance, broke down. Williams, a clubhouse prince, helped the Yanks win two more titles as their cleanup hitter. That October he won Game 1 over Boston with a walkoff homer, the second time in the postseason he had done that. David Ortiz is the only other player who can say that. No other switch-hitter can say they hit homers from both sides of the plate two different times in a postseason game. No one else who ever played the game can say they had 22 postseason homers. Williams had the stomach for October. He was plenty tough.


That seven-year contract expires now, and so, too, possibly does Williams' Yankee career. The shy 16-year-old is near the top of every important career offensive list in team history, one of the 10 greatest players to ever play for the greatest team.

Labels: yanquis