Bernie Unplugged

Recently I had the pleasure of spending time with former Yankee Bernie Williams. He was the first baseball player to be honored at the annual “Worlds Best 10K” Race held in Puerto Rico over the weekend. (A little gloating, my father, Victor Lopez, was the honoree in 2006 and is on the board for the race). The race is sanctioned by the IAAF, the world governing body of track and field, and featured the best distance runners “sprinting” the little over six miles. Each year, a Puerto Rican athlete is chosen to be the official starter of the race. This year, Bernie had the honor of starting more than 13, 000 participants.

The five time All Star spoke with members of the media before the race. He was candid, honest and seemed to be truly inspired by the title of his sophomore album, “Moving Forward (set to be released April 14). He spoke about plans to have a Times Square concert for the new album (I will keep you posted). For those who don’t know, Bernie is an accomplished guitarist and composer and received classical training at the Escuela Libre de Musica High in his native San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Interestingly his music has a lot to do with how he dealt with the end of his Major League Baseball career…so far (more on that in a bit). He calls himself “lucky” to have options other than just being a baseball player. Looking back, Bernie classified being dropped by the Yankees after the 2006 season a “blessing”. He says he was able to spend time with his family. He questions, if he played longer or if circumstances were different, would he have come home to an “empty house”? One of my “pseudo” uncles is a former Major League Baseball player, and I saw first hand how absent he was because of the long season. His words were deep and made a lot of sense.

However, baseball was his life in the majors for 16 years, all in Pinstripes. So, are his baseball days over? Obviously not…he is currently playing with the Puerto Rico team in the World Baseball Classic. He says his role is to give the outfielders rest or come in as a designated hitter. Who doesn’t like Bernie in that pinch hit position? Memories…

Bernie spoke highly of the Yankees team he practiced with in preparation for the WBC. He said he received a call from Yanks brass in the car, on his way to the minor league field. He was asked to come to the major league side, told he would be a good presence. Absolutely! The baseball bug bit again! He says he feels great and was able to hit well off big leaguers like Andy Pettitte and Chien Ming Wang. Admittedly though, everything is slower. Is he willing to play in the majors again? He didn’t rule that out and says the decision is based on how the WBC ends.

He spoke of a Yankees clubhouse that discusses the Alex/steroids thing almost like “watercooler talk”. The focus, he says, is on the season and winning the Series. In his view, Mark Texiera will help reduce the pressure on Alex to drive in all the runs. Bernie adds that 2001 and 2003 are his favorite years, when there was a definite “team mentality”. Everyone knew their strengths and limitations. Bernie feels it’s up to Joe Girardi to find this in his group.

Bernie adds that he has heard rumors he might be asked to coach for the Yankees. He insists there has been no official offer but would NOT coach if asked. Not interested.

As for the standing ovation at Yankee Stadium during the last home game, he said it was one of the top five moments in his life. Did he feel vindicated with the intense fan reaction because of how he was ultimately treated by the Yanks? No, and in fact, he said this was not the moment which motivated him to pick up the bat again. Speaking of, I am glad to see he has done so. The 40-year old is in great shape and is just a consummate gentleman and athlete. It was humbling to watch him that day at the race. Bernie was so overwhelmed by the strength and determination of the runners who had to run over the Puente Teodoro Moscoso (a major bridge where the wind whips and swirls). This as everyone else was excited to see him. He saw the athleticism of the elites and novices alike, gutting out the race and felt a connection to them. I loved that and can see why people flock to Bernie Williams.