Bernie Williams’s Bat in the 1996 ALCS Made The Yankees Great
By Adrian Burgos
Bernie Williams was my guy on the New York Yankees during the 1990s and 2000s. He never wore another team’s major league uniform, a Yankee from the beginning to the end of his career.
But it was more than his devotion to team that made Williams my guy. It was his personality, the way he played, and the impact he had on the Yankees’ postseason runs during his career.
Williams was unassuming, understated and loyal. His personality didn’t demand attention. He was content with just being himself, whether on the field or strumming his guitar in the Yankees clubhouse.
His bat and mastery of center field gave the Yankees stability and dependability. A lifetime .297 hitter, he reached double digits in home runs 14 straight seasons and yet never hit more than 30 home runs in a season. Never flashy, the field of play was Bernie Williams’ place to shine, especially in the postseason.
No postseason showed this more than 1996.
Williams went off, hitting six home runs in three rounds of the playoffs and winning the American League Championship Series MVP.
His big blasts throughout the 1996 playoffs resulted in the Yankees securing their first World Series title since 1978.
A bit of mystery always surrounded Williams. His name had a lot to do with it.
The name Bernie Williams doesn’t scream out “Yo soy Boricua, pa’que tú lo sepas.” (I am Puerto Rican, so that you know.)
The subject of Williams’ identity sometimes stirred up arguments, resulting in my insisting that Williams was indeed Puerto Rican and not African-American.
Bernabé Williams Figueroa, Jr. was his full birth name, I would remind them.
The name he used as a player did sound a bit like a superhero’s secret identity—a Puerto Rican version of Clark Kent. In the postseason, Williams became our Superman, coming through with the big bats, time and again.
As someone with Puerto Rican roots, I couldn’t have been prouder, especially after his 1996 performance, to wear a 51 Yankees jersey with Williams across the back. His display of power in the postseason sparked a resurgence of the Yankees. While Williams averaged a home run every 31.5 at-bats during the regular season, his postseason bats hit home runs approximately every 21 at-bats.
Williams’ more powerful bat was a central part of New York’s performance in the late 90s when the Yankees won four World Series over five seasons (1996-2000).
All thanks to Bernie Williams’s boricua-born super powers.
Featured Image: La Vida Baseball