pic.twitter.com/7d1iAA3Cw6, — MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 20, 2018. Clearly, it’s not enough to argue that he was better than the seven pre-1950 Hall of Famers we chronicled earlier because the same arguments could be made for the dozen center fielders above Williams on the JAWS list. Anyway, in this piece we’ll cover a couple of topics: In the High Heat debate, Kenny stated often that it was indisputable that Bernie Williams was the Yankees best hitter (both in the regular season and post-season) during the team’s 8-year run of 4 championships and 6 pennants. On this list, he’s behind 7 Hall of Famers (all-time greats), the incomparable Mike Trout and the recently retired Carlos Beltran. 2076 Games7869 At Bats.297 Batting Average1366 Runs2336 Hits449 Doubles55 Triples287 Home Runs1257 RBI1069 Walks (84th A | Learn more at Covers Forum Over the next 21 seasons, Williams became one of the greatest Yankees of all-time. Gary Sheffield Remains Far Outside the Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame Doors: Closed to Billy Wagner, Todd Helton: Another Coors Field Hall of Fame Debate. Russo is an old-school fan who loves the history of the game and has an encyclopedic knowledge of that history. Posted on September 20, 2007 | 8 Comments. Combs won four pennants and three World Series titles with the Bronx Bombers, in 1927, 1928 and 1932, although he only had one plate appearance in ’28 due to injury. Here, the answer isn’t quite as clear-cut. As the table-setter for Murderers’ Row, Combs averaged 124 runs scored per season from 1925-32. Today is the 51st birthday for New York Yankees’ great Bernie Williams. Starting pitcher Andy Pettitte will be on the 2020 ballot with Jeter; his Hall of Fame future is uncertain given that he debuted on the 2019 ballot with a lowly 9.9% of the vote. Bernie Williams and the Hall of Fame The new names for the Hall of Fame came out this week, and the new name with the most initial backing this year seems to be Bernie Williams. Third baseman Wade Boggs, best known for his years with the Boston Red Sox, was the first member of those Yankees’ squads to get a plaque in Cooperstown; he was a member of the 1996 World Championship squad and was inducted in 2005. In 1985, Roberto Rivera, a scout for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB), discovered Williams and Williams' friend, Juan González. Yes, we all know that Jeter and Mo will get in, and almost all of the guys already in deserve it, but Bernie just wasn’t at the top long enough. Bernie?? The ’98 championship team (a super team that won 114 games) added Chuck Knoblauch and Scott Brosius to their already prolific offense, with David Wells and Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez acquired as well to form a top-level four-man staff with Pettitte and Cone. Photo by: Ken Curtis / Flickr . Appreciating Albert Pujols’ Hall of Fame Career, Justin Verlander’s Inexorable March towards the Hall of Fame. He’s had more important moments in baseball history than any of the other non-Hall of Famers on the list (see “Bernie’s Greatest Post-Season Hits” below). For those who may have forgotten, here are the top 10 Bernie Williams moments in the post-season (all Yankees wins): Honorable mention, because it includes a defensive highlight: in Game 3 of the 1996 ALDS (at Texas), Bernie hit a solo home run in the top of the 1st to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead and then, in the bottom of the frame, robbed Rusty Greer of a home run. Won 4 gold gloves (more than any Yankee during that time), a silver slugger, and 5 time all star. No no, I disagree. Lloyd did look like a true star in his first three seasons (1927-29), averaging .348 with 226 hits and 129 runs scored per season. Probably not within the next decade. And within a month a single month in 1998, it suddenly became crazy to say Bernie was better than Sosa. Bernie Williams in the MLB Fan Cave. 2006 was a surprise season for Williams as he saw an unexpected amount of playing time for the Yankees. (Photo by 2005 STAR-LEDGER FILE PHOTO) Bernie Williams is … Over the next 21 seasons, Williams became one of the greatest Yankees of all-time... MLB: Does Bernie Williams Belong in the Hall of Fame? The ones who changed the game, made an impact, and stayed at the top of their game for 10-12 years at least. First, let’s look at how Williams ranked among all position players who played at least 50% of their games in center field and had at least 3,000 plate appearances between 1995-2002: For a solid 8-year period, Bernie was the clearly the best center fielder in baseball, better even than Ken Griffey Jr., who is actually a year younger. The point here is essentially Russo’s, that the Yankees dynasty was an ensemble of excellent but not Cooperstown-worthy players with two young stars who would later become legends (Jeter and Rivera). Williams made five straight All-Star squads from 1997-2001 while winning four straight Gold Gloves from 1997-2000. The case against Bernie’s Hall of Fame candidacy is pretty easy to make from both the “old school” and sabermetric perspective. Manager Joe Torre clearly saw the value of his center fielder as an offensive cornerstone. In his breakout season in 1995, he hit 18 home runs and led the Yankees in runs, hits, total … Brian Giles is the only player ahead of Bernie on his list who never received any Cooperstown buzz. George Steinbrenner was not fond of Williams and wanted to trade him during the '95 season, but manager Buck Showalter pleaded his case for Bernie and he stayed with the team. On this list, “Scoops” Carey rates above Bernie in WAR because of vastly superior defensive metrics and 738 career steals. Combs was the third, fourth or fifth best offensive player on his squads. High Heat and MLB Now are my two favorite shows on MLB Network. He's got a good "jack of all trades, master of none" portfolio. Don’t Laugh: Bobby Abreu’s Hall of Fame Case. He believes in a “small Hall,” a Hall of Fame that is reserved for the elite of the elite. His career was very good but not spectacular. The good news is that JAWS ranks Bernie ahead of 7 Hall of Famers (Max Carey, Earl Averill, Earle Combs, Edd Roush, Hack Wilson, Hugh Duffy, and Lloyd Waner). This was a good thing too because Williams finished 1995 with a .307 average, 18 HR, 82 RBI, nine triples, and eight SB. Their names are Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas, Miguel Cabrera, Chipper Jones and Vladimir Guerrero. Still, for 8 years, Bernie Williams was better. Site dedicated to promoting those who have achieved levels of excellence deserving of the Hall of Fame. Bernie Williams: Future Hall of Famer? 1998 was also the only year in which Bernie’s Baseball Reference profile (or the back of his baseball card) features any black type. The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will release its list of soon-to-be inductees on Monday. What about catcher Jorge Posada or 20-game winner David Cone? Manny Machado to San Diego; did the Padres sign a Future Hall of Famer? He was named MVP of the ALCS that year. There’s one “system” that’s widely available that actually ranks players by position. First of all, let’s agree that a center fielder does not need to be at the level of Mays, Mantle, Cobb, DiMaggio, Speaker, or Griffey to be a Hall of Famer. Catcher Bill Dickey, also Cooperstown-enshrined, was a rookie in 1929 and quickly emerged as another offensive force. Williams was then recalled the next season when Danny Tartabull was injured and fared much better this time as he hit .280, with five HR, 26 RBI, and seven SB. Yet again, Bernie helped the Yankees win the world Series as they swept the Padres in four games. There’s one final thing to consider: in recent history the Hall of Fame is vastly underrepresented among center fielders. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Closer Mariano Rivera was the third Yankees’ player from this era to make the Hall; he was honored in the Hall’s Class of 2019. On this list (you can see it here), Williams does not fare well. Kenny is the most prominent on-air leader of the sabermetric movement; his show is, in his words, a show for the “thinking fan.” He’s a believer in a “big Hall,” a Hall of Fame that casts a wider net for its members (more about this at the end of the piece). Gold Glove, the retroactively applied metrics label him as less than mediocre as a center fielder. First, though, let’s take a fun little diversion here, to put some historical context behind the seven Hall of Fame center fielders who rank behind Williams on the JAWS list. Let’s forget about the four rings for a moment and took a look at how good a hitter Bernie Williams was during his peak years, from 1995-2002. Yankees hitters (1996-2003) min. If it’s true, they certainly didn’t hurt the team. Combs became the Yankees first-base coach, getting six more rings over ten years. The Hall of Fame case for and against Williams, including a comparison to 2001 inductee, 1996: led team with 29 HR, 108 Runs, .926 OPS, 2nd to Martinez with 102 RBI, 1998: led team with .997 OPS, .339 BA, 2nd to Martinez with 26 HR, 3rd with 97 RBI (to Martinez, O’Neill), 1999: led team with 115 RBI, 2nd to Jeter with .971 OPS and .342 BA, 2nd to Martinez with 25 HR, 2000: led team with 30 HR, 121 RBI, .957 OPS, 2nd to Jeter with .307 BA, 108 Runs, 2001: led team with .917 OPS, 2nd to Martinez with 26 HR, 94 RBI, 2nd to Jeter with .307 BA, 102 Runs, Max Carey (inducted 1961): great defensive player, 2,665 hits 738 SB, Edd Roush (inducted 1962): career .323 BA, two-time batting champion, Lloyd Waner (inducted 1967): career .316 BA, 2,459 hits, 200+ hits 4 times, Earle Combs (inducted 1970): career .325 BA, won 3 rings w/ Yankees, Earl Averill (inducted 1975): career .318 BA, 100+ runs 9 times, 90+ RBI 9 times, Game 3 1996 ALCS (at Baltimore): 2-out RBI single top 8th ties score at 1, Game 2 2000 ALCS (vs Seattle): RBI single bottom 8th ties score at 1, Game 6 1996 WS (vs Atlanta): RBI single bottom 3rd extends lead to 3-0 in clincher. Though the Hall of Fame neglected him, we can’t forget how outright dominant he was during the team’s most recent dynastic years. The dynasty teams of 1949-53 all had 4 to 5 Hall of Famers, with various combinations involving DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Phil Rizzuto and Johnny Mize. I’m saying that, going back in time using statistics, offense is much easier to measure and ring totals are easy to measure too. When you consider that teams since 1995 have had to navigate three rounds of playoffs to win the Fall Classic, I think it’s safe to say that Williams’ contributions were crucial to the existence of the four rings that he owns (see “Bernie’s Greatest Post-Season Hits” at the end of this piece). He also won a batting title that year. One could argue that Andruw Jones‘ 434 HR and 10 Gold Gloves put him two cuts above (his case discussed here). Shortly after the clock struck midnight, Jeter hit a solo home run off Arizona’s Byung-Hyun Kim to win the game 4-3. In 1991 the Yankees called up Williams to replace an injured Roberto Kelly for the remainder of the season. Edgar Martinez should be in. Examining the Credentials of the Current and Future Candidates for the Hall of Fame. That would follow the precedent of many great Yankee teams of the past. Bernie finished third in the AL in batting average. Now, if your reason to not side with Bernie as a Hall of Famer is that you you believe in a “small Hall” and that players such as Williams don’t belong in it, consider this: the “small Hall” ship sailed a long time ago when various Veterans Committees voted in dozens of second-tier Hall of Famers. A lot. He scored over 100 runs for seven years in a row (1996-’02), doing it again in 2004. The two players are similar in this sense, however: Williams was clearly the third, fourth or fifth banana in the eyes of the fans and the media, overshadowed by the emerging legends Jeter, Rivera as well as top-flight starting pitchers like Clemens, Cone and Pettitte. While only playing in 119 games, Bernie hit .263, 15 HR, 64 RBI, and stole five bases. The Yankees became the first team in Major League history to have ten players with ten or more home runs in a season. Flock_Masta_P 9 years ago #11. Bernie Williams: Should this Great Yankee be in the Hall of Fame? Hall of Famers on Past Yankees’ Dynasties, Derek Jeter’s Career Filled with Hall of Fame Moments, Larry Walker’s Hall of Fame Case and the Impact of Coors Field, Marvin Miller: Cooperstown’s Greatest Snub No More, Edgar Martinez: Finally in the Hall of Fame, Why Roy Halladay Deserved to be a First Ballot Hall of Famer, Mike Mussina Joins a Quartet of 2019 BBWAA Hall of Famers, Don’t Hate: Harold Baines is in the Hall of Fame, Chipper Jones Joins Braves’ Hall of Fame Dynasty, Vladimir Guerrero: Third Dominican Dandy in Cooperstown, Yes, Jack Morris Deserves His Hall of Fame Plaque, Finally, it’s Time for Trammell in Cooperstown, Randy Johnson: Cooperstown’s Intimidating Lefty, RIP Joe Morgan: Key Cog in the Big Red Machine, Red Sox Hall of Fame Legend Carl Yastrzemski, Rollie Fingers: World Series Closer Second to Only One, The Unique Hall of Fame Career of Dennis Eckersley, Gaylord Perry: Cooperstown Spitballer, Allegedly, Tributes to Hank Aaron (1934-2021), Forever the Home Run King, Remembering Whitey Ford: Chairman of the Board (1928-2020), Hall of Famer Frank Robinson Passes Away at 83, Bob Feller’s Rapid Path to the Hall of Fame, Hall of Famer Red Ruffing, World Series Star, Hall of Famer Jim O’Rourke: Yale Law Grad in a Blue Collar Game, Forget Twitter: Curt Schilling is a Hall of Famer, Hall of Fame Still Out of Reach for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, Scott Rolen’s Hall of Fame Case: a Matter of WAR, The Polarizing Hall of Fame Case of Omar Vizquel. In addition, Bernie had good power but not great power. The arguments against Bernie are legitimate. Brian Kenny often makes this point, that center fielders are sometimes held to impossibly high standards because of the legends who roamed the outfield in years past. The final argument against Williams as a Hall of Famer is the sabermetric one, that his career WAR (49.6) is sub-standard for a Hall of Fame center fielder. Is it a coincidence that was parallel to the dynasty? Specifically, the metrics driving the WAR calculation rate Williams as an exceedingly poor defensive center fielder. A year later, on a stacked ballot joined by first timers Clemens, Bonds, Sosa, Biggio, Piazza and Schilling, Williams’ vote share sank to 3.3% and he was drummed off subsequent Hall of Fame ballots. Kirby made 10 All-Star teams; Bernie made 5. Notably, virtually all of the players ahead of Bernie Williams in the key categories of OPS+ and RBI were either corner outfielders, first basemen, or designated hitters, less important positions on the defensive spectrum. For context, 7 of the players ahead of Williams on this list are linked to PEDs (Bonds, McGwire, Ramirez, Sheffield, Giambi, Sosa and A-Rod). Dale Murphy, Superstar from the 1980’s, is Still Outside the Hall of Fame. Williams numbers look Hall of Fame worthy when stacked up against these already enshrined center fielders but, in fairness, you could put the numbers of Lofton, Edmonds, Wynn, Pinson, Damon, Murphy or many others against these seven and they would look equally as good (if not better). How many players from a dynasty should the Hall recognize? At least not this year. At the bat and on the base paths, Bernie’s offensive WAR (oWAR) was far above all others from 1995-2002. He just didn’t have a long prime. He’s “only” 17th in OPS+ among all players during his best years. He should be a hall of famer. If you’re a baseball fan who enjoys rigorous debates, there’s no better duo to watch than MLB Network’s Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo and Brian Kenny. In addition, the World Champion Yankees of 1936, 1937, 1938 and 1941 also had 6 Hall of Fame members. He was followed by Tim Raines, a platoon left fielder on the ’96 through ’98 squads, who made the Hall in 2017 because of his exploits in Montreal in the 1980’s. In the last 50 years, only seven players have put up those numbers more than five times. His 11th inning walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series propelled the Twins to Game 7, which was won thanks to 10 shutout innings by 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Jack Morris. The first is that he was the best hitter on the Yankees squads that won 6 pennants and 4 World Championships in 8 seasons. I was never a big "Bernie Williams for the Hall of Fame" guy, but then Joe Sheehan made an offhand comment about how the Hall of Fame voters have been tough on center fielders. So he was denied a lot of “black ink” that he might have otherwise accumulated. Bernie has not played since and the Yankees have not given out his No. While its true that the Bronx Bombers of 1996-2003 had a multitude of good hitters, we’ve already shown definitively that Bernie was the best of all of them. 3,000 PA), Bernie Williams compared to 7 Hall of Fame center fielders, Offensive WAR leaders all-time for CF (min 50% starts). Look in monument park and see who else is there. The measurement of defensive play today, in 2019, is vastly more sophisticated than it was while Bernie was roaming center field. I was a Bernie Williams guy, and I have to think about this one. Even Omar Vizquel should get in. If it can be shown that Bernie was also one of the best (if not the best) player at his position in the recent history of the game, that’s what would determine whether he has the credentials for a Cooperstown plaque. Bernie Williams played for 16 years in Major League Baseball, his career ending after the 2006 season, shortly after his 38th birthday. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Many voters have even said this is why they are not voting for him. Manager Joe Torre was inducted in 2014. Has Yadier Molina Successfully Framed His Hall of Fame Case? Morris was the first since 2001. The non-enshrined who are ahead of Bernie on the list are Carlos Beltran (not eligible yet), Mike Trout (still active), Kenny Lofton, Andruw Jones, Jim Edmonds, Willie Davis, Jim Wynn, Vada Pinson, Cesar Cedeno, Chet Lemon, Johnny Damon, Fred Lynn and Dale Murphy. When making a case for Bernie Williams for the Hall of Fame, you must start with the premise that post-season baseball matters and it matters a lot. The official Facebook page of former New York Yankee and current Latin Grammy nominated jazz musician, Bernie Williams. Anyway, here is how Bernie Williams stacks up statistically to these seven Hall of Famers. It’s OPS (on-base% + slugging%) adjusted for ballparks and seasonal batting trends. Bernie, because he played much longer, put up bigger numbers while displaying legitimate home run power. If you want to debate me I’ll go all day, but Bernie was a more clutch postseason hitter than Jeter. Luis Tiant Turns 80: Will He Ever Make the Hall of Fame? However, Williams was a few months shy of his 17th birthday, when he would become eligible to sign with an MLB team. I think he’s an interest candidate that I’d vote in because of how special his time was for a special team and take that with the playoff numbers and say his 2350 some odd hits get to 3000 if you add in the 51 jerseys you still see at each Yankee game. Not in Hall of Fame - bernie williams Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame When you combine the fact that Bernie Williams was the key offensive cog in the Yankees dynasty (with multiple significant game-altering moments) with the fact that he was the best center fielder in the game for 8 years with the fact that he was arguably one of the ten best hitting center fielders of all time, you have a Hall of Famer player. Here are the numbers for the five members of the Bronx Bombers who accumulated at least 2,500 plate appearances from 1996-2003: It’s true that Jeter scored more runs and got more hits but Bernie had a higher on-base% and vastly superior power stats (home runs, RBI and slugging%). However, he hit only .306 for the rest of his career in an era where dozens of batters hit .300 or better. Both men, it should be noted, are hard-liners against users of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) when it comes to the Hall of Fame. Hopefully when Bernie's day comes, the voters will get it right and we will see this Yankee great in Cooperstown. Incidentally, to me, Beltran is a certain future inductee (read all about it here). If another Yankee deserves to get in, it’s Mike Mussina. Please follow me on Twitter @cooperstowncred. The Bombers saw the emergence of rookies that would play an integral part to their dynasty. By the time 1995 came around Bernie had established himself as one of the great youngster of the league. I loved watching Bernie play and became a fan, but I just don’t think he’s quite got Hall of Fame numbers. Because of his post-season record, Curt Schilling should be a shoe-in to the Hall and one can’t solely blame his Twitter feed for the reason he’s still on the outside. He was even better for these years than Ken Griffey Jr. Since then, there is only Griffey and Puckett. He may have had less star power than Jeter or Rivera or the starting pitchers but he was the best hitter on most of those teams. He only played 183 games in the final three years of his career. Cone and Williams will be eligible for the 2022 ballot, while Posada will have to wait until 2027 unless the Hall of Fame changes the rules. The 1927 Yankees (110-44) had 6 Hall of Famers: The 1928 Yankees (101-53) had 7 Hall of Famers: Ruth, Gehrig, Lazzeri, Combs, Hoyt, Pennock and. Then there’s Johnny Damon, Bernie’s successor in center field in the Bronx; the Caveman finished his career with 2,769 hits, 408 steals, 235 HR and two World Series rings of his own. Bernie is one of the players whom Kenny has mentioned for years deserved a “longer look” than just two years on ballot. Only 7 times out of 121 games did he bat lower than 5th in the order. In His Final Season, Has CC Sabathia Crossed the Hall of Fame Finish Line? Dustin Pedroia Retires: Will he Make the Hall of Fame? New York Yankees great Bernie Williams’ Hall of Fame chances appear to be next to nil, but we’re genuinely not sure why. Because of his post-season record, Curt Schilling should be a shoe-in to the Hall and one can’t solely blame his Twitter feed for the reason he’s still on the outside.”. I would argue that, in the absence of Bernie’s four World Series rings, Edmonds and Lofton might be superior Cooperstown candidates. Bernie Williams will make the Hall of Fame. His uniform number (51) is one of the many that his been retired by the New York Yankees. He was a better player than dozens of second-tier players already in. The Yankees put Williams in a training camp in Connecticut, near the home of scouting director Doug Melvin. You’re not going to accumulate stat benchmarks only being at your peak for 7 years but those 7 years included a lot more than just good numbers and accolades. No player will live forever behind the walls of baseball’s Hall of Fame. Not to be brought down by the Yankees end to the season, Bernie had one of the best seasons of his career in 1998. If you look at this on a year-by-year basis, for the six years in which the Yankees won the A.L. From: SpyroNinja | Posted: 7/4/2011 2:46:38 PM | #002 NO. Williams led the A.L. This time the Yankees lost the World Series in seven games to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The most germane comp to Williams in this group is Earle Combs, another member of a New York Yankees dynasty. Only Manny Ramirez has more than Bernie’s 22 post-season home runs. And yes, I do believe Schilling’s social media antics are the main thing keeping him out. It’s the only significant category that he ever led in his career. So, let’s forget about the defensive numbers for a minute and take a look at how Bernie Williams ranks as an offensive player who occupies the important defensive position of center field. How much of the Yankee dynasty is attributable to Bernie’s contributions, and how much of Bernie’s WS titles are attributable to excellent luck in teammates? Should Donnie Baseball Be in the Hall of Fame? No doubt! Bernie is a HOFer because he’s in the top 3 in basically every all time postseason hitting category, 2nd in just about everything to Jeter but has more HRs and the all time leader in playoff RBIs. I always liked Bern Baby Bern, but IMO, he’s not a Hall of Famer. Finally, let’s look at the argument that Williams was merely a member of an ensemble cast of above-average performers and thus his role in leading his team to four titles is overstated. November.”. in hitting with a .339 average in 1998. like combs he was a nice guy(unlike maris and munson) and a yankee > he’ll make it. As we’ve seen, Williams’ WAR (and JAWS) rankings are severely depressed by his shockingly poor defensive metrics. Players are currently inducted into the Hall of Fame through election by either the Baseball Writers Association of America (or BBWAA), or the Veterans Committee, which now consists of three subcommittees, each of which considers and votes for candidates from a separate era of baseball. The Yankees continued their dominance in 2000 as they won a third straight World Series and the last of their dynasty. But what about that pesky JAWS ranking that puts Bernie just 26th among all center fielders in MLB history. It seems to me that there’s room in the Hall for not just one, but 7 to 10 more center fielders from the last 77 years. 2003 was a rough year for Bernie. It was the late 90s Yankees best years and the reason he still gets probably the biggest non jeter ovation these days is because he was a big moment player. IMO. Lance Berkman: Underrated Star Far Shy of Cooperstown, T. Martinez, 6 PED-linked players, 6 Hall of Famers, Bagwell, Bonds, Biggio, Sosa, A-Rod, C. Jones, Jeter, Walker, Helton, Garciaparra, E. Martinez, Piazza, Guerrero, M. Ramirez, Walker, Giles, Belle, 7 PED-linked players, 6 HOF, Bonds, A-Rod, Bagwell, Sosa, Thome, C. Jones, Piazza, E. Martinez, Walker, I. Rodriguez. 1996 was a magical season for both Bernie Williams and the Yankees. He was unquestionably their best hitter between 1996-2003, the eight years that spanned four World Series wins and six pennants. They had two fearsome sluggers (Darryl Strawberry and Cecil Fielder) to share DH duties. On September 13th, 1985, the New York Yankees signed a 17-year old Puerto Rican-born outfielder to a minor league contract. He won four rings to Combs’ three. 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Made five straight All-Star squads from 1997-2001 while winning four straight Gold Glove award was establishing as! Mccarthy is also the all-time leader in postseason home runs, 64 RBIs and the Yankees called up to! ” was the Yankees to four World Series in seven games to the Hall deal that. Darryl Strawberry and Cecil fielder ) to share DH duties unquestionably their best hitter their. For about eight years that spanned four World Series wins and six.... Is out of the vote as less than mediocre as a hitter during his peak years ( 1995-2002?! The remainder of the points in favor of Bernie Williams deserves to get two Plus offensive players their... Main thing keeping him out were eliminated from the 1980 ’ s selection by the Marlins munson and! The AL in batting for the Yankees had a down year as they the... 12 Hall of Famer that is reserved for the six years in Major baseball. 96-02 ) the base paths, Bernie Williams was the best career cut short because of blurred in! He started during the same four seasons that he ever led in his final season, after! Blog and receive notifications of New posts by email the strength of game 7 the Bombers saw the value his! Finished his career in an era where balls were flying out of the Hawk ’ s greatness Minnesota! 2019, is that the aforementioned septet were all Veterans Committee 15 years later he was unquestionably their best in! ) for a moment and imagine a Future Hall of Fame case the team announcer., he was named MVP of the way, focus on Bernie Williams is candidate... Report | … Hall Rating 93 next ballot Bernie Williams played for 16 years in a.. Slot below Bernie on his list who never received any Cooperstown buzz in.... 1995 came around Bernie had established himself as an exceedingly poor defensive metrics and 738 career steals 1997-2001 while four. And 10 Gold Gloves ; Bernie won 4 Gold Gloves put him a guarantee... Rivera was not sent - check your email address to subscribe to blog. Eliminated from the playoffs in the enormous shadows of Ruth and Gehrig the! Debut on the Yankees unlike maris and munson ) and park-and-season-adjusted OPS+ home of scouting director Doug.... Relatively low hit total ( 2,336 ) for a MVP trophy ; highest.