Bernie Williams' number has been retired by the New York Yankees next to greats like Ruth, Mantle and DiMaggio. The quiet star of the Yankees mid-1990s renaissance was welcomed back to New York with other members of his championship club, including the core-four (Jeter, Posada, Rivera, and Pettitte) to help celebrate Williams' playing days and his receiving of a plaque next to the other Yankee legends at Monument Park.
Williams played for the Yankees for his entire 16-year career finishing with the 2006 regular season. He made multiple all-star games, won multiple gold gloves and put up record postseason numbers for the Yankees. Even though Williams left the game 9 years ago he just filed for retirement earlier this season. The New York Daily News tells of his reasoning for the long delay before his retirement:
"It took a long time (to retire). I think I sort of misunderstood my own feelings in my own emotions. The first three or four years (after I stopped playing) I was really making sure that I wasn't going back. After the fifth or sixth year I started putting it on the shelf. I was like, 'Well, this is not that important.' I think to me, I was moving on to other things. I really needed to have this chapter of my life closed. It took me nine years but I finally got it done."
Even though the day was dedicated to Williams, the return of Derek Jeter to Yankee Stadium stole the show. Williams didn't seem to mind and admitted he was happy for the also newly retired star to CBS Sports:
"I think he's very at peace with where he is right now in his life. I am so happy for him. I think a very important part of players when they retire and they no longer play is that you've got to transition from going a thousand miles an hour to a more normal kind of pace. He seems to be handling it pretty good, so I'm very happy for him."
What do you think of the Yankees retiring Williams's number? What kind of celebration do you think will happen when it's Jeter's turn? Tell us your thoughts below.
