Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
You may have watched the Grammys this weekend with all of music’s best talent in one place. One guy you probably didn’t see was Bernie Williams – the same Bernie Williams who played center field for the Yankees during the glory days of the 90’s and 00’s. He may not have been at this year’s Grammys, or any musical award show, but he is one of baseball’s hidden gems in the world of music.
Williams has two studio albums for sale, and I actually bought his first one, “The Journey Within”. I bought it back in high school because I knew who Bernie Williams was, and I thought it was cool to have music by a baseball player. Unfortunately, none of my teammates took much interest because Williams performs jazz, which isn’t exactly cool for most kids in high school.
Whether it’s because I genuinely like his music or because he is a baseball player, Williams does play solid tunes. He won’t get you pumped up for a pre-game workout or perform alongside Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl, but Bernie has a genuine sound that is much appreciated by at least one fan.
Even if you were born a die-hard Red Sox fan, you might find some solace in listening to a former Yankee play guitar and sing some lyrics. On his debut album, Williams includes his children on one of the tracks which is a nice fatherly touch. I haven’t heard any of his more recent songs or productions, but Williams is huge in the Latin community. Whether or not you buy into his music ability doesn’t matter because everybody else has. He has performed at various sporting events such as Yankees and Knicks games.
Bernie Williams was a champion on the field and is also a worthy champion off of it as well.