Bernie Williams to be Inducted into Latino Hall of Fame

Here's the MLB press release, as per Chad Jennings:

Five-time All-Star Bernie Williams will be among the six inductees who will be announced when the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame unveils its 2012 inductee class at Major League Baseball’s headquarters in New York City on Thursday, September 1st at 11:00 a.m. (ET). Williams is scheduled to be in attendance, along with Latino Baseball Hall of Famers Felipe Alou, Minnie Minoso and Tony Perez, who will be on hand to participate in the announcement of the new class. Omar Minaya, the former general manager of the New York Mets and Montreal Expos, will serve as the emcee of the press conference.

Six players whose careers impacted baseball after 1959 will represent the newest Latino Baseball Hall of Famers, chosen from a pool of 24 finalists. Williams will represent his native Puerto Rico, while his five fellow inductees will hail from Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico and Panama. Additional selections will include veteran players and baseball executives whose contributions to baseball were made prior to 1959.

Williams, a member of four World Championship teams with the New York Yankees, played 16 years for the Bronx Bombers, from 1991-2006. The switch-hitter posted a .287 career batting average with 287 home runs, 1,257 RBI and 1,366 runs scored. Williams was an American League All-Star each season from 1997-2001 and the center fielder was a four-time Gold Glove winner (1997-2000). The Most Valuable Player of the 1996 American League Championship Series collected 22 home runs, 80 RBI and a .371 on-base percentage in 121 career Postseason games overall. Williams was the 1998 American League batting champion with a .339 average.

The accomplished musician is recording his third album this year and has co-authored a book, published by Hal Leonard Books, titled, Rhythms of the Game: The Link Between Music and Athletic Performance. His first album, The Journey Within, was released in 2003 and featured fusions of jazz, rock and the tropical rhythms of Williams’ heritage. His second album, Moving Forward, featured guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen and Jon Secada.

The 2012 class of Latino Hall of Famers will be officially inducted on February 11, 2012 in a ceremony at the Altos de Chavón amphitheater located in the Casa de Campo resort in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Established in 2009, the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame (Salón de la Fama del Béisbol Latino) has hosted two previous induction ceremonies, honoring 38 players and personalities whose achievements have impacted baseball in Latin America. Drawings for the museum of the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame have been completed and construction in La Romana is scheduled to start in the near future.

Congratulations, Bernie - this is a well-deserved honor.

Bernie & Torre React to DJ3K

Bernie Williams via Bernie51.com:

“Congratulations Jete on number 3000. I wish I could have been at the Stadium today, but I was certainly glued to the TV in my hotel room in Arizona. In true Jeter fashion, you did not limp into the 3000 hit club, but absolutely blew the doors off of it. I celebrate with you, your family and friends, all your teammates through the years, the Yankee organization, and baseball fans around the world. While the home run for number 3000 is what everyone will remember from this day…knowing you…you probably are more satisfied with that eighth inning single up the middle that won the game. I was privileged to have the best seat in the house to see the majority of those 3000 hits, and so many of your greatest moments, and while today is yet another one of those moments to add to your amazing career in pinstripes, I know there is still a lot more to come. Just exhale, enjoy it, and know what an honor it was to be your teammate for so many years. Tonight, my last song is dedicated to you my friend.”

Joe Torre, who was in the ballpark, via the NYDN:

"Section 121-B," Torre said, smiling. "It was pretty cool."

...

"I just told him how proud I was," Torre said. "It was great to see. I guess I can say nothing surprises me with what he does. He's always been special. ... He's always been the guy who's been able to rise to the occasion. And this is not an easy city to play in.

"I learned early on in my stay here that he certainly knew what he was here to do and his priorities were always in order," Torre added. "I'm just very proud of what he's done, proud for him and for myself. I saw most of the hits."

One that must have looked familiar to Torre was Jeter's fourth hit - a liner to right field, a longtime Jeter trademark. "Hadn't seen much of that lately," Torre said. "That was pretty good."

...

"I don't think it could've been scripted any better - Yankee Stadium, day game, Saturday afternoon, playing one of your division rivals and the best pitcher on their staff out there," Torre said.

Sights and Sounds From Old-Timers' Day

Highlights from the entire ceremony:

Bernie's Introduction:

Piniella's Introduction:

Torre's Intoduction:

Sliding Into Home Sits Down With Bernie Williams

During a very nice event held by SoBe Life Water in Madison Sq. Park, Sliding Into Home Media got to finally sink it’s teeth into an interview with the great Bernie Williams. The event featured actresses Hillary Duff and Jessica Szohr along with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit rookie of the Year model, Kate Upton.




Our interview time was short, but I got a chance to really get to know Bernie afterward. Bernie mentioned that he had run into rookie sensation Bryce Harper in Vegas. He commented on how big the kid was at age 18 but also had some interesting opinions on bringing him up to the majors so quickly. Bernie is a strong believer that a minor leaguer foundation not only builds and develops baseball skills but also prepares you for life. On several occasions Bernie referred to the level of character one builds by going through the minor league system as opposed to being brought to the big leagues at a very young age.

Look ma, matching shirts!

Bernie and I made more small talk and he said that roger Clemens was by far the toughest pitcher he ever faced. He and his teammates were thrilled when Clemens became a Yankee simply for the fact that they no longer had to face him.

When I told Bernie that he was Carlos Beltran's idol, he modestly said he appreciated that and considered Beltran a good friend. He also said that Beltran had consulted with him about joining the Yankees in 2005 and when Bernie gave no signs of retiring, Beltran later chose the Mets. The two of them also shared the same agent (Scott Boras).

Bernie was a great guy and we’d like to thank him and the wonderful people at SoBe for inviting us to their successful event.

Bernie Williams Semi-Ready to Call it Quits

As per MLB.com:

It's become a neat footnote in Yankees history that Andy Pettitte was already thinking about retirement back when Bernie Williams was insisting he could still play center field.

Who would have guessed that Pettitte would hold his farewell news conference before Williams made it to the podium? Not Pettitte, who incredulously asked on Friday, "Bernie never retired?"

More than four years after his last at-bat in a Major League game, the 42-year-old Williams finally sounds ready to acknowledge that his playing career is complete.

"I think one of these days I'm going to make it official," Williams said. "It's redundant, but after five years, I think I'm pretty much done."

It was 17 minutes and 30 seconds after Pettitte began speaking to a packed room of reporters at Yankee Stadium when Williams took his assigned seat two rows from the stage, drawing laughter as Pettitte acknowledged him in mid-sentence.

"Always strolling in a little late," Pettitte said.

As Williams listened to his former teammate expound on the reasons why he won't be wearing a big league uniform in 2011, Williams said he didn't regret not having a day like this one to say goodbye.

"I think I still have an opportunity to do it, and I think I probably will do it at some point, probably this year, just to get it out of the way," Williams said.

"It's more than that -- I think once you have that introspective look, it doesn't really have to be in front of everybody. You can have it in your house. You can have it with your family, you can have it with your friends."

When Williams does finally take the opportunity to make his retirement official, he said that the circumstances will be much different than Pettitte's, because so much time has passed.

As much as I can appreciate the business aspect of baseball, it was difficult to see Williams all but forced out of the picture. I realize that he was a shell of his former self for the last four or so years of his career, and I wouldn't want the Yankees to designate a roster spot for a player too stubborn to give it up - I suppose I just want to see a player call it a career on his own terms.

I expect that Williams, like Pettitte, will one day have his number retired by the Yankees - an honor that both deserve ... though it will be comical to see Yankees players wearing triple digits sometime in the 2030s or so.