Bernie's Comeback Could be Done

Former Yankees' great center fielder Bernie Williams injured his quad in a Puerto Rican Winter League game.

Williams, 40, was using a stint with Carolina of the Puerto Rican league to get in shape and had hoped to play for Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, as previously reported on this site.

The injury makes the possibility of his playing in the WBC a dubious one.

After hitting a single in his first at-bat for Carolina, Williams had gone hitless over three games worth of at-bats.

Williams, who patrolled center for the Yankees for 16 years, never officially retired, but hasn't played in the majors since the 2006 season.

For his career, Williams hit .297 with 287 home runs in 2,076 games.

His life in baseball may finally be done forever, but his second jazz album comes out in April.

Bernie Back in Action

It's winter league season, and a Yankees center fielder picked up an important hit today.

No, my eyes weren't on the Dominican Winter League, where Melky Cabrera has put up some solid numbers through 93 at-bats with the Aguilas Cibaenas. I'm eyeing Bernie Williams, who singled off Jerome Williams of the Oakland Athletics in his first at-bat with Carolina of the Puerto Rican Winter League. He would finish one-for-three. 

Granted, Jerome Williams hasn't done much since 2005, but he was impressive from 2003-05 and has only pitched 42 terrible innings since at the big league level.

But what a joy for Yankees fans to know that Bernie is out there, still capable of hitting a liner up the middle. It reminds us of how he was unceremoniously voted off the island after the 2006 season, when he hit .281 with 12 homers and 61 RBI in 420 AB (two-thirds of a full season, which suggests around 18 homers and 80-90 RBI in 600 AB). For the record, how do you think they would feel about that kind of production out of the Melkman next year? Bernie was slipping on defense...but I still think they could have kept him somewhere...I mean Jesus, were Doug Mientkiewicz, Josh Phelps and Wil Nieves really better on the bench? I know we needed Nieves as a second catcher...and Mientkiewicz to man first...but Josh Phelps stunk and hardly played for the team at all, but I digress.

Bernie is trying to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. I really hope he makes the team and is able to start at DH, at least sometimes. I never thought I'd be this excited to see #51 in another uniform.