With the team out of this season's playoffs, what better way for a Yankees fan to pass their time than to select the twelve best players of their storied past?
This series of articles will look at one writer's opinion on who would reside in the Yankees Mount Olympus if it existed. There is no set criteria other than the player had to either have "elite" statistics as a Yankee, or be highly regarded and beloved by the hometown fans.
As you will see, the players on this list represent a broad range of eras and different styles of play. They all are unique in what they contributed to the Yankees' history, and each is certainly deserving of high accolades.
Without further ado, I present to you my Yankee “god” that ranks twelfth.
At the peak of this most recent run of playoff appearances and championships for the Yankees, there wasn't a "Core Four". Instead, it was the "Core Four and Bernie".
From 1995 (when the famous "Core Four" began their careers with the Yankees) through 2002 the New York Yankees appeared in the playoffs every season and won four world championships. Not coincidentally, Bernie Williams hit .321, drove in 100 or more runs five times, and scored 100 or more runs seven times during that span. He was selected an All-Star five times and won four Gold Gloves.
Again, it is not coincidence that in what was perhaps the greatest season in the New York Yankees history, Bernie Williams had his best season. In 1998, the Yankees won 114 games and went 11 – 2 in the post-season on their way to the world championship. That season, Bernie led the league with a .339 batting average and hit 26 home runs with 97 RBI and 101 runs scored.
Typically batting fourth in the order, Bernie was the anchor of one of the most successful lineups in Yankees history. While he has not yet received the accolades or praise of the "Core Four", they would not have achieved all that they did without Williams. It is worth noting that in the seven years since Bernie left, the Yankees have won just one championship.
A fan needs only to listen to the applause number 51 receives at each Old Timer's Day to realize how beloved a player Bernie Williams is to the Yankees “empire”. Often the loudest cheers are reserved for “Bern baby Bern”.
He truly is the unsung hero of the last 20 years in the Bronx.
--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1
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