Sports speaker for hire Bernie Williams is a former baseball player, philanthropist and musician. Williams joined the New York Yankees in 1991, immediately becoming a contributor to the Yankees dynasty in the 90s. The star outfielder would retire as a 5x All-Star with 4 World Series rings and 4 Gold Glove Awards after 16 seasons in the New York.
Williams was discovered by the Yankees just shy of his 17th birthday while playing baseball in Puerto Rico. They signed him on his birthday and he would crack the major league roster in 1991. Williams was a consistent piece in the Yankees dynasty of the late 90s. He was part of the teams that won 4 World Series in just 5 years. The Yanks capped off their run with 3 championships in a row. Williams was an All-Star for all of those successful seasons.
Williams’ legacy in the pinstripes is revered as one of the most successful in recent history, especially during the playoffs. Williams held the record for career postseason RBIs as of 2013, and second all time in home runs, doubles hits and more on the Yankees all time list.
The September man’s plaque in Monument Park was unveiled in 2015 alongside fellow Yankee greats Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. His jersey number was also retired, cementing his legacy among the greatest to ever wear the uniform.
Since baseball, Williams has been an avid musician, even signing on to Paul McCartney’s publishing company MPL Communications. He released his debut album in 2003 while still playing in the MLB. In 2011, Williams combined his passion for music and baseball in his co-authored book, Rhythms of the Game. Williams is also an avid philanthropist. He works closely with Little Kids Rock, a national nonprofit organization that works to restore and revitalize music education in disadvantaged U.S. public schools. In 2018, Williams appeared on a special episode of Bar Rescue, going to his home country of Puerto Rico to help those affected by Hurricane Maria.