Bernie set to boom

By Nathan Mayberg
NEWTON — With four world series rings, a batting title, his jersey number hanging at Yankee Stadium, what more could Bernie Williams want?

To find the "meaning of music and why it's so powerful," the baseball player-turned guitarist said by phone this week.

His musical quest continues this Friday at the Newton Theatre where he will play with his band, which features Billy Joel saxophonist Richie Canatta. The show begins at 8 p.m.

Williams is a busy man these days, attending the Manhattan School of Music where he listens to recordings of "old school cats" and jazz masters like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker as part of his schooling. It is giving him a "newer appreciation for music," he said.

The .297 career hitter whose 22 home runs in the postseason are the second most in baseball history, calls college "probably harder than I thought it was going to be."

Instead of facing 6'10 flame throwing lefty Randy Johnson (who he hit .300 against for his career) Williams plays and studies alongside 18 and 19-year-old prodigies listening to big band music.

He says his goal is to "develop my own individual voice as an artist."

Before he was known as "Bernie goes boom!" or "Burn baby burn!" the one-day switch-hitting centerfielder grew up in Puerto Rico to a mother who was an educator and a merchant marine father.

Williams grew up listening to Puerto Rican music "with a lot of percussion" and Carribean music "with great grooves."

He and his brother started playing sports at the initiative of his mother who wanted them to be "well rounded," Williams said.

As a child, he watched "the Bronx Zoo" Yankees teams that won the World Series in 1977-78.

When he got to the big leagues in 1991, he learned from some of the players from those teams as well as from latin players who spoke to him about what they went through being Hispanic in a league just about to experience a boom in Latin-born players.

He learned to "play the game hard" and not to "take the game for granted."

He stressed the need to outwork his competitors to be successful.

Williams believes it takes a "certain mentality to overcome adversity" and produce under pressure, as he did in 121 playoff games. Between 1995 and his last year, 2006, the Yankees didn't miss the playoffs.

"You are as expendable as the next guy," Williams said. "There is always room for improvement," was his attitude.

It was difficult for Williams to find much room to improve between 1995 and 2002, when he hit better than .300 every year.

Williams said his favorite World Series team with the Yankees was the 1998 quad which won more games than any previous Yankees squad (114). He also called it his best personal season, with a batting title and golden glove to show. The next year, he hit .342 but finished third in the league in batting behind teammate Derek Jeter and batting champion Nomar Garciaparra.

Even though the Bronx Bombers won the World Series in 1996, Williams said it was the 1998 championship team that "set a certain standard and a certain set of expectations" which was the beginning of 10 straight playoff appearances.

Manager Joe Torre had a lot to do with that, Williams said. "Best man for the job at the time."

"It started with the pitching" though, Williams said. With starting pitchers like David Cone, Andy Pettite, David Wells, Orlando Hernandez and a bullpen consisting of Mariano Rivera, Ramiro Mendoza, Graeme Lloyd, Jeff Nelson and Mike Stanton, "teams were very discouraged," Williams said.

Williams said the bullpen "shrunk the opposing team's expectations." and turned away comebacks with the "greatest closer who ever lived" in Mariano Rivera waiting in the wings.

The team also had a batting champion who could play the drums in Paul O'Neill.

"He's a pocket guy," said Williams of the drumming prowess of his former battery mate. "He can keep a rhythm."

The two were known to play music together and it was O'Neill who introduced rock icon Bruce Springsteen to Williams and the whole Yankees team.

An avid concert goer, O'Neill invited Springsteen and his band to the Yankees clubhouse one year where The Boss signed Bernie's telecaster. After meeting Springsteen again at a function for Joe Torre's Safe at Home Foundation, the two formed a bond and eventually played together.

Bernie and Bruce recorded a live performance together of Springsteen's "Glory Days" for Bernie's 2009 album "Moving Forward."

"A dream come true," Williams said.