For most of his stellar 16-year career with the New York Yankees, Bernie Williams held the coveted center field position on the hallowed grounds in the Bronx, winning four consecutive Gold Glove awards and four World Series championships.

The five-time All-Star and .297 career switch hitter, who won an American League batting title in 1998, was an integral part of the Yankees consistent winning ways and a clutch post season performer. In fact, up until 2007, Williams held the major league record for most post season home runs with 22.
“I was just very blessed to be able to play with a team that had one of the best runs in the history of the game,” Williams said in an exclusive interview with The Hudson Independent. “From 1996 to 2003 we were just a great contender. In the modern era of baseball, there aren’t many teams that can say that. I’m very glad that I was in the right place at the right time.”
Since his playing career ended in 2006, Williams has taken center stage as a musician and his critically-acclaimed talents will be on display, along with a seven-piece band, at the Tarrytown Music Hall on Friday, April 23.
Williams, 41, who resides in Armonk with his wife and three children, said he is excited about having an opportunity to perform at a venue in Westchester.
“I think it’s going to be cool and a very enjoyable evening,” he said. “Certainly we have a lot of people who are fans that live in Westchester. We play about 10 songs from both my albums and we finish the night with a little bit of a jam session. I have a good time. It takes a lot out of me.”
A classically trained guitarist, Williams’ first album, The Journey Within, was released while he was still wearing pinstripes in 2003. His second album, Moving Forward, came out in April 2009 and five months later was nominated for a prestigious Latin Grammy, an honor the Puerto Rican native is as proud of as any game-winning hit with the Yankees.
“To me I certainly count it as an accomplishment. It’s certainly very neat,” he said, although he fell short in the Best Instrumental category. “A Latin Grammy is given from a worldwide group of music that’s put together. They take music from all over the world. The music is getting critically acclaimed for what it is, which is something I take pride in.”
Williams said while his fame as a Yankee gave him a chance to break into the music business, it’s his work as an artist that will determine if he strikes out or hits a chord with a new fan base.
“To be recognized as a former Yankee has helped me get my foot in the door, but when all is said and done I have to be able to perform and the music has to be good,” he said. “I’ll never be able to play down that I was a baseball player for the Yankees.”
Thought of as a laid back person as a player, Williams admitted it has been a challenge to have to interact with the audience while on stage, something he didn’t have to do when playing between the white lines before 50,000 baseball fans.
“In baseball, it was only about hitting, throwing and running. I never had interaction with the fans. On stage, it has been challenging to speak and engage the audience. But I never had a bad experience,” he said. “There are a lot of similarities between music and baseball. One thing that parallels both fields is the sacrifice and discipline you need to be the best you can be. I try not to focus on trying to be the best as I did in baseball as much as enjoying the journey. I’m having a great time.”
Williams, who performed at the new Yankee Stadium last year during open ceremonies, said he has many great memories of The House That Ruth Built, where he would often look into the stands while in center field and relive some of the team’s magical moments.
“It kind of had a life of its own. It had a certain character to it, almost like a living thing,” he said. “I have a little sens of that a chapter is closed in New York Yankees history. Now it’s up to the young guys to make memories of their own.”
With 2,336 career hits, 1,257 runs batted in and 287 career regular season home runs, Williams is considered by many to be a borderline Hall of Fame candidate. That decision, he maintained, is out of his hands and something he won’t dwell on.
“I did it my way. I have no regrets. I had a lot of things that were given to me that nobody can take away,” he said. “I played the game as hard as I could all the time and I’m happy with that. I’m really proud of my career. Everything else would be a bonus.”
For tickets to see Bernie Williams at the Tarrytown Music Hall, visit www.tarrytownmusichall.org or call (877) 840-0457.