TAMPA – The ink was barely dry on a staggering $87.5 million deal when Bernie Williams believed deep in his heart that he was going to be a Yankee forever the way Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Don Mattingly were.
Then before pitchers and catchers dressed for the first spring workout, The Bombers rocked Williams’ world by dealing David Wells to the Blue Jays and put the highest-paid player in franchise history on red alert.
Like a lot of other Yankees, Williams wasn’t particularly close to Wells. Sure, he appreciated Boomer every fifth day when he took the mound last year. Yes, he celebrated Wells’ perfect game. But from a personal standpoint, Williams wasn’t mourning the loss of a buddy when Wells was pushed out for Roger Clemens.
Still, a hint of doubt entered Williams’ mind about growing old and gray in Yankee pinstripes. It’s a doubt that lingers inside today and will be there forever despite the fact that the odds are in his favor that when he retires, the only uniform he will have ever worn is the most recognizable in sports.
Watching Wells walk out of the Yankees’ universe made Williams wish he had instructed agent Scott Boras to negotiate a full no-trade clause with George Steinbrenner when talks got to the 11th hour last November.
Yet until Wells was dealt, Williams didn’t second-guess his no-trade clause. Where was he going, anyway. He was going to be a Yankee until the day he shut it down and awaited a place in Monument Park.
“That was certainly my mindset until this spring when they traded Boomer,” Williams said. “That really woke everybody up.”
Unlike Wells, who said he didn’t regret having a no-trade clause but still can’t hide his disappointment about leaving, Williams has some control over his situation.”Over the course of the contract,” Williams explained, “every year, I have to provide the club with a number of teams that I would not want to be traded to.”
Staying put in pinstripes would please Williams for many reasons. He recently bought a house in Westchester and knows that as long as The Boss owns the team, the Yankees are going to be competitive. And if he finishes as a Yankee, he will have one thing in common with his favorite teammate.
“I am glad I got to play with Mattingly,” Williams said. “He was everything. He didn’t say much but he led by example. It was a honor to play with him.”
The same words are being uttered about Williams, who wants to finish a Yankee but learned by watching that there may come a day when his day to leave may arrive.
