Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. (born September 13, 1968) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player and musician. He played his entire 16-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees from 1991 through 2006.

A center fielder, Williams was a member of four World Series championship teams with the Yankees. He ended his career with a .297 batting average, 287 home runs, 1,257 runs batted in (RBI), 1,366 runs scored, and 449 doubles. He was a five-time MLB All-Star and won four Gold Glove Awards. He also won the Silver Slugger Award and American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award. Known for his consistency and post-season heroics, Williams is one of the most beloved Yankees of all time and his number, 51, was retired by the Yankees in May 2015.

Williams is also a classically trained guitarist. Following his absence from baseball, he has released two jazz albums. He was nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2009.

As of 2013, he holds the career postseason record for runs batted in (80). He is also second all-time for postseason home runs (22), doubles (29), total hits (128), total bases (223), and runs scored (83), and third in post-season games played (121).

Standing on Yankee all-time lists as of the beginning of the 2008 season:

  • 2nd all-time in doubles
  • 4th all-time in walks
  • 5th all-time in hits
  • 5th all-time in extra-base hits
  • 6th all-time in home runs
  • 6th all-time in RBI. 
  • Williams appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2012. He received 55 votes for 9.6%. The next year, Williams received 19 votes (3.3%). Since he received votes on fewer than 5% of ballots, Williams will not be eligible to appear on future ballots.The Yankees announced in May 2014 that they would honor Williams with a plaque in Monument Park during the 2015 season.  On February 16, 2015, the Yankees also announced that they would be retiring Williams’ number 51.  On May 24, the Yankees unveiled Williams’s plaque and retired his number in a ceremony at Yankee Stadium.
  • Bernie’s love of music shines through in his philanthropy efforts with Little Kids Rock, a national nonprofit organization that works to restore and revitalize music education in disadvantaged U.S. public schools. Little Kids Rock honored the New York Yankees icon with the 2010 “Big Man of the Year” award at the annual Right to Rock celebration. Williams performed onstage with students and signed some guitars to be auctioned. With the money he helped raise, Williams delivered instruments to a school in the Bronx and gave the students a lesson in music and life.Bernie married wife Waleska on February 23, 1990. They live in Armonk, New York[35] and have three children: Bernie Jr., Beatriz, and Bianca. One song on Bernie’s 2009 release “Moving Forward” is named after Beatriz (Lullaby for Beatriz). This song is performed by Bernie Williams and his brother, Hiram Williams on the cello. This song was recorded in Puerto Rico at the Alpha Recording Studios.

CONGRATULATIONS TO BERNIE WILLIAMS ON HAVING A TREMENDOUS MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL CAREER WITH ONE OF THE GREATEST FRANCHISES IN THE ORLD, THE NEW YORK YANKEES!!!