Bernie Williams joined The Carton Show from Fanatics Fest on Thursday, and dropped a classic George Steinbrenner nugget that perfectly encapsulated the late Yankee owner, who was obsessed with winning at all costs.
Williams remembers sitting down and talking with Steinbrenner one-on-one just three times when The Boss was alive. One of them was when Williams first arrived at the organization in 1989, and Steinbrenner expressed his optimism that Williams would become a great Yankee (he was right). A second conversation came after Williams' splendid 1998 season, when the reigning AL batting champ was a free agent and garnering serious interest from rival clubs, including the Red Sox.
The third sit-down with Steinbrenner came after the owner expressed plans to cancel the team's annual Family Day.
In classic Steinbrenner fashion, The Boss had done his research, and noticed that his club had a losing record on Family Day, when the team hosted players' families for a day at the stadium. Williams, like many other teammates, had several family members set to head to the Bronx and watch Williams play. But Steinbrenner was ready to axe the event, worried that the losing record could be connected to a lack of focus from his players, who were more worried about getting their families to the game.
Williams didn't talk to The Boss much face-to-face, but he had to make an exception.
Bernie Williams with The Carton Show at Fanatics FestAnthony Gallo
"I talked to Joe Torre and he said, 'There's nothing I can do. You have to talk to him," Williams told Craig Carton. "I called him to say 'Hey, I got my family here. My kids are all excited. I'm getting a lot of heat from these guys. He ended up changing his mind."
Williams saved Family Day with that phone call, but it was another classic Steinbrenner story that Williams and those who played for him laugh about when looking back fondly on those memories now, as Steinbrenner's rabid desire to win every game often produced hysterical stories.
"He was all about winning," Williams said. "There were teams we were not allowed to lose to, even in spring training."
