Fantasy Baseball Today - Bonus Pod: Bernie Williams on Yankees 2023 Season, Jasson Dominguez & More! (9/1 Fantasy Baseball Podcast)

Episode Date: September 1, 2023

Frank Stampfl chats with Yankees legend Bernie Williams about the Yankees 2023 season, Jasson Dominguez, his playing days and much more! To learn more about interstitial lung disease, visit www.TuneIntoLungHealth.com. Fantasy Baseball Today is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Get awesome Fantasy Baseball Today merch here: http://bit.ly/3y8dUqi Follow FBT on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fbtpod?_t=8WyMkPdKOJ1&_r=1 Follow our FBT team on Twitter: @FBTPod, @CTowersCBS, @CBSScottWhite, @Roto_Frank Join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/fantasybaseballtoday Sign up for the FBT Newsletter at https://www.cbssports.com/newsletters/fantasy-baseball-today/ For more fantasy baseball coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/FantasyBaseballToday You can listen to Fantasy Baseball Today on your smart speakers! Simply say "Alexa, play the latest episode of the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast" or "Hey Google, play the latest episode of the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast." To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now here's Frank Scott and Chris. Burn, baby, burn. Welcome in to a very special bonus edition of fantasy baseball today on Friday, September 1st. I am Frank Stamphill, and I teased earlier in the week that I would be joined by a Yankees legend. Let me quickly read off the resume here. Four-time World Series champ, five-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove Award winner, Silver Slugger Award winner, 1998, AL batting champion hitting 339, played all 16 years. with the New York Yankees.

Please welcome to the show. Bernie Williams, thank you so much for taking the time. We really appreciate it, man. Oh, man, what a pleasure. Thank you so much. With that introduction, you're hired. I'm happy to do it.

Hearing it from you, it means a lot. Look, I hate to start things off on a negative topic, but let's just get it out of the way. Let's talk about the Yankee season and so far. Obviously, it's been a pretty rough one. The Yankees are currently in last place in the ALE East. And if these results stand, it will be the first time they finish. and last place since 1990.

Bernie, what have you seen from the Yankees this season? What's gone wrong? Well, it's kind of interesting that you mentioned 1990 because around that time was around the time that I first started, you know, making my way into the big leagues. And they call that, you know, that and years prior to that, the lean years. And I am hoping to God that this is not the start of the lean years.

for the Yankees, you know, for this, you know, for this generation, I am hoping that it's just a, just an anomaly and just sort of a slew of good years for these guys. I know that individually and collectively, they want to be part of, you know, that team that has, you know, basically thrive on excellence, you know, over the past hundred years, you know, more championships than anybody in baseball and so forth, you know, it's been a great organization. they have gotten into some roadblocks this year with injuries and the fact that Aaron Judge was basically missed for most of the season

he's trying to get his timing back. But if he would have asked me in the middle of the 90s, this team is going to be in 2023 is going to be last. I would say, you're crazy, you're crazy. This is not a thing that happens with the Yankees very often. But I know that they, from the front office standpoint and the player standpoint, they do have the ability to improve their team, whether by getting more help from the minor league system or, you know, trying to go out there and getting some help, you know, from three agents or trades, they always have been known for having that, you know, ability to, you know, get whatever they need to make the team a productive team. So this year, they're going to have to make a lot of changes probably. But they'll find a way.

I'm sure that they will find a way. Yeah, look, it's a loaded division right now. The Orioles, the Blue Jays, they've all – Tampa Bay. They've all played very well this season. And it's easy to tell yourself a story what would have happened if Aaron Judge never got hurt this season, right? Moving on from there, you mentioned the front office. And look, Yankee fans, I know that they can get a little bit crazy at times.

What do you think the future holds for both Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman? Well, I mean, I don't know. I am so glad that I don't get paid to make these decisions. But they have gotten into a rough patch, and I think that I just hope that people don't see this as, you know, sort of a trend that is going to keep happening. I think it's maybe just a fluke. And, you know, given the track record of the organization over the last 30 years, this is a fluke. This is something that doesn't happen very often. But with that said, obviously the Yankee fan base are used and demand, you know, a team that is excellent on the field and a team that is going to give them, you know, what they want, which is, you know, a championship team, you know, year in and year out. So to that effect, I think, you know, anybody that is involved in the front office and the organization is going to have to reevaluate, you know, the situation that they have at hand right now and try to make the proper job.

changes. I mean, these guys are as good as the players and they're as good as the record. And they don't go out there, no, nor Aaron, nor Cashman, they don't go out there and throw the ball and hit the ball and make all these plays. It's incumbent upon these players to play out to their expectations and, you know, the things that they have, you know, set out to to accomplish. It's very unfortunate that they have not been able to do that, you know, in this year. But I guess, you know, we're just going to have to wait. see what the future holds for those guys. One thing is for sure, you know, they're not going to be happy where they are right now,

where they are right now. So they're going to have to make some changes. All right. Let's talk about something more positive. And you mentioned the minor league system a little bit earlier. And the Yankees have been calling up a slew of their young players. They announced just yesterday that they're calling up their 20-year-old outfield prospect, Jason Dominguez, and frankly, I can't think of anybody more qualified to give an opinion than

Bernie Williams, right? the starting center fielder for the Yankees, the future starting center fielder for the Yankees and Jason Dominguez. He got off to a slow start this season in AA, but since July 1st, he's been raking, showing improved plate discipline, some power, lots of speed as well.

Bernie, what are your expectations for the young kid, Jason Dominguez? Yeah, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to see him in spring training. He was just a talk of the spring. He was just his poise, you know, his maturity level at that young age, being able to handle spring training

and with everything that involved, you know, the hitting, you know, and working out, you know, rubbing elbows with these guys and acting like he belongs there. You know, ability-wise and mental-wise, and he didn't really feel intimidated by anybody. He had a couple good at bats in spring training, and he, I think the opportunity is golden for him because they haven't really,

it hasn't really been anybody that has shown that they want to own. that position. So he's up for the taking. And I think if he has an opportunity to show what he can do, he might be the next center fielder for the next 20 years with this organization. But I think it just remains to be seen. He has the ability. But we all know that playing in New York, you know, takes a different animal. It takes, you know, and not only the part on the field and the playing on the field and the performing in the stadium is probably the easiest of everything that you have to deal with in New York. So it's just a lot of the part of the field and the playing. It's just a lot of the field. And the playing

It's just, we're going to have to see, you know, how he has been able to adjust to all these great changes in his career right now. Yeah, just 20 years old flying through the system. The Martian, they call him. Very excited to see him make his debut this upcoming weekend for the Yankees. Let's take a little trip down memory lane and talk some stories here from your playing days back with the Yankees. Many reports back in the day, the boss, George Steinbrenner putting your name out there in trade rumors. I know it's a business and all that, but at the time, how did you handle that? It was difficult. I think, you know, in many of those cases, I tried to stay away from all the commentary and all the rumors and everything that was going on because it was just a necessary pressure that I would put on myself. I would really have the firm believe that if I would take care of things on the field, all that talk and this, you know, will dissipate, you know, from the media and from all the people that, you know, really had a say in making all these decisions.

All I had to do was concentrate and focus on the things that I had to do on the field, hitting the ball, catching the ball, making plays, helping the team win baseball games. And I would figure if I take care of that, everything else would take care of itself. And fortunately for me it did. You know, I was in, you know, front talk, you know, as far as being traded. And I think, you know, I would be remiss to not, you know, to mention that, And there were a lot of people in the organization that really believed in my ability to play the game, you know, people like, you know, Buck Showalter when he was here, Mark Newman, and

especially Gene Michael, that they really believed in the fact that I could play the game and they were trying to keep me as much as they can, you know, sort of shield me from the wrath of the boss, you know, of that time. And he just seemed to be like really impatient and not having, you know, just sounded like the patience to develop the players. He wanted them to perform right then and there. But I was just, you know, call it luck, call it good luck, call it just opportunity, you know, meeting, you know, hard work. But I was able to sort of fly a little bit under the radar in those years. And that really allowed me the opportunity to establish myself as a big league.

League Baseball player. And I guess, you know, with the great teammates that I had over those years, you know, the rest of it has become a good history. And I'll speak for all Yankee fans and say, I'm grateful that those people within the organization also showed that trust in you and that faith because obviously, Bernie, you had a tremendous career. So happy it worked out that way. There were also some rumors that following the 1998 season, the Red Sox offered you a pretty

big contract between you and me. Were you ever close to actually signing in Boston? Yeah, yeah. I think that, you know, at the end of the day, I knew that I owe it to myself to at least explore the possibility of seeing what was out there for me. You know, after being a part of an organization for, you know, if you count, you know, five and a half years in the minor leagues and then six years in the major leagues without the ability to see, you know, to be a free agent, to, you know, every lot of work, you know, that you have. have in America. You always have an ability to seek out a better opportunity for you and your family and better conditions, better working conditions, a better system. And I think I owed it to myself to explore. And I, you know, really emphasize that, explore. At the end of the day, what I found out was that being a Yankee was going to give me the best opportunity to be

successful and have, you know, the rest of my career with one team, especially this team in New York. We were on the, kind of like basically having the best run that we have ever had, you know, winning, I would say at that time, it was three out of the last four years. We won 96, 98, and then in 99, when I became a free agent, it was one of those, you know, decision opportunities that I had to make. And I have to put everything in a balance say, you know, am I going to go for the money? am I going to go, you know, because I feel upset that they didn't really, you know, feel like they wanted me, you know, speaking of the Yankees, or am I just going to swallow my pride and say, you know, this is the team that I belong to and this is the team that I want to finish the rest of my career with? And this is the team that is going to give me the best opportunity to be in the postseason year in and year out. And I, you know, made that decision to remain a Yankee for the rest of my career. and it was one of the best decisions that I've ever made.

Derek Jeter, let's talk about him. Yankees captain. You guys played 12 seasons together. You won four World Series rings together. That's a lot of time. Do you have a funny story or a behind-the-scenes, what it was like, Derek Jeter, the player, the person? Any thoughts there?

Oh, man, he was just a great teammate. He's a great human being. And I think, you know, it has a lot to do with his upbringing. I think, you know, it was a, kind of an anomaly that I but I was we were just used to seeing uh Dr. Jeter and and and uh his mom uh there constantly even when he was already established as a superstar in the big leagues they were there supporting him uh in every step of the way and it showed in his behavior the way that he conducted himself on and off the field uh and uh he was just

the ultimate professional he lived uh he he lived and breathe baseball Nothing else mattered to him but to win baseball games, win championships. He was just the best, you know, the best person to fulfill that captain role in our years. You know, the team put a lot of stake on him to be the representative and the face of the club. And he took that responsibility to heart. And, you know, they call him the cap and that's no slats, man, following a long line of a great captains. that this club has ever had. I mean, he is definitely right up there in that echelon.

So, I mean, he's just, and then he just basically has, you know, trickled down into being a very successful entrepreneur, you know, is a part ordinary of the Marlins and everything that he does. He does, you know, the biggest and the most effort, you know, 100% in the highest quality possible. So he's a very interesting individual. somebody that has, you can look up to him. And for all the kids out there, man,

that's the way that I would definitely have to do it, looking up for him and looking up for him to do all these great things that he did. And now a great father, too. I see pictures of him on Twitter. He's got all the decorations on his face, going to birthdays and all that kind of crazy stuff. So it looks like he's having a great time being a father as well.

Bernie, let's get into a few just rapid-fire quick-hitting questions here. And I'm sure this is something you've been asked a lot. after your playing career. Who was the toughest pitcher that you faced back in the day? I'm sure lots of names come to mind. Is there anyone where every time you saw that pitcher you said, not this guy again?

Yeah, yeah. I would say probably that guy that gave me that most trouble was Pedro Martinez. Yeah. I think, you know, at the starter, I mean, he was just as close as I could compare to an artist on the mount.

He had four above average pitches and he was intimidated, even though he didn't have an intimidating figure, but he had a great arm, great control, and he was a bulldog out there on the mound, and we had our times, we had our battles, and I'm just, you know, much better for him, man. And really showed me at that time what was I made of,

and if I was going to go win 100% of this battle, I needed to be at the top of my game, and he really made me elevate, you know, the quality and the level of my game to be able to face him on a, on a yearly basis. Yeah, on the flip side, is there a picture that you remember facing that you had a lot of success against

and that you were always excited to face? Not that I don't want to throw anyone under the bus, but, you know. I want to say excited to face him, but I, you know, it is not even that you get a little peace of mind because baseball is very uncertain in those, especially when you take things for granted. You know, you always have to approach the game as, you know, like never take anything for granted and always approaches like, you know, if I have success with

these guy, this may be the day that he may have my number. So I don't want that to happen. So you approach it, you know, kind of like the same way all the time. But I think of all those guys that I had fairly good success, I probably mentioned maybe a guy like Jamie Moyer, you know, or somebody like that, Doug Drabeck or somebody like that. But it really didn't matter. I mean, I really like to approach a guy like Pedro and a guy like Jamie Moyer to just to mention two of the, you know, the opposite spectrum of my success level in the same way mentally. Because you never know what was going to happen in a given day.

And there were some days that Jamie was really, really successful and very effective. So I really needed to be at the top of my game in any circumstance. Bernie, this one, it's a loaded question. There are no wrong answers. but if you had to build the Mount Rushmore of New York Yankees, right? The top four, the greatest Yankees of all time. Who are you putting on the Mount Rushmore? I'll say probably, I mean, I'll be kind of biased.

I mean, I'll probably start with Babe, Babe Ruth, and then maybe one guy from that era, I mean, I'll be so, so torn here because you have guys like Mickey Manno and Joe DiMaggio and Luke Garrick. But then you have the guys from my era. You know, you have a guy that was inanimate, you know, like he was a guy, the only guy that has been inducted into the Hall of Fame anonymously. You know, that's Mariano Rivera.

I mean, he has to be there. And of course, Derek Jeter, you know, and, you know, if I would probably mention a team, probably the 98, you know, Yankees, you know, this year is the 25th anniversary of that team. as a team, you know, sort of have one of the best seasons in the history of the game, too. Yeah. So you had Babe on there, you had Mariano, you had Jeter. You got one more for the Mount Rushmore? I'll probably be really biased and say Yogi. All right. This is my favorite.

You can put yourself on there too if you want, Bernie. I have no problem with it. I'm happy mentioning other people. All right. Lastly, I do want to ask you about something I know that's very important to you, and that's interstitial lung disease. How has the disease of, affected you personally and why is interstitial lung disease awareness and early diagnosis so important to you? Well, it's really important. Thank you, you know, for asking me that question.

My dad died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2001. And that is what, that disease is one of the most common forms of interstitial lung disease. So I've been teaming up with Berger Engelheim to form this program called Tunein-Nong-Ealth, which utilizes the power of music to raise awareness about these diseases. And it has been awesome. So tuning to Long Health, and I will have the opportunity to play the anthem on the 5th, September 5th. You know, hopefully, are we on real time here?

No, no, this is recorded. Okay, great. So I can talk about, you know, something that I'm going to do in the next couple of days. very excited about having the platform that baseball gave me to give back to the community, especially in Yankee Stadium, my beloved Yankee Stadium and for the Yankee fans, raise awareness about something that is really dear and near and dear to my heart. Yeah, again, that'll be Tuesday, this upcoming Tuesday, September 5th, Bernie will be there playing the National Anthem, again, to promote tune into lung health.

There means to long health. Yeah, and to find program resources and more information, head into www. tune into lunghealth.com, again, where you can find more information. Bernie, I just got to end with like a little fanboy moment here. We were talking beforehand,

growing up in New York in the 90s as a kid, many kids' favorite players, Derek Jeter, Mariana Rivera, rightfully so. I mean, those guys were amazing, obviously. I'm not just saying this because you're here. You were my favorite player growing up, Bernie. I've got the jersey to prove it.

Oh, check that out. I had to do it. You got a whole hundred dollar, man. They don't even make it. anymore. I had to do it. I had to end there, a little fanboy moment, but this has been an amazing, amazing experience. Bernie, thank you so much for your time. Oh, thank you so much for having. Great. God bless me. We're going to wrap there for the legend. Bernie Williams, I am Frank. Thanks as always for tuning in to fantasy baseball today and we'll be back again next week.

Bye-bye.