Bunts and Boots

I was flat-out wrong about Bernie Williams. Earlier this summer, I penned a column about the longtime Yankee, contending that it was time for Brian Cashman to cut bait by either designating Williams for assignment or approaching him about the possibility of a dignified retirement. Thankfully for Yankee fans, I have no more sway with Cashman than most members of the media. Yes, it’s a good thing I’m not a part of Cashman’s front office machine.

On Sunday, Williams slugged two home runs (to give him 11 on the season) and collected six RBIs in a much-needed win against the Angels, lifting his on-base percentage to .336 and his slugging percentage to 451. Those aren’t great numbers for an everyday right fielder or DH, but they’re pretty darn good for what Williams is supposed to be—a fourth outfielder and part-time regular. Yes, there is still a tendency on Joe Torre’s part to play Williams too much, especially against right-handed pitchers, and Bernie can be absolutely frightful to watch in center field. Yet, on the whole, the senior Yankee has become an asset. Williams has helped lift the quality of a bench that was once poor, now making it far more respectable while giving Torre a right-handed hammer against lefty pitching and a potentially dangerous pinch-hitter in the late innings.

Yes, Bernie can still play. He has made himself a useful tool on a team that is once again headed to the postseason. And I stand corrected…

How quickly things change in baseball. Less than a month after acting as sellers at the trading deadline (witness the trades of Bobby Abreu, David Bell, and Cory Lidle), the Phillies have completed a rapid transformation into frantic buyers. After acquiring Jamie Moyer earlier last week from the Mariners, the Phillies made another move on Sunday, picking up Jeff Conine from the Orioles. With Aaron Rowand out for the season, the Phillies needed some outfield depth, something that Conine can provide. I just hope that Charlie Manuel doesn’t overexpose Conine, who is no longer capable of playing everyday. If Manuel wisely limits Conine to a platoon role with David Dellucci in right field while also using him as a pinch-hitter, it figures to be a solid move for the Phillies, who are in full wild card mode…

I had an interesting experience last week. I was called down to the ABC News studios in New York to conduct an interview for an upcoming documentary on Roberto Clemente and three other Latino legends. The producer interviewed me for two solid hours, covering everything from Clemente’s childhood to what he might have done in his post-baseball life if not for the tragic plane crash that killed him and four others aboard the flight. Of those two hours, probably only a few seconds will make it to the final edit of the documentary, which is scheduled to air in either late September or October. Still, it was a worthwhile encounter with the folks from ABC, who could not have been nicer hosts and impressed me with their desire to dig deep into the story of Clemente…

Finally, a tragic note that is all too reminiscent of Clemente’s fate. The list of victims in that horrifying plane crash in Lexington, Kentucky, included former minor league pitcher Jon Hooker, a standout at the University of Kentucky who was later signed by the Chicago White Sox. The timing of the tragedy seems even more cruel in Hooker’s case; he had just wedded his fiancée, Scarlett Parsley, who was also killed in the crash. As a college reliever, Hooker pitched for the Wildcats from 1997 to 2001, developing a reputation as a pitcher who liked to take the ball at the end of close games. After being signed as an amateur free agent by the White Sox, Hooker pitched for independent league teams in Fargo, North Dakota, and Joliet, Illinois. At the time of his death, Hooker was working as a medical counselor.