The New York Yankees young guns such as Spencer Jones are hailing the impact of spending time with franchise legend Bernie Williams ahead of the new season.
Williams has won the World Series four times in his 16-year career at the Yankees and was an All-Star on five occasions. The centre fielder is one of the most accomplished players, on and off the field and has a trove of athletics gold medals at youth level and a Latin Grammy nomination tucked away.
Jones, one of the Bronx Bombers young guns, a first-round draft pick in 2022 and an exciting centre-fielder told Overtime Heroics senior editor Reggie Roberts in an exclusive interview that Willliams has been both friendly and impactful, helping out at the club in the past few weeks.
“Yeah …Bernie (Williams) has been around a lot. He’s been working with the outfielders; he’s been with us around the batting cages…he’s a friendly guy…he wants to help out. He’s been great for me so far. He is not afraid to tell me some things or give me some advice. I ask him a lot of questions all the time and he’s been great for me,” he told Roberts on Monday.
Williams retired from baseball and life at the Yankees in 2006, and hit 287 home runs, 1,257 runs batted in and had 2,336 hits.
“It’s been really cool just to have him around, somebody with so much experience, so much success and so much success in the playoffs. It’s something I am not taking for granted. I feel like I’ve gotten to work with him well over the past couple of weeks and I am excited to keep that momentum going.”
Jones has been in sensational form in Spring Camp and is fresh off smashing a 470-foot home run in the Grapefruit league.
“Hitting wise, he (Williams) is big on keeping things simple, trusting your eyes, trusting your instincts. During one of the early days in camp when we were doing at-bats outside, he was talking to me about turning on the inside pitch and not thinking too hard about, but rather trusting your body and letting all of the hard work that you have put in in the cages work for you when you’re turning on those inside pitches. It’s simple stuff like that,” Jones added.
“He was a physically gifted player, and he said his biggest thing was trusting his ability and learning how to stay present and lock in on those big moments. Those are the kinds of conversations we have had. It’s cool hearing it from a guy who has had such a great career…by keeping things simple and by not forcing things but letting his ability come out naturally,” the 6 ft 6 left-hander added.
Jones spent 2022 and 2-23 in the minors but was selected, alongside Clayton Breeter to feature in the All-Star Futures Game. He has been promoted to the Somerset Patriots of the Double-A Eastern League.
He will be desperate to emulate the career of Williams, heck even half of those numbers will translate into a highly successful one.
Williams hit .297, was a four-time Gold Glove award winner and captured the AL batting title in 1998 when he hit .339 and had his No. 51 jersey retired.
The sound of the ball thwacking Jones’ bat will be music to the ears of Williams, and if it stays so sweet could become the new anthem at Yankee Stadium.
