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Trailing 2-0 in the American League Division Series, the New York Yankees are one loss away from ending their season – a situation Bernie Williams had been in during his playing days.
The Toronto Blue Jays have demolished the Yankees in each of the Alds’ first two games up north, and the Bronx panic meter is high.
Williams found himself in a similar hole in 2001, as his Dynastic Bronx Bombers sought a fourth straight World Series. These Yankees lost the first two games of this ALDS at home before winning the next two in Oakland against the Athletics, then winning Game 5 in the Bronx.
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Bernie Williams of the New York Yankees runs the bases during Game 2 of the World Series against the San Diego Padres on October 18, 1998, at Yankee Stadium in New York. (Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)
The cliché may be to have a short memory, but Williams has another piece of advice for the 2025 Yankees.
“In a way, you want to forget about the downtime, but at the same time, you want to keep it in mind, because you don’t want to repeat it,” Williams told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview. “So I think there’s a little bit of a duality where you really think about how hard it is to lose the way they lost the last two games, because one thing is to lose, but they’re packed in two games, especially this time of year, you know, it’s a little embarrassing.”
There is a “cliché” mentality, however, that Williams wants the Yankees to respect.
“You can’t really think about the future. Just be in the moment and literally take it one moment at a time, one at a time, one pitch at a time, and being in that moment, doing what you need to do in that particular moment, the future is going to take care of itself, because you’re taking the steps that are necessary for you to be successful,” Williams said. “And that’s the one thing you’ve been able to hang your hat on. You do everything in your power to make sure everything happens.
“If that doesn’t happen, you can always look in the mirror and say, ‘You know what, I did everything I could.’ “And you know, that’s the thing you have to live with.
With the Yankees’ season on the brink, manager Aaron Boone is once again at the forefront of Yankees fans’ scoring. But Williams knows Boone is in a very different environment than Joe Torre, who managed Williams for 11 seasons.
Former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre (R) looks on with current manager Aaron Boone before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on August 18, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York. (Jim McISAac/Getty Images)
Yankees legend Bernie Williams compares baseball and music careers as Carnegie Hall performance approaches
“I think Joe Torre had a lot more to say as far as the team and choosing a lineup. I think Aaron Boone is working with a situation where you have a lot of people, or a lot of mathematicians, checking their analysis and creating sort of a lineup for him to make an educated guess, Williams said. “I think Aaron is playing at a different time.
“I think the front office itself is different, especially without Mr. [George] Steinbrenner, who was an ever-present and very influential presence in the decisions that were made. Very low patience, and he wanted to shake things when they needed to be shaken. And I think the front office in this particular iteration of the club, it’s a little bit slower to make those changes. And I think they have to deal with that. “
Williams, however, suggested that this Yankees team — better yet, the entire league — doesn’t emphasize “the little things of the game.”
“Moving runners, bunting, playing strong defense. It didn’t hurt that we probably had the best closer in the game. They’re playing a different brand of baseball right now. And I think a lot of these teams that we’re playing have taken that framework from the Yankees and made it so that they’ve crafted themselves to build their teams. “And it’s a little hard to have a bull’s eye on your back and say, ‘I’m the team that you must beat. “The Yankees have been that team for so many years. “
Williams admitted his dynasty “messed up” the Yankees fan base into thinking winning was “as easy as we kind of knew it would be,” but even with their backs against the wall, the five-time All-Star thinks this year’s team can make magic starting at 8:08 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) connects for a base hit against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning of Game 1 of a Wild Card League playoff series, Tuesday, September 30, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
“I think they have the amount of expectations expected of this team right now, because these guys in the ’90s did it, why can’t you do it? And I think not only the fans and the organization, but the players themselves, they have that burden and say, ‘You have to get this gorilla off your back, at least you win some,'” Williams said.
“Gleyber Torres, Gary Sanchez, those guys are now a generation ago. But I still think they still have a great opportunity. They just have to continue to do the things they need to do to be successful and then get that little spark. I mean, one game in this series can turn the tide, and we hope this game will be [Tuesday]. “
