Inside The Pinstripes

Former Yankees Outfielder Gerald Williams Dies at 55

Williams was drafted by New York and played parts of seven seasons with the Yankees during his 14-year big-league career.

Pat Ragazzo

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It’s a sad day for the entire New York Yankees family.

Former Yankee, Gerald Williams, has passed away at the age of 55 after a battle with cancer.

Williams was selected by the Yankees in the 14th round of the 1987 MLB Draft. He went onto make his major league debut in the Bronx in September of 1992. The outfielder played a total of five seasons for the Yankees from 1992 to 1996 in his first of two stints with the organization.

Although Williams was initially a part of the Yankees’ team that eventually went onto win the 1996 World Series, he was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers in an August trade, so he was not with the Bombers on their run in October. Despite being traded, Williams still received a World Series ring from the Yankees since he was a member of the team for more than half of the ’96 season.

Following the 1997 campaign, Williams was traded again, only this time, he was acquired by the Yankees’ previous World Series foes in the Atlanta Braves.

Williams spent two seasons with the Braves and faced the Yankees in the 1999 World Series, where his former team swept them in four games.

Williams rejoined the Yankees as a backup outfielder during the 2001 season and was on their postseason roster later in the year. While Williams finally got to play for the Yankees in the World Series, his team wound up falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Ironically, Williams earned his second World Series ring with the Marlins, who beat his former team in the Fall Classic in 2003. Williams signed with the Mets in 2004 and retired before the following season after he was released by the club.

Williams, who resided in Tampa Bay, FL., was particularly close with Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter, who announced the sad news of his passing on the morning of Feb. 8.

“Gerald Williams passed away this morning after a battle with cancer,” Jeter said in a statement on The Players’ Tribune Twitter account.

“To my teammate and one of my best friends in the world, rest in peace, my brother. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Liliana, and their whole family.”

Williams, a New Orleans native, batted .255 with 85 home runs and 365 RBIs across 1,168 games during his MLB career.

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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