My thoughts on the Bernie Williams ceremony -- and yes, I think his number should have been retired

Pete Campbell's Chip N' Dip!

I Squawked Sunday night about New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick's (incorrect) ire over Bernie Williams Night being held the Sunday before Memorial Day. But I didn't write about the ceremony itself. There was good reason for that.

That is because I was at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens on Sunday, checking out the excellent "Mad Men" exhibit (a must-see for fans of the show!), and then waiting around for my turn on a customized flight simulator called "Birdly." This thing was awesome -- you got the sense that you were flying over New York City, and you used your arms to flap and swoop up and down, left and right, and over the city. It was a huge adrenaline rush!

What Birdly looks like

The fact I was not embarrassed to be sprawled out on this thing -- and that I could fit on it -- tells me that I have made big progress on my weight loss goals!

Anyhow, I am glad I stayed around to try out Birdly, but it meant that I did not get home to Staten Island in time to watch the Bernie Williams Night pre-game ceremony. However, I was home in time to see that entire debacle of a game, though. Oh, joy!

So I didn't get to watch the actual ceremony until this morning. This tribute to Williams, one of my favorite Yankees, was long overdue. And so is this writeup!

Here are my thoughts on Bernie Williams Night, as I watched it:

• Before the ceremony, that strange DirecTV ad with Hannah Davis and the horse runs. Given that she is Derek Jeter's paramour, did he get approval on who voiced the horse? Also, this ad isn't half as good as the Rob Lowe ones. Free Rob Lowe!
• Glad to see Gene Michael here. He (and Buck Showalter) don't get enough credit for the dynasty. If you may remember, when Bernie was a rookie, Williams was shy, wore big glasses, and was teased mercilessly by Mel Hall and called "Bambi." It was Michael who saw this, and got rid of the bad apple that was Hall. Now Williams is in Monument Park, and Hall is in the pokey. Fitting.
• David Cone is introduced. Why doesn't he get love when it comes to the late 90s stuff? Tino Martinez gets a plaque, but not Coney? C'mon now. David pitched a perfect game!
• Speaking of which, Tino gets introduced as a "fellow member of Monument Park." That just seems wrong to me. Sorry.
• Paul O'Neill comes out. I wonder if he loses his temper at home, do the light fixtures get destroyed! Come to think of it, I wish he kept that temper in the broadcast booth and gave players -- and Michael Kay -- more grief!
• Joe Torre is introduced. I know I am in the minority on this, but I feel like he didn't do enough penance over the way he trashed the Yankees both on his way out the door, and in his book. All he seemed to say was, in effect, "blame Tom Verducci" for him biting the hand that fed him for 12 years. Good grief.
• I notice that nobody, with the exception of Joe Torre, is wearing a tie. Just sport coats, dress shirts, and slacks. Did they plan this beforehand? Is Joe the only one wearing a tie because he was the manager?
• Oh, wait. Scratch that theory. Mariano Rivera is wearing a tie, too.
• Derek Jeter is here! He is introduced last, as "El Capitan." One of my brothers has a theory that the Yanks have made a deal with Jeter to retire that captaincy (remember, Brian Cashman said this spring that he didn't think anybody after Derek should be given the role) in exchange for Jeter showing up at these things. Hmmmm.  
• There is a video tribute featuring Williams' career highlights, as well as clips of people talking about him. Brian Cashman says something about how when "we signed him." Um, Bri, you were still in high school when the Yankees signed Williams. The only superstar you signed as a homegrown player was Robinson Cano, who you then let walk out the door. Not that I'm bitter or anything!
• It was great fun to see those clips of Williams in the playoffs in the late 90s. People have forgotten how good he was in the postseason -- 128 hits, 22 homers, and 80 RBIs! Glad to see him getting the recognition he deserves.
• I notice in the video tribute that current Yankees like Mark Teixeira, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carlos Beltran, none of whom played on the Yanks at the same time, are interviewed. Yet Alex Rodriguez, the only current Yankee who was actually a teammate with Williams, is snubbed. Bad form on the part of the Yankees. Stop being petty, guys!
• Now Bernie is getting gifts. Hal Steinbrenner comes out with a milestone ring. I still contend that Hal looks like a combination of his father and Tucker Carlson!
• I think it is pretty cool how Williams has this second career as a jazz musician after his first one. And he is very good at the second one, too. 
• Williams is giving his speech. It is a very gracious one, where he thanks his family, teammates, management, etc. He also says that the Yankees wanted to do this ceremony for nine years, and he was the one putting it off.
• I am not sure when Williams and his wife Waleska divorced, but she is not at the ceremony, although their kids are there. Nor is she ever mentioned or thanked during Bernie's speech. My friend Jerome said that it stuck in his craw that Williams never thanked his former wife and the mother of his children. I have to agree. 
• Overall, it was a very good ceremony, and a well-deserved one. You can watch the whole thing for yourself by clicking this link.

Shocker: The New York Post's Phil Mushnick sounds like a crank about Bernie Williams Night

I think that New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick frequently makes good points, and can be a much-needed force for good in the New York sports media. This recent column is not one of those times.

Mushnick is irate that Bernie Wiliams Night was being held tonight. the sports columnist writes:

So the Yankees had to choose the Sunday before Memorial Day, a holiday when tributes are traditionally, logically and respectfully devoted to our war dead, to honor Bernie Williams.

Wait a second here. Memorial Day itself is one day -- May 25 (traditional day for it was May 30, but it was moved to the last Monday in May in 1968.) Memorial Day weekend is considered the first weekend of summer. The day before is not the same thing. Not to mention that the Yankees will be commemorating Memorial Day on -- wait for it -- their Memorial Day game! Crazy, huh?

I don't understand Mushnick's point here. What about people who have a birthday the day before Memorial Day? Are they supposed to sit around in sackcloth and ashes?

Mushnick bashes the Yankees, MLB and ESPN for Bernie Williams Night and says:

...it didn’t matter to any of the above parties that Williams didn’t serve in the U.S. military, let alone risk his life in combat. And Williams, too, might have known that this Sunday afternoon or night on Memorial Day weekend was not the time to honor him, thus, flattered as he is, the above parties, given that it’s only May, should choose another date.

Oh, please. It is not enough to think of the war dead on Memorial Day, but the day before (and the day before that, I presume) have to be solely dedicated to them, too? C'mon now. Mushnick needs to get off his high horse here.

Look, I am not being disrespectful to fallen veterans here. As some of you know, my late father was a World War II veteran who is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. And my brother had been in the military for 35 years. He is a lieutenant colonel in the Army reserve serving in Kosovo right now. (He also served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.) And you know what he was doing today in his free time? Talking about the Yankees with me and others on Facebook. The horror!

Some well-meaning people get mad about others celebrating Memorial Day weekend. My philosophy on it is this: these soldiers and sailors died to ensure that we have the freedom to enjoy life. That includes having cookouts, picnics, and, yes, watching baseball games.

So if you want to do something to honor those who died defending our country, go to your local Memorial Day parade tomorrow. Visit a local cemetery. Say a prayer. Do some other tribute, if you'd like. (I am running in the Staten Island Advance 4-Mile Memorial Day Race myself, which is dedicated to these fallen heroes.) Go to see the Yankees (or Mets) on Memorial Day and watch the commemorative events.

But don't listen to Phil Mushnick. There was absolutely nothing wrong with honoring Bernie Williams Sunday night.

Subway Series Game 1: Winter is coming

The good news is that Squawker Lisa was able to score us some decent seats just hours before the game. As far as I'm concerned, that's pretty much where the good news ends. By the third inning, it was 6-0 Yankees, and since we were sitting in the 200 level toward the right field corner, we had a good view of all the Yankee homers sailing over the short right field porch. And the weather was even colder than the Mets' bats against Michael Pineda.

Lisa is a big fan of the Christmas special featuring Heat Miser and Cold Miser, and while I was feeling like a cold miser, shivering in my seat and grumbling at the $10 the vendor was asking for hot chocolate, heat miser Lisa was glowing as the Yankees stomped on the previously hot Mets. "Some Rookie of the Year, " Lisa smirked about Jacob deGrom.

But Lisa never pointed out how much better the Yankees' 26-year-old rising star Pineda was doing than the Mets' 26-year-old rising star deGrom.  To do so would mean she would have to give Brian Cashman credit for making a good trade when he sent Jesus Montero to the Mariners for Pineda. For Lisa, acknowledging a good move by the man she calls Fredo would be like the Yankees acknowledging a milestone by A-Rod.

The Yankees did, however, see fit to again acknowledge Mark Teixeira's 350th homer from last May, complete with John Sterling's call, in which he happily goes through all of his little sayings for Teixeira before Suzyn Waldman interrupts his reverie with actual news about Teixeira's milestone.

Yankee fans frustrated at their inability to purchase memorabilia for A-Rod's upcoming 660th homer can take solace in the fact there were frequent ads at the stadium last night for something called the "Derek Jeter Dirt Capsule." It turns out that this is a "game-used dirt capsule" from Derek Jeter's last game at Yankee Stadium. That implies to me that it was the capsule that was used in the game and not the dirt, but who cares about grammar when it's only $9.99 - cheaper than Yankee Stadium hot chocolate!

Bernie Williams threw out the first pitch last night in honor of the fact that he finally officially retired. (At age 46, he probably figured that he could at least DH for the current Yankee team.) Seeing Williams reminded me again at how ridiculous it is that Jorge Posada is part of the "Core Four" and not Williams.  During the Yankees' 1996-2000 dynasty, Williams had a WAR of 25.3, while Posada's was 9.8 (numbers from Baseball Reference). For their careers, Williams outdid Posada, 49.4-42.7.

I can only assume that Williams had a clause in his contract awarding him $6 million if the Yankees acknowledge that he belongs in the Core Four. 

The Yankees had a lot of dumb ads on the big video screen in which members of the team attempted to be humorous.  Even Brian Cashman tried to get into the act.  What's next - some standup from Randy Levine and Lonn Trost?

One of the ads featured Didi Gregorius trying to teach his teammates to say "inside out" in Dutch.  Not sure why that phrase was chosen, unless the Yankees were trying to claim that Gregorius' .204 batting average was somehow "inside out."  Looks like Sir Didi won't be getting his dirt capsule anytime soon.

At least we got to see the major-league debut of Mets pitcher Hansel Robles.  His name sounds like character out of "Game of Thrones."  (Arya, when you meet a man named Hansel Robles, show him this coin and say, "Nieuwenhuis.")

Unfortunately, winter returned for the Mets last night. Today, it's time for Matt Harvey to bring back the sunshine.

35th Annual Thurman Munson Awards will honor Dellin Betances, Bernie Williams, Steve Weatherford, Meryl Davis and Charlie White

Thurman Munson died in 1979, but his legacy lives on. Tuesday night is the 35th Annual Thurman Munson Awards dinner, held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan. The benefit dinner helps the AHRC New York City Foundation, which helps both children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The dinner will honor the following people:

• Bernie Williams, centerfielder of the Yankees during their late '90s dynasty years and excellent guitar player 
• Dellin Betances, rookie reliever of the Yankees 
• Steve Weatherford, New York Giants Super Bowl champion punter 
• Meryl Davis and Charlie white, Olympic gold medal winners in ice dancing and "Dancing With the Stars" contestants (Davis won Season 19) 
• Joel S. Isaacson, CEO of Joel Isaadcson & Co. Yankee broadcaster Michael Kay will be the emcee. 

Over the last 35 years, the Thurman Munson Awards Dinner has raised a lot of money -- over $13 million -- to help those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To buy tickets to this event, contact 212-249-6188, email jennifer@emgbenefits.com. Tickets may be purchased on line at www.ahrcNYCfoundation.org/events.

Here is more information about the organization that the benefit helps: The AHRC New York City Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that supports programs enabling children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives, including programs of AHRC New York City. AHRC New York City is one of the largest organizations of its kind, serving 15,000 children and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries and other disabilities.

Bernie Williams is 'Moving Forward'

Bernie Williams has a new album out, called "Moving Forward." I give it a Squawkers thumbs up, especially for his performance of "Glory Days" with Bruce Springsteen. Anyhow, here's some more info on Bernie and the record.

Click here to see No. 51 talk about the album, and unveil his new video for his version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." And click here to see him and Kiss' Ace Frehley at the opening of the Stadium's Hard Rock Cafe.

Here's some info on where Williams will be in town this week, courtesy of Rock Ridge Music, Bernie's record company:

• Tuesday, April 14^th 6:00pm: Bernie will be signing cds (and only cds) at the Borders at Penn Station in New York, NY.
• Wednesday, April 15^th 6:00pm: Bernie will be signing cds (and only cds) at the FYE in Milford, CT.
• Saturday, April 18^th Doors open at 8:00pm: Bernie will be performing at the Nokia Theater in Times Square, New York.
• Friday, April 24^th 12:00pm: Bernie will be signing at Borders in Downtown Crossing, Boston (10-24 School St.