From the Collection: Gerald Williams, of, Tampa Bay Rays
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When I was a young man, I played All-Star Baseball 64 on my Nintendo. In that game, my outfielders tended to rotate based on which players I was into at the time. But there was always one constant, Gerald Williams. I am not sure why I was so attached to him, but he was always on my roster. He was the perfect 4th outfielder in the game. He could hit. He had a good glove. He was a perfect pinch runner. I loved the dude.
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Williams’ real-life profile was quite similar. Throughout his 15 seasons in the majors, he served as a starter for a brief period from 1997 to 2000. For the rest of his career, he played as a fourth outfielder, but he was a good one! He had some impressive seasons, particularly during his two years as a starter in Atlanta, where he posted a 108 OPS+. In 2000, while playing for Tampa Bay, he had a notable season, hitting 21 home runs.
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In 2002, while he was in the minors playing for the AAA Memphis Redbirds, I worked in the same clubhouse for a series. I was, for the first time in my adult life, starstruck. At the end of the series, against my better judgment, I asked him to sign a ball. He did. He was nice. And he also tipped me $20. I didn’t spend that $20 bill for years.
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Derek Jeter has, on numerous occasions, said that Williams was important to his career. They became friends while both played in the minors, and Williams was something of a baseball big brother to the young shortstop.
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For years, I wanted to add some nice Gerald Williams autographs to my collection. But he never did signings (that I could find), and nobody ever offered to get him. Finally, in early 2002, a private signing was put together. I was thrilled and sent a bunch of cards. Unfortunately, he died just before the signing.