In my previous 10 seasons, one Yankee I always looked forward to seeing was Bernie Williams. It appears this 2007 season will be quite different. Bernie's days as a Yankee seem to be over. If this is the case, the Yankees and their fans are going to miss him greatly.

Last season, it seemed that no matter what, the fans at Yankee Stadium would cheer Bernie's every move. It was almost like the fans were saying thank you for not only being a tremendous player, but also just being a class act. Bernie was the type of player that each Yankee fan could be proud to say that he was a Yankee, which made him one of the most likeable players of the current Yankees dynasty.

With all of the speculation of Bernie not coming back, you truly have to credit him for having a good 2006 season. However, he only received the opportunity to play almost every day because of major injuries sustained to Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui. His role going into last season was supposed to be that of a DH and a backup outfielder. Unfortunately, heading into 2007 it is a different story. Jason Giambi is now the full-time DH and there are four outfielders in front of Bernie on the depth chart. Bernie is not built to be a fifth outfielder and to classify him as such would not be fair to him.

From a personal standpoint, I actually went through the same situation that Bernie is going through right now. I was told by the Orioles that after the 1984 season, I would not be offered a new contract. The Orioles made a decision that they wanted to save money and get younger in the process, just a year removed from being World Champions. I was not the only longtime Oriole the team cut ties with. They ended a 19-year relationship with Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer in May of 1984, and did not offer a new contract to Al Bumbry, who was the 1973 Rookie of the Year and a 13-year veteran with the Orioles.

I know how Bernie is feeling because after my tenure with the Orioles ended, I was invited to White Sox Spring Training in 1985 on a make-good basis. Like Bernie has done so far this Spring Training, I declined to go because I didn't want to play for anyone but the Orioles. With that I retired, and a year later I was in the broadcast booth and 23 years later I'm still broadcasting.

As we all have seen, Bernie is more than just a baseball player. He can slide into a career in music just as easily as he would slide into second base with a double. If he chooses music as his next career, I will await the release of his next CD. If he plays ball again, it will certainly seem strange to see him in another uniform. Still, we will have all of those Yankee Classics on YES that will have Bernie Williams in a starring role.

I personally would also like to thank Bernie. He always found time for me and my questions. His answers were always insightful, thoughtful and respectful. It's no wonder Bernie Williams quickly became one of my favorite Yankees when I joined the Yankees broadcast team in 1997. Maybe Bernie will continue his career with another team and if he does I will wish him well.

All the best Bernie whatever road you travel.