Episode 116: Bernie Williams with Neil Paine

Jim is joined by Neil Paine, senior writer for FiveThirtyEight, to break down the hall of fame candidacy of former New York Yankees Centerfielder, Bernie Williams. Jim and Neil first discuss Bernie's exclusion from being a part of the "Core Four" despite being the best hitter on the Yankees during the late 1990s (5:34). Then, they cover Bernie's performance in both the 1995 and 1996 playoffs, how he compares to a host of past HOFers, and rank him against his 1990s/2000s CF peers (9:49). Finally, they discuss whether or not being a centerfielder for the Yankees hurts his HOF chances due to unfair DiMaggio/Mantle comparisons (37:21), before reaching a final verdict on whether or not Bernie belongs in Cooperstown (44:12). Pod of Fame is sponsored by Stathead, the industry standard for finding and analyzing the statistical history of your favorite sport. Receive $20 off an annual Stathead subscription by using the promo code "FAME" at stathead.com.