Where regret should linger, only indifference resides. These days, reliving the 1994 season makes Matt Williams feel simply one way.
Old.
"It was a loooong time ago, man, a long time," Williams said. "I can't believe it's been 25 years. That's crazy."
In a season lost to history, the stoic slugger was denied a chance to make some of his own, having hit 43 home runs in 115 games with the San Francisco Giants. Sweet-swinging San Diego Padres outfielder Tony Gwynn had a similar circumstance.
Both men were chasing revered milestones, Williams on track to become the third player to hit 60 home runs or more in a season and Gwynn closing in on a .400 batting average, when a players strike brought the campaign to a screeching, and eventually permanent, halt Aug. 11.
But in the moment, neither player was hung up on glory. They were consumed by goals larger than themselves. They cared more about their teams, and their sport.
" '94, it wasn't about a personal feeling so much as it was about a group," Williams said. "A strong, united group that wanted to push our game forward."
