Yogi Berra
September 23, 2015
Baseball legend Yogi Berra—born Lawrence Peter Berra—died in New Jersey yesterday, September 22, at age 90. Berra, one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, was also one of the game’s most beloved and colorful players. After he and high school classmates saw a film featuring an Indian practitioner of yoga, Berra was nicknamed “Yogi” because of the cross-legged position he took when waiting for his turn at bat. The name stuck.
Yogi Berra starred for the New York Yankees of the American League when the team dominated baseball. During his career, he gained a reputation as a feared hitter in critical situations in a game, as a fine defensive catcher, and as a skilled handler of pitchers. But for the many people too young to know what a great player he was, Berra is remembered only by a collection of mystical phrases. People often say these phrases, known as “Yogi-sms,” without even knowing they came from the squat but powerful catcher from St. Louis.
First, the career: during Berra’s 18 seasons with the Yankees, he played in 14 World Series (with the Yankees winning 10 of them), was a 15-time All-Star, and was named the American League Most Valuable Player in 1951, 1954, and 1955. Berra holds the career record for World Series games played (75), as well as the American League record for catchers for the most consecutive fielding chances without an error. Berra played regularly for the Yankees from 1947 through 1963 and managed the team in 1964. He played briefly for the New York Mets in 1965 and managed the team from 1972 through 1975. Berra returned to manage the Yankees in 1984 and the early part of 1985. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Second, the Yogi-sms: Berra’s colorful use of the English language made him one of the most quoted athletes of his time. Early in his career, Yankees manager Casey Stengel thought Berra to be “a very strange fellow of very remarkable abilities.” Reporters swamped Berra’s locker after a game, where they plied him with questions not always related to baseball. Berra encouraged them: “Ask questions. Maybe it might lead to somethin’.”
Commenting on a team comeback late in a season, he reasoned, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Upon a dining recommendation for a particular restaurant, he replied, “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.” Asked if he bet on horses, “I never go to the track. I don’t like horses. They take too long.” When advising a younger player not to pattern his batting stance on that of another player, he said, “If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him.” When giving directions: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Later, as a manager, he described his managerial strategy: “You can observe a lot just by watching.” Of course, Yogi being Yogi, he often misremembered, denied, or simply mystically washed his quotes away: “I really didn’t say everything I said.”
World Book Back in time articles