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NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21: Yogi Berra stands on the field during a pregame ceremony prior to the start of the last regular season game at Yankee Stadium between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees on September 21, 2008 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Yankees are playing their final season in the 85 year old ball park and plan on moving into the new Yankee Stadium across the street to start the 09 season. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Yogi Berra: Champion, war hero, legend

The baseball community, and world as a whole, lost a great man on September 22, 2015. Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra passed away at the age of 90, and 69 years to the day that he made his MLB debut.

Yogi Berra was born in the St. Louis Italian neighborhood called “The Hill” to Italian immigrants Pietro and Paolina Berra on May 12, 1925. His father arrived at Ellis Island on October 18, 1909 with his mother and two brothers arriving later. In a 2005 interview for the Baseball Hall of Fame, Yogi said,

“My father came over first. He came from the old country. And he didn’t know what baseball was. He was ready to go to work. And then I had three other brothers and a sister. My brother and my mother came over later on. My two oldest brothers, they were born there, Mike and Tony. John and I and my sister Josie were born in St. Louis.”

He began playing baseball in local American Legion leagues, where he learned the basics of catching while playing outfield and infield positions as well. Yogi received his famous nickname from his friend Bobby Hofman while playing in the American Legion. Hofman said he resembled a Hindu yogi whenever he sat with his arms and legs crossed waiting to bat or while looking sad after a loss.

His professional career started in 1943 for the Yankees’ affiliate Norfolk Tars. In his first professional at-bat, he hit a grand slam and finished the game 6-6. He played in the second game of the double header as well, and finished the day with 12 hits and 23 RBIs. At age 18, he would put his playing career on hold to serve his country. He joined the U.S. Navy, and during World War II, was a gunner’s mate on the USS Bayfield during the D-Day invasion of France. He said of the invasion,

“Being a young guy, you didn’t think nothing of it until you got in it. And so we went off 300 yards off beach. We protect the troops.”

For the next twelve days his boat was ordered to shoot down any plane that came below the clouds. They accidentally shot down an American plane, but saved the pilot. He also ran messages from Omaha Beach to Utah Beach and went on to serve in a second assault on France, for which he received a medal from the French government. Three of his comrades died in the invasion, which included 150,000 Allied personnel. It is widely considered the turning point of the war in the Allies’ favor. Sixty years later, he received the Lone Sailor award from the U.S. Navy Memorial, an honor given to sailors who use skills learned in the service to advance their careers.

Yogi-Berra-Navy

Following his military service, he played minor league baseball with the Newark Bears where he was mentored by Hall of Famer Bill Dickey. This would cause Yogi to don Dickey’s number 8. He would make the Majors in 1946, playing seven games with the Yanks. The next season he played 83 games and would go on to play more than 100 in each of the next 14 years. He appeared in 14 World Series which, along with his 10 wins, are still MLB records. He also holds the record for most games (75), at-bats (259), hits (71), doubles (10), singles (49), games caught (63), and catcher putouts (457). In Game 3 of 1947, he hit the first pinch hit home run in World Series history. Perhaps his most famous game was when he caught Don Larsen‘s perfecto in the 1956 World Series. The picture of Yogi leaping into Larsen’s arms following the 27th out is among sport’s most memorable images.

New York Yankees' catcher Yogi Berra leaps into the arms of pitcher Don Larsen after Larsen struck out the last Brooklyn Dodgers' batter to complete his perfect game during the fifth game of the World Series, Oct. 8, 1956. Racing up in the background is Joe Collins. (AP Photo)

Yogi was an All Star 15 times and was selected to 18 All Star Games (MLB held two All Star Games per year from 1959-1962). He was the American League MVP in 1951, 1954, and 1955 and never finished lower than fourth in the voting from 1950-1957. He received MVP votes in 15 consecutive seasons, tied with Barry Bonds and second only to Hank Aaron‘s 19 straight seasons. From 1949-1955, on teams that featured names like Mickey Mantle Phil Rizzuto, Billy Martin and Joe DiMaggio, it was Yogi who led the team in RBIs for those seven seasons.

He retired from playing after the 1963 World Series and was immediately named the successor of Ralph Houk as the manager of the Yankees. He led the team to the World Series, but would lose to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games leading to his firing. The crosstown rival Mets would immediately hire him as a coach. When Mets’ manger Gil Hodges passed in 1972, Yogi took the reigns and would lead them to the Fall Classic in 1973. They lost to the Oakland Athletics in seven hard fought games and he would be let go in 1975. The pinstripes called him home in 1976 when he served as a coach through the teams three consecutive AL pennants.

Yogi was named Yankees’ manager before the 1984 season. He agreed to serve as manager for the 1985 season after being reassured that he would not be fired. However, the always unpredictable George Steinbrenner did fire him after the 16th game of ’85. Instead of firing him personally, Steinbrenner told Clyde King to deliver the news for him. This caused a rift between Yogi and Steinbrenner that would last for 15 years. Yogi would not step foot in Yankee Stadium as long as The Boss was in control. When the relationship was finally mended, the team held Yogi Berra Day at the stadium on July 18, 1999 and David Cone would throw a perfect game. What a fitting welcome back to the king of the baseball rings.

Having quit school after the eighth grade to help his parents at home, Yogi is famous for his cheeky quotes, known as Yogi-isms. They are not only known through all of Yankees Universe, but all of baseball as well. The most famous being “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” Of these silly quotes he said,

“I don’t think them up. Really, I don’t. They just pop out. My mouth runs before my brain is ready to walk.”

Yogi holds 10 World Series rings as a player and three as a coach/manger for the most in MLB history. As the Yankees’ catcher, he won in 1947, 1949-53, 1956, 1958, 1961-62 to edge out Joe DiMaggio by one for most rings in all of baseball. He has been involved in 44% of the franchise’s 27 World Series wins, and has more rings by himself than any team outside of the Bombers. He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1972, his number 8 was retired by the Yankees and he was named to the MLB All Century Team in 1999.

He opened the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center and Yogi Berra Stadium on the campus of Montclair State University in Upper Montclair, New Jersey in 1998. The museum houses various artifacts, including the glove Yogi caught the only perfect game in World Series history with, several autographed and game used items and nine of Yogi’s championship rings. He was very involved with the project and frequently made appearances for signings, discussions, and other events. It is was intention to “teach children important values such as sportsmanship and dedication, both on and off the baseball diamond.”

 

He is one of the most influential men to ever play the game, not just in the sport but in popular culture as a whole. He inspired Hollywood animators Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbera to create one of the most popular cartoon series of all time back in the 1960s, Yogi Bear.

“I don’t know if I was the inspiration for Yogi Bear or Boo Boo Bear,” Yogi said. “I guess they just liked my name.”

Yogi’s influence spanned generations. He connected the careers of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, having played with both in 1951 when Joe was leaving the game and Mick was coming in. There are no words to describe what he did, not only for the game of baseball, but for this country. I tried to do him justice in this piece, but how do you condense someone’s life into a few paragraphs, especially someone larger than life like Yogi? He is survived by his three sons, Larry, Tim and Dale, as well as 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

“While we mourn the loss of our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, we know he is at peace with Mom. We celebrate his remarkable life, and are thankful he meant so much to so many. He will truly be missed.” -The Berra Family