YOGI - AS CLOSE TO “PERFECT” AS A MAN COULD BE

Yesterday, the Yankees and the world lost Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, as he died at the age of 90.  He died on the same exact date that he first wore a Yankees’ uniform in 1946, playing his first game for them shortly after serving in the United States’ Navy during World War II (where he was a heroic gunner's mate on the USS Bayfield, Dwight Eisenhower’s nautical headquarters during the D-Day invasion of France).

As much as I love the Yankees, there are only a few that I place on top of a pedestal and Yogi was certainly one of them; that’s because he was not only one of the greatest catchers of all time, but he was one of the greatest human beings.  I have personally heard many positive words supporting that from a friend of a close family member of Yogi's.  Plus, whenever you listen to interviews with his former teammates, coaches, or even any of his opponents, you hear the passion in their supporting words.  He was so famously loved that  many felt that Hanna-Barbera capitalized on his popularity by naming one of their most successful cartoons, "The Yogi Bear Show", after him - something they later declared to be a coincidence.

From a pure baseball standpoint, here are just 10 of his accomplishments and keep in mind that, for most of them, he is still the only player to have accomplished such feats:

- won 10 World Series Championships (all as a NY Yankee)

- won 3 World Series Championships as a coach (Yankees 1977 & 1978 / Mets 1969)

- achieved the first pinch-hit homerun in a World Series (1947)

- fielded without an error for a full season (only 3 other catchers have achieved that)

- caught & called Don Larsen’s perfect game during the 1956 World Series (no other perfect game has been thrown in a World Series)

- caught & called 2 other no-hitter games - which were thrown by one pitcher, Allie Reynolds (1951)

- played 18 times as an All-Star, doing so for 15 consecutive years

- won an MVP award 3 times (1951, 1954, & 1955) during years Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams played

- had more home runs than strikeouts in a season 5 times (including striking out just 12 times in 597 at-bats during 1950)

- led the Yankees in RBIs for 7 consecutive seasons (1949-1955) during years Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle were on the team

As a man, he was a long-lasting husband for 65 years until his wife (Carmen) died last year. He was also successful as a loving brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather; earned a Purple-Heart as a war veteran; and, as noted, was clearly one of the greatest ballplayers in the history of the game.  Yogi’s accomplishments epitomized an American symbol, perhaps more than any other ballplayer has ever done.  Those accomplishments came after his immigrating parents came from Italy to America and struggled for many years, even asking Yogi to quit school in 8^th grade in order to help them survive financially.  I’m sure that upbringing helped develop Yogi’s humbleness throughout his triumphant life.  He opened the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, Montclair, NJ with the goal of it helping to teach children important values such as sportsmanship and dedication on and off the baseball diamond.  (I’ve been to that museum and it’s creditable to Yogi’s intentions.)

Yankees’ fans will never forget his second Yogi Berra Day in 1999 (he was also honored 40 years earlier) when he caught the ceremonial first pitch from none other than Don Larsen.  Yogi then returned and handed Joe Girardi his glove back.  It was eerie because Girardi’s glove went on to symbolically catch yet another perfect game - this time by another Yankees’ pitcher, David Cone.  The Cardinals’ organization should never forget how their general manager (Branch Rickey) chose to sign Joe Garagiola, not Yogi Berra.

Today, I mourn the loss of Yogi, with the constant vision of his leap into the arms of Don Larsen to celebrate a perfect game; but, I can now envision his present leap into the arms of an eternal life even more perfect.  Thanks Yogi.

Of course, I have to end this article with some of the infamous Yogi-isms attributed to Yogi’s clever quotes; enjoy:

“It ain’t over till it’s over.”

“No one goes there anymore because it’s too crowded.”

“It's déjà vu all over again.”

“Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't go to yours.”

“If you see a fork in the road, take it.”

“The future ain’t what it used to be.”

“You can observe a lot by watching.”

“We made too many wrong mistakes.”

“You can observe a lot by watching.”

“I really didn’t say everything I said.”

“90 percent of the game is half mental.”