Yogi Berra: Legend At-Bat, With Words

by Julian Spivey
Lawrence “Yogi” Berra passed away at his home in New Jersey on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at the age of 90 and left a legendary and fascinating life behind him. Yogi Berra was a true American hero.

Berra was one of the greatest baseball players of all-time, playing for Major League Baseball’s greatest franchise the New York Yankees and winning more titles, 10, than anybody in the history of America’s game. He was also a legendary wordsmith, though it was by accident, becoming known for his “Yogi-isms,” a number of memorable witticisms or more often than not malapropisms.

Truth be told, Berra would’ve been an American hero even without his hall of fame baseball career or his wonderful way with words simply by being one of the many American soldiers taking part in the D-Day invasion as a gunner’s mate on a gunboat landing on the beaches of Normandy in 1944.

After the war Berra soon joined the Yankees big league club in 1946, hit a home run in just his second career major league at-bat and never looked back for 20 years, or really more if you take into account his many years as manager and coach after his playing days were over.

Berra is very likely the second greatest catcher to ever play the game of baseball behind probably only Cincinnati Reds legend Johnny Bench. Berra put up unbelievable numbers for a catcher during his era, most of which were records for his position when he retired like 358 home runs, 1,430 RBI and 2,150 hits to go along with a .285 career average. Berra was an 18-time All Star and one of the few players (and only one of two catchers along with Roy Campanella) to ever win three league MVPs (1951, 1954 & 1955).

And yet despite these all-time great numbers he put up and the fact that some competing pitchers considered him the scariest hitter in the league because he was such a spectacular bad ball hitter he’s also one of the most underrated players in the history of the game. This is somewhat understood as despite being one of the likely two greatest players to ever grace a baseball field at his position he’s likely only the fifth or sixth greatest player in his own franchise’s history being a lifelong Yankee. In fact, Berra was rarely even considered the best player on his own team despite his three MVPs playing alongside Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle for the entirety of his career.

Berra is also vastly underrated because he’s known more for his fascinating and legendary quotes and Yogi-isms than for his terrific on field play. His unique way with words, that never seemed an act, made him one of the most comical figures in the history of the game with sayings like: “Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical” and “It’s déjà vu all over again.” Many made fun of Berra’s quotes, but quite often they hint at a particular truth or bit of wisdom like: “The future ain’t what it used to be.”

Berra was larger than life, despite his small for a baseball player five foot, seven inch frame. He may be gone, but he’ll forever be known as maybe baseball’s greatest winner and as sports’ most quoted figure. 

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Yogi Berra's 10 Greatest Yogi-isms