By Reginald Armstrong, Special to World Baseball Network
I heard Bob Costas tell a story this morning in tribute to the great and much-missed Yogi Berra, who would have been 100 years old yesterday. Yogi- immortalized for his Yogi-isms, among other things- was remembered through a tale shared by his son, Dale Berra, a former ballplayer himself.
Supposedly, Yogi’s wife, Carmen, once asked him where he wanted to be buried — either in his hometown of St. Louis or his longtime residence in Montclair, N.J. Yogi replied, “Surprise me.”
I literally fell out of my seat, because that’s classic, tautological Yogi! Naturally, he’d want to be surprised after he’s dead!
Yogi: More Than Just the Numbers – Far be it from me to frame Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra when Wikipedia alone presents him comprehensively. But my appreciation for this man — who would have turned 100 on May 12 — is rooted in his voice, his wry smile, and his impact far beyond the stat sheet.
Yes, you know the numbers, among them: 18 All-Star appearances, 13 World Series titles, three American League MVPs, and 358 career home runs. But Yogi’s true legacy wasn’t just in his accolades. It was in the way he shaped generations of players long after his playing career ended.
The Language of the People – Fellow Italian-American Joe DiMaggio may have worn bespoke suits with flair and spoken American English with sophistication, and taller, but Yogi spoke the language of the people- streetwise, full of common sense, brimming with more laughs, knowledge, and teachable moments than one could learn from an Ivy League professor.
And in baseball — America’s Pastime, a sport that embraces talent from myriad backgrounds, cultures, and languages — Yogi was the bridge.
He could connect with the Spanish-speaking Latin player, the Deep-South farmer’s son, the Black kid from the South Bronx or South Dallas, the Italian-American kid from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, the Jewish kid from the Upper East Side, and the book-smart surfer from Malibu, Calif.
After all, as Yogi himself said, “You can observe a lot by watching.”
Kids like us in the late 1960s and 1970s understood what Yogi meant. So did our parents when he quipped, “Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.”
Yogi: The Endomorph Who Defied Expectations – Yogi inspired players of all sizes. He himself would be described, in medical terms, as an endomorph- shorter, stocky, and powerful. Not everyone had to be built like a redwood tree like Frank Howard or even Dave Winfield.
And yet, at 5-foot-8 and 185 pounds, Yogi smashed 358 career homers, probably because, as only Yogi could put it, “You don’t have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you got the timing, it’ll go!”
A Celebration of Yogi’s Legacy – They had a bash for the great Yankee catcher at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Montclair, N.J., to honor his memory. Yogi was also, as it happens, a Grand Marshal of the Columbus Day Parade in New York City, a fitting tribute to a man who embodied the American dream through baseball.
What a career, life, and legacy he bequeathed to us all.
A raised glass and a hat tip to a man who, while lying peacefully in his grave, still believes Jackie Robinson was out at home plate in Game One of the 1955 World Series on September 28 — a bad omen for the Yankees, as that was the year Brooklyn finally won their first World Series, slaying the Bronx Bombers in seven.
Rest in Peace, Yogi.
Photo: Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, catcher for the New York Yankees, is shown in an action pose on March 24, 1949 during spring training. The catcher-infielder batted .305 in 1948. The location is not known. (AP Photo)
