Yogi Berra was not only a Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees, but he was also an animated entertainer, to say the least. Berra is a rare social commentator who can assess a situation in a way that you will surely never forget. Yogi once said, “You can see a lot just by looking.”
Many of Yogi’s “observations” are now used in our daily lives. Some of the yogi quotes are:
- “A penny is no longer worth a penny”
- “It’s not over until it’s over.”
- “Half of the lies they tell about me are not true.”
- “How can you think and punch at the same time?”
- “I never said most of the things I said.”
As a catcher, Berra was unmatched during his time. He could jump out of his crouch like a bobcat, converting bunts into double plays and twisting pop-ups into easy outs. From 1957 to 1959 he played 148 games without errors. During that time he managed a record 950 opportunities behind the plate without a single error.
As a hitter, Yogi Berra broke nearly every power record for American League catchers. He drove pitchers crazy with his ability to get big hits off bad pitches outside the strike zone.
The Yankees had some tremendous teams from 1949 to 1955. It was Berra who led the Yankees in each of those seasons. He five times he drove in more than 100 runs in a season. For 10 consecutive years he hit 20 or more home runs. He did all of this without being a strikeout hitter. In one season (in 1950) he had 597 at-bats but only struck out 12 times.
did you know
- Yogi Berra was the second man in Major League history to manage his own son. In 1985, his son Dale Berra became a Yankee.
- He was much admired for his business sense. He invested in everything from bowling alleys to YooHoo during the 1950s. All of his investments made him a rich man.
- Yogi won pennants as coach of the 1964 Yankees and the 1973 New York Mets.
Yogi Berra Timeline Biography
- Born: May 12, 1925 in St. Louis Missouri
- 9 years old: Yogo sold 300 newspapers to help his family.
- Age 15 His friends called him “Yogi” because he looked like a movie character.
- Age 17: Signed by the New York Yankees for $90 per month
- Age 21: Join the Yankees at the end of the 1946 season
- 1952 – Sets AL home run mark for a catcher
- 1955: Wins the third MVP award
- 1958: Catch the entire season with no mistakes
