AN 18-TIME All-Star and 10-time World Series champion as a player. Baseball Hall of Famer. One of just four players to win the American League’s Most Valuable Player award thrice, and regarded by many as the best catcher in baseball history.
Yogi Berra was a sporting icon across the Atlantic, and he has sadly passed away at the age of 90 of natural causes during his sleep at an assisted living facility in West Caldwell, New Jersey.
Berra served in the US Navy during the Second World War as a gunner mate aboard the USS Bayfield during the D-Day invasion of France, and went on to become a household name in America in the latter half of the 20th century.
Born to Italian immigrant parents in St. Louis, Missouri, the left-handed batter and right-handed thrower was an ever-present in the New York Yankees team during the side’s championship years in the 1940s and 50s, going on to play 18 seasons for the Yankee Stadium outfit. The club retired Berra’s iconic number 8 uniform in 1972 as a mark of respect for the legendary defensive catcher.
Berra appeared in 21 World Series as a player, coach and manager – winning an impressive 13 of them. Berra quit school after the eighth grade, but his lack of formal education did not take away from his quick witty comments, known as Yogiisms. Here are some of the best for your enjoyment:
“You can observe a lot by watching.”
“It ain’t over till it’s over.” In July 1973, Berra’s Mets trailed the Chicago Cubs by 9½ games in the National League East. The Mets rallied to win the division title on the final day of the season.”
“It’s déjà vu all over again”. Berra explained that this quote originated when he witnessed Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris repeatedly hit back-to-back home runs in the Yankees’ seasons in the early 1960s.”
“Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours.”
