Yogi Berra

BASEBALL PLAYER AND MANAGER

Yogi Berra was one of the greatest baseball players of all time and one of the most colorful characters to ever play the game. He was born and raised in St. Louis, where he might have become a St. Louis Cardinal had it not been for his childhood friend. Berra set numerous records for catchers during his time in the big leagues, while also making quite an amusing persona for himself along the way.

Not only was he a great player, coach, and manager, but  the Economist Magazine also named him the “Wisest Fool over the Past 50 Years” for his famous Yogi-isms.

THE EARLY YEARS

Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra was born on May 12, 1925, in St. Louis. He spent his early years in the Italian section of the city known as The Hill. He was originally nicknamed Lawdie (short for Lawrence), but the name Yogi stuck after a friend said he looked like a Hindu holy man that they had seen in a movie.

Baseball was an important part of the culture on The Hill. He first played organized baseball with a YMCA team and later played American Legion baseball alongside his close friend, Joe Garagiola. They were both outstanding young players, and it was only a matter of time before the Major Leagues came calling for both.

RISE TO FAME

Berra’s dream was to play catcher for his hometown heroes, the St. Louis Cardinals. He was offered a contract by the Cardinals, but since they appeared to be more interested in Garagiola, he signed a contract with the New York Yankees instead.

He spent one year in the minors before going into the U.S. Navy for service during World War II.

He returned in 1946, where he was able to move up to the big leagues by the end of the season. He even hit a home run in his first big league game!  His catching was inconsistent during his early years, which forced managers to send him to the outfield for the next three seasons. Those years in the grass transformed him into what would ultimately earn him the reputation as one of the best players in the history of the game.

SHOW ME SUCCESS

Berra’s play in the field, and at the plate, steadily improved until Yankees Manager Casey Stengel (also a famous Missourian) moved him back behind the plate. His fantastic play as catcher earned him the honor of the American League Most Valuable Player in three different seasons, making him one of only four players to achieve that status.

Yogi’s greatest accomplishment is the 14 World Series Championships he played in with the Yankees.  That set a record for catching in more series games than any player in history. His status as one of the all-time greats was further solidified when he hit a home run in his first World Series appearance. He ended his career with a grand total of 12 home runs in World Series play.

After his stellar playing career was over, Berra took over the reins of the Yankees as manager. He led the team to the World Series in his first season.  In that series, he managed against his hometown team, the St. Louis Cardinals. His first managerial tenure with the Yankees only lasted one year after losing that World Series.

He didn’t have to travel far for his next job as the New York Mets immediately snatched him up to be their new skipper. Berra made history once again when the Mets won the pennant in 1973, becoming only the third manager in history to win pennants in both the American and National Leagues. He went on to manage again in the 1980s for the Yankees and Houston Astros.  He ended his career as one of the greatest of all time, both on the field and in the dugout.

AFTER THE GAME

Yogi continued to remain in the public eye long after his baseball career was over. He became a commercial spokesman for products like AFLAC insurance.  He also wrote books and continued to be an ambassador for America’s game. His induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 solidified his place among the greats in Cooperstown.

EXTRA, EXTRA!

The Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Yogi Bear was named after Berra.

Links

http://www.yogiberra.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogi_Berra

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/berrayo01.shtml