As we begin to lose the legends in the sporting world one exceptional individual lost his battle and passed away at the age of 90 years young.
Not only was he a tremendous ambassador for the game, he was one of the most compassionate and genuine individuals placed on this earth.
He was born in a (primarily) Italian neighborhood of St. Louis called “the hill” to his immigrant parents Pietro and Paolina, but his Father came to the US prior to his Mother.
Yogi’s parents first game him the nickname of “Lawdie”, which came from his mother’s difficulty pronouncing “Lawrence” or “Larry” in proper English.
He started to play baseball in the local American Legion leagues and learned the basics of catching while playing outfield and infield positions as well.
He was initially scouted by the St. Louis Cardinals but the owner thought he was nothing more than a triple A player, but first took time to represent his country.
Berra also played for a Cranston Rhode Island under an alias name and it was there he got his “famous” nickname of Yogi.
His friend Jack Maquire told him he looked like a Hindu Yogi when he sat with his arms and legs crossed, thus the name stuck.
He grew up on Elizabeth Avenue, across the street from boyhood friend and later competitor
Not only was he a player, he was a manager and coach who played 19 seasons in MLB (1946-63) all but the last for the Yankees.
He was an 18-time All-Star and was a 10-timeWorld Series Champ as a player, who had a remarkable batting age of .285, hitting358 HR and 1,430 RBI’s.
Prior to signing with the Yankees he was a US Marine, then made his debut in 1946 and was a main-stay for years.
Yogi was elected to the Hall Of Fame in 1972 and his number 8 was officially retired in 1972, which jointly honored Bill Dickey who was his predecessor as the Yankees catcher.
In 1998, Berra appeared at No. 40 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players of all time.
In 1994 he was hired by George Steinbrenner and only 16 games in he was fired and that rift lasted for 15 years, until George went to the Yogi Museum and apologized to Yogi, to which Yogi said he was late and that broke the ice for the meeting.
One of the all-time greats that ever played the game.
RIP Yogi – you will be missed.
From the New York Yankees website the following was posted by Marty Noble / MLB.com
A loss that unquestionably transcends the game has sent all of baseball into deep mourning. Yogi Berra — Hall of Famer, all-time Yankees legend, World War II veteran, master of misstatement and beloved international icon, is gone. Berra died Tuesday night — on the 69th anniversary of his Major League debut — at age 90.
The announcement came early Wednesday morning and was announced via the Yogi Berra Museum’s Twitter account.
His passing has created a void that cannot be filled, even by the myriad anecdotes — some accurate, others exaggerated — about him and the dozens of records he established. No American sports figure other than Babe Ruth, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali and perhaps Arnold Palmer and Joe DiMaggio was more recognized by the general public in the 20th century.
And though his profile had become significantly lower in the last decade, Berra had retained a conspicuous place in the American consciousness. He was extraordinarily popular.
http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/151137752/hall-of-famer-yogi-berra-passes-away-at-90
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSKPeLas_Kw&feature=player_detailpage#t=1
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