New York Yankees icon Yogi Berra dies at age 90
By Tim Haberin
New York Yankees legend Yogi Berra died Tuesday night at the age of 90. Berra made his major league debut in 1946, two years after serving with the Navy during the D-Day invasion in World War II. He would spend the next 18 seasons in the Bronx, winning three MVP awards and a staggering ten World Series championships as a player.
Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra finished his career with 385 home runs and 1,430 RBI, fourth and first all-time among catchers, respectively. He is also the career leader in World Series hits with 71. Renowned for his tough, hard-nosed presence on the field and his affable, charismatic persona off of it, Berra had his iconic #8 retired by the Yankees in 1972, the same year he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot.
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After his playing days, Yogi remained on the diamond for many years in a coaching or managerial capacity. He served as Yankees skipper in 1964 and would later helm the crosstown Mets from 1972-1975. He returned as Yankees manager in 1984 but was fired only 16 games into the 1985 season by owner George Steinbrenner.
This dismissal led to a longstanding feud between the two, during which Yogi did not maintain any sort of relationship with the organization. That would change in 1999, when Steinbrenner apologized to Berra personally for the way the situation was handled. Yogi would once again become a smiling fixture at Yankee Stadium, appearing at Old Timer’s Day celebrations and myriad other events.
Yogi’s unique personality turned him into a cultural icon beyond just his baseball playing career. His many quirky sayings and catchphrases, such as “It ain’t over ’til it’s over,” gradually became part of the everyday American lexicon as “Yogi-isms.”
In his later years, Berra devoted his time and energy to establishing the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center near his home in Montclair, New Jersey. The museum includes a variety of baseball memorabilia on display and also organizes educational programs for youth in sports.
Earlier this year, Berra’s granddaughter Lindsay led an effort to petition the White House to award Yogi the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The petition achieved the 100,000 signatures necessary for review and received an official response. The statement noted that the honor was bestowed solely at the President’s discretion, but commended the movement for raising awareness of Berra’s multitude of achievements in all facets of his life.
Yogi’s passing will resonate throughout the New York Yankees community and the MLB world at large. Baseball will miss his laughter and his one-of-a-kind perspective, but his legacy will continue to brighten the game for generations to come.