Yogi Berra

Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (born May 12, 1925) is a retired baseball player and, later, team manager. Born in St. Louis, he picked up his nickname from a friend who said he resembled a Hindu holy man, and began playing baseball in local American Legion leagues, where he learnt the basics of play as a catcher. After rejecting an offer from the St. Louis Cardinals he signed with the New York Yankees in 1942.

Playing Career

Following a spell in the US Navy during World War II he played minor league baseball with the Newark Bears before being called up for 7 games in the major leagues in 1946. The following season he played 86 games for the Yankees, and he would play 100+ for each of the following 14 years. During his 19-year career as a Yankee the Bronx Bombers dominated baseball, appearing in 14 World Series and winning ten championships. Yogi himself was a 15-time All-Star, and won the league MVP award three times (in 1951, 1954 and 1955) and caught Don Larsen[?]'s perfect game in the 1956 Series.

In 1972[?] he was elected to the United States Baseball Hall of Fame.

Managing Career

Yankees - Mets - Yankees - Fired by Steinbrenner - Astros,

Career Statistics

G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	SH	SF	HBP	AVG	OBP	SLG
2,120	7,555	2,150	321	49	358	1,175	1,430	704	49	414	9	44	52	.285	.348	.482

Berra was also famous for fracturing the English language in provocative, interesting ways. See also: Colemanballs, Damaging quotation

Books

Three books by Yogi Berra (with co-authors):

• ISBN 0761110909; (April 1998) The Yogi Book: 'I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said'
• ISBN 0786867752; (May 2001) When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! Inspiration and Wisdom from One of Baseball's Greatest Heroes
• ISBN 0743237684; (October 1, 2002) What Time Is It? You Mean Now?: Advice for Life from the Zennest Master of Them All

External links

• Yogi-isms (http://www.umpirebob.com/DATA/yogiisms.htm) - a list
• Yogi Berra Museum (http://www.yogiberramuseum.org)