Baseball mourns today with the passing of Yogi Berra. He was a Hall of Fame catcher, a three time MVP (most ever for a catcher), and he won 10 World Series as a player. The 10 rings he won was the most ever by a player making him the biggest winner the sport has ever seen. He was a winner for so much more than that.

He was a husband and a father. He was a member of our military, who was part of the D-Day invasion. He was married to his wife for 65 years before he became a widower. When his wife was ill, he moved with her from their home to an assisted living facility. Two of his sons played professional sports.

He left behind the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center. It’s a place dedicated to teaching baseball and social values to children. It strived to promote the values of “social justice, respect, sportsmanship, and educational excellence.”  Fittingly, Yogi said the hours were, “[w]e’re open ’til we close.”

It’s fitting because that’s what we remember about Yogi – the Yogisms. That’s how I became introduced to Yogi Berra. It was at my Nana’s house with my Dad and uncle (who’s a huge Yankee fan) talking trivia and spouting off the Yogisms laughing away. They made you smile, and much of them carried wisdom (some not):

• “It’s déjà vu all over again!”
• “You better cut the pizza in four slices because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.” (that’ll be my lunch order today)
• “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”
• “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”
• “Slump?  I ain’t in no slump. I’m just not hitting.”
• “I usually take a two hour nap from 1 to 4.” 
• “It gets late early out there.”
• “Never answer an anonymous letter.”
• “Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical.”
• “Pair off in threes.”
• “You can observe a lot by watching.”
• “When you see a fork in the road, take it.”
• “I really didn’t say everything I said.”

Yogi said these while a Yankee. He’s one of the greatest Yankees ever. Scratch that. He’s one of the greatest baseball players ever. He was also an important part of the Mets history. 

After the sudden, unexpected death of Gil Hodges in 1972, Yogi took over as the Mets manager.  In 1973, he was the manager when the Mets made an improbable run. They were in last place on July 26th. They were 12 games under .500 on August 16th. We all remember that Tug McGraw said, “Ya gotta believe!” It was their manager, Yogi, that said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

The 1973 Mets went on a tear winning the NL East with a 83-79 record. As Yogi would say, “We were overwhelming underdogs.”  Those overwhelming underdogs beat the Big Red Machine in the NLCS, and they came within one game of beating an all-time Oakland A’s team to win the World Series. 

Yogi has left behind a lasting memory for baseball fans. He was a great man on and off the field. He doesn’t belong to the Mets. He doesn’t belong to the Yankees. He now belongs to the angels. “May the souls of the faith departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”  

One last thing with Yogi, it’s still not over. He’s gone, but he won’t be forgotten. His life, playing career, and quotes will keep him alive in our minds and hearts. If you have an opportunity, please go to his funeral or memorial service because as Yogi would say, “Always go to other people’s funerals. Otherwise they won’t go to yours.”