Yogi

Yogi Berra was many things to many people: a friendly celebrity known for coining witty expressions (such as "when you come to the fork in the road, take it"); a popular pitchman for products ranging from insurance to soda; and one of the very best catchers in baseball history. Before anyone referred to core players, Berra was the glue connected the greatest of the Yankee dynasties -- 1947 to '64, when he played on an unprecedented 10 world series champions and managed the '64 club to within a game of another title. And let's not forget that Berra caught the most famous game in World Series history, Don Larsen's perfect game -- from which Larsen claims he never shook off any of Yogi's pitch calls!
But did you know he also hit the first pinch hit homer in World Series history? (Against the Dodgers on October 3rd, 1947) Or that he was part of the D-Day invasion of France that turned the tide of World War II? Or was a strong advocate for education and funded numerous scholarships? Not to mention his being a community minded and very visible resident for his longtime home town, Montclair, New Jersey.
Everyone seemed to love Yogi: you could see in the reception he got at Old Timers Day at Yankee Stadium. That love went beyond just the fans. Below, Reggie Jackson having a lighthearted moment with him on the field back in 2011. And there've been countless stories online this week of other Yankee luminaries from Derek Jeter, Ron Guidry and Jorge Posada to newcomers such as Brian McCann, sharing their memories of getting to know Yogi.  Combine that with a life story that many of us who were the children or grandchildren of immigrants could easily relate to.
He was a one-of-a-kind baseball figure, a constant presence ever since I became a fan in 1961. Whether as a player, coach, manager or goodwill ambassador, Yogi Berra represented what's good about baseball.  Though he passed away Tuesday night at the age of 90, his legacy will remain alive to fans now and in the future who are drawn to excellence on and off the field.
I can't say I knew Yogi well. I interviewed him twice: once at Yankee Spring Training in 1985, a tense time followed by his abrupt firing less than 20 games into the season; and about 15 years ago at a press event when his buddy and battery-mate Whitey Ford published his autobiography.
My final memory of Yogi doesn't come with a picture. It was just after the 2014 Old Timers Game concluded. Yogi was riding in a golf cart along the service walkway inside the Stadium's lower lever, getting ready to head home. I was walking toward the press elevator. The cart stopped and I was maybe 10 feet from Yogi. Not knowing him well enough to say hi and chat with him, I walked a bit closer and waved to him. He smiled and waved back... a moment later, the driver started the cart up again and we went our separate ways. It was the last Old Timers Day Yogi attended and the last time I saw him, a memory I will cherish.

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