Yogi Berra Passes
D-Day veteran and baseball great Yogi Berra died yesterday. He died at home, of natural causes.
As noted in this article from earlier this year, he was 90. Fittingly, his passing came on the 69th anniversary of his major league debut.
Berra was a Navy vet – he was gunner’s mate during World War II. He served on the crew of the USS Bayfield during the D-Day invasion.
Combat veteran in the largest, most critical amphibious operation in history. Baseball Hall of Fame. Thirteen World Series rings (10 as player, 3 as manager/coach). Married to the same woman for 65 years, until her death last year. I’d say the man was living right.
RIP, Mr. B. Enjoy the reunion with Mrs. B in the afterlife.
Jonn Added:
Author’s note: the first link (which Jonn added) in turn has an embedded link to an article that describes what Berra actually did during D-Day. After reading it, all I can say is . . . cojones muy grandes – de granito.
Category: Baseball, Blue Skies
Well, Damn.
I’ll never see, now, what I always thought would be the most perfect sports interview: Yogi Berra and Bill Belichick together onstage, answering questions. Woulda been epic. 🙂
I think the most awesome interview would have been Yogi Berra and Casey Stengel on the same stage.
People would work for years trying to figure out what the hell was said. But damn, it would have been fun!
Lots of the Players served in WW2. Ted Williams lost a good 3-4 seasons.. Yogi was a Hoot…
AND the Korean War, too!
Closer to 5 seasons, actually, between World War II and Korea.
Williams lost the entire 1943/1944/1945 seasons to military service during World War II. Due to military service in Korea, he barely played 1/4 season in 1952 and 1953 combined; Williams only appeared in 6 games in 1952 and 37 games in 1953.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willite01.shtml
I doubt he’d have passed Ruth in HRs if he’d played all of those seasons in full; Williams would have have needed almost 200 HRs to do that, and he only had one 40-HR season in his career. But I’d guess he’d have easily hit 600 HRs and likely would have ended up with more than Mays’ 660.
Not just sports players, a lot of old time Hollywood and TV Actors were also WWII and Korea Vets, it was a different era. Yogi Berra and his kind were in a class all by themselves! R.I.P., Mr. Berra.
I saw Yogi play (the first time) when my Dad took myself and my brother to the old Yankee Stadium in the mid 50’s. Bob Turley pitched and Yogi caught.
The ONLY reason I know who pitched, etc. is that we often discussed that game until my father passed.
The noise in what was likely a sold-out stadium was incredible.
Rest In Peace Yogi, you have certainly earned that right.
Catchers have to be smart and tough. Yogi was both in spades. He was small compared to modern catchers and his reputation is sort of loveably simple-minded, but don’t you believe it. You can’t be dumb and do what he did, working that many championship teams from behind the plate (in fairness he also played a lot of outfield) and then managing two different New York teams to World Series titles. His funeral should be primarily a Yankees affair, but I hope that the Navy is also well represented.
RIP Mr Berra. Fair winds and following seas.
I just read a story about Mr. Berra – his wife one day asked him where he wanted to be buried at – St. Louis, New York or Montclair. He said I don’t know, Why don’t you surprise me.”
RIP, Yogi…
Unfortunately, she won’t be able to do that. She passed last March.
They were married 65 years.
Rest, Yogi. You’ve certainly earned it.
Dude, I’d settle for Belichick answering *a* question, instead of *mumble mumble* Just trying to win a game *mumble mumble*. I kid.
On a serious note, a friend of my wife’s was a huge Yankees fan. She was waiting for a wedding to start and so went to a bar nearby to catch the game while she was waiting. She bumped into Yogi there and he was kind and gracious and chit-chatted with her while they watched the game. Now, pretty young lady dolled up for a wedding, I’m sure everybody’s nice- but he was pretty well known for being a really humble, down to earth guy.
I remember a couple of years back hearing that Yogi sold tickets to come watch a World Series game with him. At his house or some hall or heck maybe a bar. But, hell, how fucking awesome would that have been?
Don’t know if it was true, but wouldn’t it be great if it was?
I loved Berra and his generation. They were a real bunch of characters who made the game fun. Berra, Whitey Ford, Casey Stengel, Mantle, Rizzuto. Wow!
I also remember hearing that, in contrast to the multi-millionaires of today, that Yogi used to have to work in a men’s store in the off season to make ends meet.
Rocketman. Damn. No more deja vue. Sayonara.
My favorite saying of his was “its deja vu all over again.” I say it fairly regularly when dealing with Army bureaucracy.
His classic. “Nobody goes there any more. It’s too crowded”.
Or, “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, in practice there is.”
A true American hero has passed and we are all the worse for it.
“Yo!”
“Yo-gi”
that’s enough to put tears in my eyes… a good man, a class act.
“Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours.”
He was Yogi, a helluva fine man and a great baseball player.
The video is short, preceded his passing, and is narrated by a familiar voice. Worth a look.
That video brought a tear to my eye. Yogi was a guy that made a difference no matter what he did. Only thing is he didn’t go after the glory. He was humble.
Rest in Peace Lawrence. You got to that fork in the road.
Rest Well… Sir
Thank You. for your service
And to call you have done for base ball
…………………….
Rest in peace Mr. Yogi Berra. Thank you for a lifetime of service not just to our nation in wartime but for a great American pass time and sport as well.
So Yogi just got to “the fork in the road” …
We here in the NYC metro area will miss him dearly.
Mr. Berra, my father was a D-Day navy vet hanging signal flags from the USS Henrico. I’ll send you the message he might have sent: BRAVO ZULU, Well Done. May we be worthy of your service sir.