Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra dies at 90

Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, a native St. Louisan and Hall of Fame catcher who died Tuesday of natural causes at the age of 90, was known by many for such malaprops as “90 percent of the game is half-mental.” Or, in referring to a once-popular restaurant, “Nobody goes there any more. It’s too crowded.”

But some of the Yogi-isms continue to ring true, like “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

What shouldn’t be overshadowed, though, is that Berra had a World Series ring for every finger. He played in 14 World Series, including a record 10 world championship teams with the Yankees, and he managed in two other World Series, one each with the Yankees and New York Mets.

Berra, who had 358 regular-season home runs, hit 12 homers in 14 World Series. But he most famously was pictured in a World Series when he jumped into the arms of pitcher Don Larsen after the latter had pitched the only World Series perfect game in 1956, with Berra catching.

As a player, coach and manager, Berra was in 21 World Series. A three-time American League Most Valuable Player, Berra’s playing career spanned from 1946-65 and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Yogi grew up on Elizabeth Avenue on “The Hill,” then and now a primarily Italian neighborhood in St. Louis. His parents were Italian immigrants Pietro and Paolina Berra, with his father arriving at Ellis Island in 1909 at the age 23, knowing nothing about baseball. He would later find out, of course.

Across the street lived Joe Garagiola, another future major league catcher who actually played in his first World Series, at age 20 for the 1946 World Series champion Cardinals, one year ahead of Berra’s first World Series championship with the Yankees. Both had attended South Side Catholic although Berra quit school after the eighth grade.

As Berra starred in American Legion baseball in St. Louis, he received his nickname from friend Bobby Hofman, another future big leaguer, who said Berra resembled a Hindu yogi whenever he sat with arms and legs crossed waiting to bat or while looking sad after a defeat.

In 1942, the Cardinals chose to sign Garagiola over Berra. Cardinals executive Branch Rickey, knowing he was soon to leave St. Louis to take over the operation of the Brooklyn Dodgers, held off, wanting to sign Berra for the Dodgers. The Yankees, however, signed Berra for the same $500 bonus the Cardinals offered Garagiola. The Yankees assigned Berra to Norfolk of the Class B Piedmont League and Berra was credited with driving in 23 runs during one doubleheader.

Following his World War II Naval service Berra served as a gunner’s mate on the U.S.S. Bayfield during the D-Day invasion he played minor league ball with the Newark Bears before being called up for seven games by the Yankees in 1946.

In 1947, Berra played 83 games for the Yankees and he would appear in more than 100 in each of the following 14 seasons as he established himself as one of the best ‘bad-ball hitters’ in the game. When asked about that style, Berra reportedly said, “If I can hit it, it’s a good pitch.”

As a catcher, Berra was quick, mobile and a respected handler of pitchers. But he was versatile enough to play left field in his later years.

After managing the Yankees to the 1964 American League pennant, Berra was fired when the Yankees lost that year’s World Series to the Cardinals. Berra made a brief return to the field as a player-coach for the Mets the next year, taking his last at-bat on May 9, 1965 when he was three days shy of 40 years old.

He would coach with the Mets for eight seasons before becoming their manager in 1972 upon the death of Gil Hodges. That was the same year Berra not only was elected to the Hall of Fame but had his number 8 retired, along with fellow Yankees catching great Bill Dickey, who wore the same number.

In 1973, the Mets were in last place midway through the season but when a reporter asked Berra if the season was over, he replied, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

And it wasn’t. A late surge allowed the Mets to win the National League Eastern Division title despite an 82�79 record, and then the Mets beat the Cincinnati Reds for the pennant and took the Oakland Athletics to seven games before losing the World Series.

Berra was fired in 1975, only to return to the Yankees as a coach in 1976. They immediately won three straight pennants and the 1977-78 World Series, reinforcing Berra’s reputation as a lucky charm.

Longtime Yankees manager Casey Stengel once said of Berra, “He’d fall in a sewer and come up with a gold watch.”

Berra was named Yankees manager again in 1984 but was fired early in the 1985 season. He would wind up his career as a coach with the Houston Astros.

Berra, whose son, Dale, played in the majors and son, Tim, played with the Baltimore Colts in the National Football League, was married for 65 years to wife Carmen, a fellow St. Louisan who died in 2014. Berra and Carmen Short met in late 1940s at Biggie’s restaurant, which later became Stan Musial and Biggie’s.

Carmen, a waitress, served Yogi lunch and he asked her name and whether she was married. Their first date was at a hockey game in St. Louis. Not long after, Berra proposed marriage by placing a ring on the table in front of Carmen while they dined at the Berra family home.

In an interview some years back with New York Daily News baseball columnist Bill Madden, Carmen Berra recalled how her husband once sent her an anniversary card signed, “Yogi Berra.”

Carmen Berra told the Daily News she was happy he signed it that way because it eliminated any confusion about all the other Yogis that she knew.

Berra, who died Tuesday at his home in Montclair, N.J., once was asked by Carmen where he wanted to be buried in St. Louis, New York or Montclair.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Why don’t you surprise me?”

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