On Tuesday September 22, 2015, baseball lost one of its most beloved and successful players ever. Yogi Berra passed away at the age of 90, on the 69th anniversary of his MLB debut. Yogi was known for success on the baseball field as well as his famous “Yogi-isms”. Some of Yogi’s most famous phrases include, “It’s like deja-vu all over again”, “Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical,” “You can observe a lot by watching.” “The future ain’t what it used to be”, and “You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you”. A true role model in all he did, whether it was his athletic talent, his personality, his wit, or the way he treated others, Berra will never be forgotten by baseball fans everywhere. Berra, an 18 time all star, spent 17 of his 18 years in professional baseball with the New York Yankees. After his playing days were over, he had a number of stints as a manager and coach for the Yankees, New York Mets, and Houston Astros. In total, Berra won 13 World Series titles (10 as a player) and 3 AL MVP awards. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, had his #8 retired by the Yankees and was named to the MLB All-Century team. And yet despite the endless list of accomplishments, awards, and so-called “Yogi-isms”, we remember Berra for the person he was more than the player.

Lawrence Berra, the given name of Yogi, was born on May 12, 1925 in St. Louis, Missouri. His parents had come to the United States from Italy, and thus he was not introduced to baseball until a later age. However, in a baseball town like St. Louis and with Joe Garagiola and Jack Buck living on the same street as Yogi, he quickly learned the game. Berra got his nickname “Yogi” from his teammates growing up who said he resembled a Hindu yogi in the dugout because of his short stature, and the fact that he was always crossing his arms and legs.

Berra made his way into the Minor leagues, primarily because he was friends with Garagiola, who helped Yogi get his foot in the door. They both played for the St. Louis Cardinals Minor league team, but the two childhood friends parted ways in 1942 when Garagiola got called up to St. Louis’ professional team and Berra signed for the New York Yankees. After being traded though, Berra chose to become a soldier in World War II, and he was even involved in the D-Day Invasion on Normandy, France. After the war was over, Berra received a purple heart and decided to get back into baseball. After tearing up the Minor leagues, including driving in 23 runs in a doubleheader, Berra got called up to the majors by the New York Yankees. Berra became quite possibly one of the best catchers in MLB history, but his real claim to fame was his success in the World Series. Yogi holds a number of World Series records, including at bats, hits, doubles, catcher putouts, and games caught, as well as hitting the first ever pinch-hit home run in a World Series. Berra also caught the only perfect game in World Series history, thrown by Don Larsen, and there is that defining image of Berra jumping into Larsen’s arms after catching the final pitch of the game. Berra was the perfect combination of talent and consistency. He received MVP votes in 15 consecutive seasons, and led the Yankees in RBI’s 7 straight years. He was a brilliant hitter, finishing his career with 358 home runs, while only striking out on 5% of his at-bats. For anyone who doesn’t watch much baseball, those numbers are truly remarkable, as the main sluggers in baseball today, strike out on about 20% of their at-bats. Also, Berra was just as impressive of a catcher as he was a hitter. He was of only four catchers ever to have a 1.000 fielding percentage in a season, which means he made no errors that entire year. He was quick, mobile, and had a great arm, leading the Majors in double plays 6 times, no other catcher has ever done that once. Berra rarely missed games, and became a model of consistency in the MLB during the mid 1900’s.

However, despite all of these accolades, Berra will be forever remembered for the person he was. Yogi had a captivating personality that made others want to be around him. He had a way with words that made his “Yogi-isms” even more special. Hearing what others had to say about the “Yogi Bear” truly shows how well-respected he was by his peers. Yankee great Derek Jeter, said Berra’s finest quality was “how he treated everyone with sincerity and kindness”, and sports broadcasting legend Vin Scully said he was “one of the sweetest men, and one the great players”. Those words from some of the most influential and respected people in baseball show just how great Yogi was as player and as a person.

Berra once said “It ain’t over till it’s over” and while it may be over for Yogi, he can rest assured he lived a great life that allowed him to play the game he loved for so long while gaining an immense amount of respect along the way.