Yankees legend Yogi Berra dies

Yogi Berra, a Hall of Fame catcher with the New York Yankees, won three Most Valuable Player awards and appeared in the World Series more than any other player in history.

On his approach to at-bats: “You can’t think and hit at the same time”.

Berra was a 15-time All-Star, played or managed in 21 World Series championships, winning 13 times.

Berra, who dropped out of school after the 8th grade to help support his family, is almost as well known for his unique use of the English language as he is for his baseball career.

His death was confirmed to CNN by the Yogi Berra Museum.

“My first two years, I was terrible “. Yet on at least one occasion Berra denied having said that. Another Berra line in that campaign: “If it’s an emergency, it’s usually urgent”. “It’s too crowded”. Upset with a recent string of bad play, Berra told Linz to stop playing, suggesting where Linz could shove his instrument.

Born Lawrence Peter Berra, he earned the nickname “Yogi” from a childhood friend who said the snake charmer in a movie looked like Berra. She asked him if he figured he had to sign his last name so that she wouldn’t confuse him with somebody else named “Yogi”. But a Yankee scout recognized his potential and signed him. At the age of 18, he joined the U.S. Navy and served as machine gunner on the USS Bayfield during the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

He was sacked once again, in 1985, after just 22 games.

On a team packed with great players like Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio, Berra led the Yanks in runs batted in for seven consecutive seasons.

“Thick body. Baggy knickers”. Berra argued with the home-plate umpire and insisted, for decades afterward, that Robinson was out.

The museum houses Berra memorabilia, including what he said was his most prized possession, the mitt he used to catch Larsen’s ideal game.

Berra even became a bit of a good luck charm. To the surprise of many in baseball, the Yankees declared that not successful enough and fired Berra.

He returned to the playing field for four games in 1965 with the New York Mets before becoming a coach.

He came to symbolize the Yankees during their greatest era of success and was seen as a man of integrity who forced George Steinbrenner to apologize.

They included “it ain’t over till it’s over” and “half the lies they tell about me aren’t true”.

“It was fun”, he reminisced at the opening of the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in New Jersey. Berra has died, He was 90. “It has given me more than I could ever hope for”. His wife of 65 years, Carmen, died in March of 2014.

He is survived by his three sons, all athletes, and 11 grandchildren. The youngest, Dale, played with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Yankees and the Astros during an 11-year career in Major League Baseball.