Yogi Berra has died

We celebrate his remarkable life, and are thankful he meant so much to so many.

Berra’s family also issued a statement saying that he will be “truly missed”.

“Yogisms” became a staple of baseball lore, as important as Berra’s legendary career as a coach and manager.

And by the time his career was done, the catcher was a 15-time All Star, 10-time World Series champion and three-time league MVP.

Yogi was bigger than the game itself, and his words had much deeper meaning and application beyond baseball.

“Slump? I ain’t in no slump”.

“‘You can observe a lot just by watching, ‘ he is reputed to have declared once, describing his strategy as a manager”.

Berra played for the Yankees from 1949-65. Some of his renowned teammates included Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. He called and caught the only ideal game in World Series history by pitcher Don Larsen. The famous moment was captured in photographs published in newspapers around the world.

Berra is also credited with the still-ubiquitous phrase, “It ain’t over til it’s over”, which he uttered in 1973 when managing the floundering New York Mets.

New York Mets: ” RIP Yogi Berra a true baseball legend and American icon”. On Wednesday, the team will honor Berra’s legacy by wearing No. 8 on their left jersey sleeve. He has often said his military service was more significant to him than anything he did on the baseball field.

“I’m not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia”.

When few outside of the organization – and even in it – had Rodriguez’s back, Berra was there. Though he sued its creators, his name may well have been the inspiration for the picnic-basket-pilfering cartoon character Yogi Bear.

Speaking of funerals, Berra had a Yogi-ism for those as well, he said “always go to other people’s funerals or else no one will come to your own”.

Growing up, he was anything but a natural.