Some of the more widely quoted philosophy of Yogi Berra

One of the greatest catchers in baseball history, Berra was the backbone of a New York Yankees dynasty that won 10 World Series championships – the most in the sport’s history.

“We made too many wrong mistakes”.

Berra, whose wife of 65 years, Carmen, died in March 2014, had been in failing health for some time.

But no one found more success on a baseball diamond.

Proving, as he said, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over”, Berra maintained a presence in the major leagues as a coach and manager – he is one of only six managers to lead an American League and National League team to the World Series – and became a symbol of New York baseball, past and present.

On being asked what time it was: “You mean now?” “You couldn’t see anything”, Berra said in 2010. But the statement has come to imply that everything old is new again. To the surprise of many in baseball, the Yankees declared that not successful enough and fired Berra.

In addition to a storied tenure as a player, manager and coach, his clever quips known as “Yogi-isms” also gained him notoriety. Mr. Berra considered it an unfogivable act of rudeness and refused to have anything to do with the Yankees – a team whose legend he helped create – as long as Steinbrenner was the owner.

Berra’s rapprochement with the Yankees was comparatively recent.

The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center on the campus of Montclair State University, which opened in 1999, is more than just a valentine to Berra.

And the Yankees GM, Larry MacPhail, thought his new prospect – whom the Yankees had signed, reluctantly, for a $500 bonus – looked like “the bottom half of an unemployed acrobatic team”. Mantle said Berra wanted Linz to play louder.

While the baseball community mourns the passing of Berra, it’s comforting to remember the line from the great baseball movie The Sandlot, “Legends never die”.

Berra became known for saying lots of memorable things – although whether he actually said some or they were created by the media has been a matter of conjecture.

Over the years, from his time with the Yankees to his days managing the Mets, Berra has become synonymous with baseball in New York – and his loss is being felt all across the city and the sport. Despite his penchant for swinging at pitches over his head, Berra rarely struck out.