By Mike Ferris
Baseball lost a legend this week when Yankees Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra passed away at the age of 90.
Berra wasn’t just a baseball legend, though; his career was interrupted in 1943 as he fought in World War II.
The D-Day veteran was one of the best catchers in Major League Baseball his- tory. His career
achievements include 10 World Series Championships, three AL MVP Awards and 75 World Series games.
Inducted to Cooperstown in 1972, Berra was a second-ballot Hall of Famer receiving 86 percent of the votes.
Coincidentally, Berra died on Sept. 22, 69 years to the day after his MLB debut.
Another Yankees legend, Derek Jeter, spoke of Berra’s passing, saying in a ny- dailynews.com article, “To those who didn’t know Yogi personally, he was one of the greatest baseball players and Yankees of all time.”
Jeter went on to say, “He will always be remembered for his success on the Zeld, but I believe his finest quality was how he treated everyone with sincerity and kindness.”
Berra’s number 8 is retired by the Yankees and his plaque sits in Memorial Park in centerZeld at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees honored Berra Wednesday night in their game against Toronto, wearing a patch with the legend’s number 8 on their sleeves. The Blue Jays also paid their respects, honoring Berra with a moment of silence before the first pitch.
Former Yankees manager and current MLB Chief Baseball Operator, Joe Torre, said in a
nydailynews.com article, “We’ve lost Yogi, but we will always have what he left for us: the memories of a lifetime filled with greatness, humility, integrity and a whole bunch of smiles. He was a lovable friend.”
Berra is also famously known for “Yogi-isms.”
Yogi-isms consist of little quotes and pieces of advice spoken in Berra’s very distinct and unique way.
Some of his most famous are “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” “90 percent of the game is half mental” and “when you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
Berra had a miraculous baseball career, a courageous military career and was one of the most
wonderful and caring people o_ the Zeld, and for all of the above reasons, he should be considered the greatest catcher of all-time.
Not only did baseball lose a legend in Yogi Berra, but the entire nation did.