Yogi Berra, the Hall of Fame baseball player and manager, passed away at the age of 90. He had an illustrious career playing for and managing the New York Yankees, winning numerous championships. Berra was known not only for his playing accomplishments, but also for his amusing and insightful sayings. After his playing and managing days, Berra enjoyed spending time with fans, often signing autographs for hours at events and restaurants. He appreciated the fans and the honor of being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1. THURSDAY, September 24, 2015 poughkeepsiejournal.com 3C
Born on May 25 in
St. Louis, Mo. Grew
up on Elizabeth
Street, the same
street as Hall of Fame
announcer Jack Buck
and former catcher
Joe Garagiola.
Signed with the
New York Yankees,
earning a $500
bonus.
Joined the Navy
when he turned 18.
Earned a spot on the
Yankees roster.
Won the first of
his three career
American League
Most Valuable Player
awards.
Elected to National
Baseball Hall of
Fame.
Managed Mets
to World Series,
where New York
took defending
champion Oakland
Athletics to a seventh
game before losing.
Managed the
Yankees to a third-
place finish in the
American League
East.
Fired by George
Steinbrenner 16
games into the
season, causing
a rift between
Steinbrenner and
Berra that lasted until
the 1999 season.
Returned to Yankee
Stadium for Yogi
Berra Day, the same
day David Cone
pitched a perfect
game for the
Yankees.
1956 Caught Don
Larsen’s perfect game
in a 2-0 win over the
Dodgers in Game 5 of
the World Series on
Oct. 8.
1925 1942 1943 1946 1951 1972 1973 1984 1985 1999
Yogi Berra 1925-2015
EZRA SHAW
“Nobody goes there
anymore. It’s too
crowded.”
TO STAN MUSIAL AND JOE
GARAGIOLA ABOUT RUGGERI’S
RESTAURANT IN ST. LOUIS
“Ninety
percent of
the game is
half mental.”
COACHING TIP TO
HIS PLAYERS
“We made
too many
wrong
mistakes.”
AFTER THE
YANKEES LOST
THE 1960 WORLD
SERIES TO THE
PITTSBURGH
PIRATES
“When you come to
a fork in the road,
take it.”
WHILE GIVING DIRECTIONS TO
JOE GARAGIOLA TO HIS HOUSE
IN MONTCLAIR, N.J.
“It ain’t over
’til it’s over.”
DURING THE 1973
SEASON AS METS
MANAGER
Yogiisms “If people
don’t want to
come to the
ballpark, how
are you going
to stop them.”
TO COMMISSIONER
BUD SELIG WHEN
ATTENDANCE WAS
DOWN DUE TO THE
THREAT OF A STRIKE
“It’s deja vu all
over again.”
ON MICKEY MANTLE AND
ROGER MARIS HITTING
BACK-TO-BACK HOMERS
there
too
AND JOE
RUGGERI’S
LOUIS
ballpark, how
are you going
to stop them.”
TO COMMISSIONER
BUD SELIG WHEN
ATTENDANCE WAS
DOWN DUE TO THE
THREAT OF A STRIKE
ND
S
When Frank Guido thinks about Yogi Berra, he
thinks of a man who was very giving of his time with
fans.
Guido, who owns Mariner’s Harbor and Frank Gui-
do’s Little Italy in Kingston, knew Berra through a mu-
tual friend, Phil Rizzuto, Berra’s Hall of Fame team-
mate with the Yankees.
When Berra would visit one of Guido’s restaurants,
Guido would make sure no one bothered the Hall of
Fame catcher. But Berra would always go the extra
mile.
“He would stay for hours afterwards and sign auto-
graphs,” Guido said. “He’s very intelligent and nice to
be around. He’s a gentleman.”
Guido remembered when he went to Cooperstown
for the Hall of Fame induction and he saw Berra with
his wife Carmen and their granddaughter. Berra was
collecting all the other players’ autographs.
“All the other players love him,” Guido said.
Berra will likely be remembered by casual fans for
his wacky sayings and commercials. His baseball,
though, was top-notch.
The catcher won three American League Most Valu-
able Player awards and competed in 14 World Series,
winning 10.
“Yogi was a hell of a competitor,” Guido said. “They
thought he was like a jokester and you would be laugh-
ing, but when he was talking to the players, he was tak-
ing away their concentration.”
Guido said that Rizzuto thought Berra would make a
good manager, which he did. Berra was the only man to
lead both the Yankees and Mets to the World Series.
“Rizzutothoughthewouldsomedaybesomesortofa
manager,” Guido said. “He did have the respect of all
his players.”
GuidosaidhefrequentlysawBerraatthePhilRizzu-
to Memorial-Gene Michael Golf Classic, an annual
event at the Brooklake Country Club in Florham Park,
N,J. The event benefits the St. Joseph’s School for the
Blind.
He would also frequently see him in Cooperstown.
“Yogi really appreciates what it was to be in the Hall
of Fame and what it is to have fans,” Guido said.
Phil Strum: pstrum@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-
437-4847, Twitter: @PJStrum
Yogi went the extra mile
PHIL STRUM POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL