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     Yogi Berra is considered the greatest catcher in baseball history. He is a beloved player whose compactness and athleticism are legendary. He played along with Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle in a time when the Yankees dominated baseball. Numerous records kept by baseball statisticians belong only to Yogi. His #8 was retired, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. He played in the Word Series 14 times, and the Yankees won 10 of them.
      Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1925, Lawrence Peter Berra, better known as “Yogi,” was born to Italian immigrants. He grew up across the street from a future competitor and boyhood friend, Joe Garagiola. His nickname, Yogi, came from a friend who said the Berra looked like the Hindu holy man in a movie they had seen. Yogi learned the basics of baseball playing with local American Legion teams. In 1942, the Cardinals chose Garagiola over Berra, who eventually signed with the NY Yankees. After serving in WWII, he played some Minor League ball before moving up to the big league. Yogi played in more than 100 games per year for 14 years. His compact body and speed made him a feared catcher. He had a reputation for hitting bad pitches, saying that if he could hit them they weren't bad pitches.
      It was an 83 year-old Yogi Berra dressed in his off-white flannel pinstripe Yankee uniform standing behind home plate on a recent night in September 2008. Yogi can usually be seen in the ballpark watching a game. This night was different, as he stood on the field with today's players saying goodbye to Yankee Stadium for the last time. Yogi has said, “It ain't over 'til it's over.” That night, it was over.

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