By Olivia Carrara
Yogi Berra, a famous Yankee’s catcher, passed away at age 90, on September 22, 2015. He was loved for his baseball skills and amazing personality. Everyone should be familiar with Yogi, since he resided in Montclair for many years and in 2012 moved to Cranes Mill in West Caldwell. An underrated player proved himself by being a player for 19 years and an all-star for 15 of those years. He is best known as one of the best catchers of all time, after winning three American League MVP awards and 10 World Series titles. His death was announced by the Yankees from the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center. It was reported that he died of natural causes the night of Tuesday, the 22nd.
Yogi Berra is memorable for his skills, the nonsense he uttered, and his outstanding character traits. He has many often quoted phrases including, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it,” which is evidence that he often said humorous nonsense. He also broke many records on the field, including being the first pinch hitter to hit a homerun in the World Series. After retiring as a player, he was a coach and a manager for many teams. Even in this role he did amazing things, like being one of six managers to ever lead both an American and a National League team to the World Series. Yogi lived an interesting life beginning on May 12, 1925 when he was born. His real name was Lawrence Berra, but almost everyone refers to him as Yogi. He left school in eighth grade, worked in the Navy and fought in Normandy on D-Day. He was signed to the Yankees in 1943, but remained in the navy until 1946. He left the team in 1963, but returned to coach in 1964 and many following years.
His playing years came to an end, but his coaching and managing times were just beginning. In 1972 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He had three sons and eleven grandchildren who helped him as he grew old. His wife, Carmen, recently died in 2014 which left him devastated, but his family helped him through his grief. After years of fame, he will now be remembered as a legendary catcher and man. As Yogi once said, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” and although he may have passed, his legacy will never be over.
