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Yet Yogi survived, and would soon exchange hisNavy uniform for baseball pinstripes
in 1946 with the Newark Bears, the Yankees' top affiliate. On joining the
Yankees in the waning weeks of the '46 season, he hit a home run against
the Philadelphia A's in his very first game. Through hard work and with the
help of Yankee great Bill Dickey, he became a star behind the plate, once
going 148 straight games (and 950 chances) without making an error. A master
handler of pitchers, he caught two no-hitters by Allie Reynolds in 1951 and
Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series. The photo of Yogi leaping
into Larsen's arms is one of baseball's endearing images.
His prowess at the plate was also legendary. Despite the glamorous shadows around him, first Joe DiMaggio, then Mickey Mantle, it was Yogi who was the most feared hitter on a host of Yankee pennant winners - including an unprecedented five straight world championships - as he led the team in RBI for seven straight seasons (1949-55). He seldom struck out and was an amazing bad-ball hitter, known to swing at - and hit - pitches near his eyes or burrowing around his ankles.
A squat 5-8, 190-pounder, whom former Yankee president Larry MacPhail said reminded him of "the bottom man on an unemployed acrobatic team," Yogi seemed like an improbable star - especially on baseball's most elite team, the Yankees. Yet he graciously accepted whatever teasing came his way, letting his actions on the field - such as Most Valuable Player-winning seasons in 1951, 1954 and 1955 - quell any doubts.
He remains baseball's unofficial ambassador and one of the game's most respected statesmen. He serves on the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee and is a revered presence in the Yankees' clubhouse. He has collaborated on several books - including the 1998 national bestseller "The Yogi Book: I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said" - and has been a spokesman for numerous products, his popularity seemingly increasing every year. Despite all the accolades and honors, Yogi Berra has never changed. As journalist Leonard Koppett wrote:"In the brightest of publicity spotlights, for more than four decades, Yogi remained completely himself - a rarer and more difficult accomplishment than making the Hall of Fame."
Yogi Berra's dignity and unshakable principles were never more evident than his 14-year refusal to return to Yankee Stadium, after his ignominious firing as manager by George Steinbrenner 16 games into the 1985 season. However, Yogi accepted the Yankee owner's heartfelt apology to him and his wife, Carmen, in a private meeting in January 1999 at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, a reconciliation that paved the way for his celebrated return to the Yankee family.
Family has always been paramount to Yogi Berra, who has been married 51 years to Carmen and is the proud father of three sons - Larry, a former minor-league catcher, Tim, a former NFL receiver, and Dale, a former major-league infielder - and loving grandfather of nine.
A resident of Montclair, NJ for over 40 years, Yogi Berra remains an inspiration to different generations. In 1996, he received an honorary doctorate from Montclair State University. Two years later, a baseball stadium was named after him on campus. And in December 1998, the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center opened its doors to the public, paying tribute to an American legend and his lifelong commitment to the education of young people
http://www.yogiberramuseum.org/bio.htm
His prowess at the plate was also legendary. Despite the glamorous shadows around him, first Joe DiMaggio, then Mickey Mantle, it was Yogi who was the most feared hitter on a host of Yankee pennant winners - including an unprecedented five straight world championships - as he led the team in RBI for seven straight seasons (1949-55). He seldom struck out and was an amazing bad-ball hitter, known to swing at - and hit - pitches near his eyes or burrowing around his ankles.
A squat 5-8, 190-pounder, whom former Yankee president Larry MacPhail said reminded him of "the bottom man on an unemployed acrobatic team," Yogi seemed like an improbable star - especially on baseball's most elite team, the Yankees. Yet he graciously accepted whatever teasing came his way, letting his actions on the field - such as Most Valuable Player-winning seasons in 1951, 1954 and 1955 - quell any doubts.
He remains baseball's unofficial ambassador and one of the game's most respected statesmen. He serves on the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee and is a revered presence in the Yankees' clubhouse. He has collaborated on several books - including the 1998 national bestseller "The Yogi Book: I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said" - and has been a spokesman for numerous products, his popularity seemingly increasing every year. Despite all the accolades and honors, Yogi Berra has never changed. As journalist Leonard Koppett wrote:"In the brightest of publicity spotlights, for more than four decades, Yogi remained completely himself - a rarer and more difficult accomplishment than making the Hall of Fame."
Yogi Berra's dignity and unshakable principles were never more evident than his 14-year refusal to return to Yankee Stadium, after his ignominious firing as manager by George Steinbrenner 16 games into the 1985 season. However, Yogi accepted the Yankee owner's heartfelt apology to him and his wife, Carmen, in a private meeting in January 1999 at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, a reconciliation that paved the way for his celebrated return to the Yankee family.
Family has always been paramount to Yogi Berra, who has been married 51 years to Carmen and is the proud father of three sons - Larry, a former minor-league catcher, Tim, a former NFL receiver, and Dale, a former major-league infielder - and loving grandfather of nine.
A resident of Montclair, NJ for over 40 years, Yogi Berra remains an inspiration to different generations. In 1996, he received an honorary doctorate from Montclair State University. Two years later, a baseball stadium was named after him on campus. And in December 1998, the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center opened its doors to the public, paying tribute to an American legend and his lifelong commitment to the education of young people
http://www.yogiberramuseum.org/bio.htm