---

I think I would be hard pressed to find anyone who had not heard about
Yogi Berra and his "Yogi-isms."
Many sports stories I have written contain some of his sayings such as "It's
deja vu all over again" and "It isn't over 'til it's over." I know readers understand
them because no one every questions them.
But some things about Yogi have been left unsaid which is really too bad.
Yogi played 18 seasons for the New York Yankees, was the AL MVP three
times and won 10 world championship rings with the team. He had a quick
bat, a strong arm and exhibited cat-like quickness behind the plate. All that
has been documented.
If he played today it is hard telling how many million in salary he would
be paid.
But in all those years--from 1949 to 1963--the most he ever earned was
$65,000. But then at that time baseball was a game.
Another thing that is little known about Yogi is in retirement he kept track
of his teammates. When Phil Rizzuto played for the Yankees he and Yogi
were great friends. When Phil later was in a nursing home three hours from
where Yogi lived, Berra would drive there every day to play cards and talk.
When Phil would get tired and start to drift off, Yogi would sit there and hold
his hand until he went to sleep. Then Yogi would go home, only to be back
the next day. He did that until Phil Rizzuto passed away.
Sure Yogi said some things like "baseball is 90 percent mental and the
other half is physical" and "I usually take a two hour nap from 1 to 4" and
he will be remembered for that. But he should also be remembered as a
tremendous player, manager and the catcher of the only perfect game in
World Series history.
But he should also be remembered as a great teammate and friend.
Yogi passed away September 22 at the age of 90 and we lost a national
treasurer.
He once said "I really didn't say everything I said." But if he did, listening
to it would be worth it.