Talk:Yogi Berra/Archive 1

Archive 1

Simpleton

"Berra was often portayed as a simpleton". Who portrayed Berra as a simpleton ? Jay 07:35, 14 Feb 2004 (UTC)

the park ranger.

Quotes

Shoudn't most of the quotes be moved to Wikiquote? Ausir 00:23, 22 May 2004 (UTC)

In this case I suggest we shouldn't - the quotes are a large part of why he's famous - David Gerard 10:35, May 22, 2004 (UTC)

Why did he say them? Was he stupid or just funny? lysdexia 10:12, 3 Nov 2004 (UTC)

In theory, theory and practice are the same thing, in practice they differ. - I have heard this attributed to yogi berra, is it really his or just something in his style? I like it.

I have not run accross the above quote anywhere in Yogi's books. Additionaly, I've spent a lot of time talking with Yogi and have never heard him use the words "theory" or "differ."

Yogi Berra quote or Bob Hope quote

His wife Carmen asked where he would like to be buried, and he said "Surprise me!"

This is also on Bob Hope's page. Did they both say it?

[Well, was Bob Hope's wife named Carmen? Huh?]

Bob Hope's wife is named Delores.

Davidkevin 15:16, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

All Over Again

In Yogi Berra's autobiography he claims he never said some of the quotes attributed to him, including the infamous "it's like deja vu all over again".

Untrue. The Yogi Book, by himself carries that quote.

More corrections. The Yogi Book describes the origin of "You can observe a lot..." in a different situation. The quotes about check made to "Bearer" and "that hot yourself", are not given verbatim. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Deep Atlantic Blue (talk • contribs) 08:00, August 20, 2007 (UTC).

"You can observe a lot" has different origins in the Yogi Berra Book and in If You Come To a Fork in The Road, both written in the first person. Those of us that love Yogiisms would like to see a list as complete as possible and not just examples. "We made too many wrong mistakes", "You don't look too hot...", "I didn't say...", etc. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Deep Atlantic Blue (talk • contribs) 15:33, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

Bush photo

Is there any reason that the photo of Yogi with George Bush is on this page? Bush is clearly the eye-grabber in that photo and Yogi is looking away from the camera. Surely we should replace this photo with another that features Yogi more prominently. Phiwum 02:02, 1 September 2005 (UTC)

Similarities

It's actually kind of funny to read that a famous former player like Yogi Berra is known for his "yogiisms". In Holland there is an almoust identical situation, former football (soccer) star Johan Cruyff is well-known for his "Cruyffisms", wich are very similar.

1) Journalist: "I don't understand what you're saying, Johan." Cruyff: "If I wanted you to understand I would have made myself clearer."

2) "I am hardly ever wrong, because in practice I find it really hard to make mistakes."

3) "Before I make a mistake, I don't make it."

This is very relevant. In the UK, the great Liverpool manager Bill Shankly is famous beyond football for some of the things he said, principally, "Football is not a matter of life and death, it's more important than that". Muhammad Ali is also in the same bracket. In the early Sixties, the media became more intrusive, particularly television, seeking out instant after-the-game comment. The people they sought out were players and coaches, who were not media stars and they had other things to be thinking about. To get to where they are needs a lot of playing and practising, they never had the time to acquire the smooth and polished blandness that looks good on the box. Many came from the kind of background where good schooling was not available, but still had great intelligence and insight, they just lacked the learning and finesse. They are remembered while those whose lack of vocabulary hid a lack of anything worthwhile to say are forgotten.

And then there is the legendary Sam Goldwyn, who came out with gems such as "a verbal contract ain't worth the paper its written on". In his case, he was an emigre, American was his second language and he had difficulty mastering it. Even so, it is doubtful whether it sounded any better in his native Hungarian.

Guy 10:58, 5 May 2006 (UTC)

Why do you say Hungarian? Samuel Goldwyn was born Schmuel Gelbfisz to a Jewish family in Warsaw, Poland--at the time, in the Russian Empire. Presumably, his first language would have been either Yiddish or Polish, and it's possible he also used Russian. It seems very unlikely that his native language was Hungarian. 140.147.160.78 (talk) 18:51, 17 December 2007 (UTC)Stephen Kosciesza

Stuff

Can somebody specify? Yogi's credited with most World Series games by a catcher. How many?

He played in 14 series for a total of 75 games.

Also, about the lawsuit: shut up. It was a commercial. About "Sex in the City". How serious can it be? Trekphiler 01:40, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

On purpose

Does anybody know if Yogi ever said a Yogiism on purpose? (Those scripted for advertisements and such don't count.) - furrykef (Talk at me) 15:22, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

Mulla Nasrudin

Yogi Berra is a prime candidate for the contemporary American version of the Middle Eastern joke figure Mulla Nasrudin, who may not have physically existed, but who is the center of a corpus of jokes that was also used for Sufi spiritual training. Some of them have become common jokes in the West as well, and they all have deeper content than simply jokes.

Examples chosen for their resemblance to Yogi-isms:

1) Mulla Nasrudin was roaming about late at night.

A watchman asked: 'Why are you out this late?'

'I've lost my sleep and I'm searching for it.'

2) 'Nasrudin, your donkey is gone!'

'Good thing I wasn't riding it when it vanished or I'd have gone missing, too!'

3) Nasrudin walks into a bank to make a transaction, and a clerk asks him to identify himself. He pulls out a mirror and checks his face. "Yes, that is me."

It should interest you to know, there is actually a Wikipedia article on this person. The name you give redirects to Nasreddin. But it's pretty clear that it's the person you're talking about. Variants on the name are discussed in the article. 140.147.160.78 (talk) 19:11, 19 December 2007 (UTC)Stephen Kosciesza

Yogi-isms

How about some information on Yogi-isms? I don't mean a list of quotes, but just some information about the fact that, aside from baseball, he's also known for these sayings. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.71.129.30 (talk) 12:23, 16 March 2006

Berra, who quit school at age fifteen, is also quite famous for his tendency toward malapropism and fracturing the English language in highly provocative, interesting ways, even though---by his own malapropping admission---"I never said half the things I really said"

Is this right, or is it (as at Yogiisms) "I never really said half the things I said"? Flapdragon 13:07, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

The quote verbatim is "I didn't say everything I said." -Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 23:54, 2 January 2009 (UTC)

Funny or just dumb?

Lysdexia mentioned this above with no reply: did Berra intentionally utter these malapropisms or did he, like George W. Bush, have no idea that what he said was funny? If anyone can give me an answer, I think it should be included in the article. plattopus^talk 06:19, 30 March 2006 (UTC)

"Yogi Berra is famous around the non-baseball world for his pithy comments and witticisms. Many of these are in the mould of the gravedigger in Shakespeare's Hamlet, the comments of a worldly-wise philosopher who does not have the education and vocabulary to express his thoughts accurately." Guy 15:59, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

I agree with that appraisal. What impresses us about the Yogiism is the underlying wisdom disguised by an expression with limited vocabulary, and somehow enhanced by it.

"It isn't over until it's over" urges us to consider that our definition of "over" may be inappropriate, and there may really be sufficient time for things to change.

"You can't hit and think at the same time" suggests that much of this task is instinctive.

"If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be." Thomas More said the same thing in Utopia.

Some of the expressions are lessons in logic.

"It gets late early over there" switches from a definition based upon one measure (the amount of sunlight due to shadows) to another (clock time). The clock says early, but the important thing (to a left fielder) says late.

"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." Of course, "nobody" means "nobody that I know." The crowds are other people, outside the scope of my concern.

"Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours." The focus here in on people in general, not a specific person. You show respect for enough people, then many people will show respect for you. Never mind that on a personal level, reciprocal funeral attendance is impossible.

I could go on, but as we all know, when you begin to analyze humor in this fashion, it gets a lot less funny! (Cf. Monty Python and The Edible Missile.)

I don't know where this fits but I recall someone asking Yogi for an opinion about organized Little League baseball. He told about his youth in the summer time, how he and his friends would rise early and play softball all morning, eat a sandwich under a tree, then play hardball until it got dark. All day, every day. In Little League, he noted, you play two innings and they have to take you out and put in another kid. Why, he said, you can't even learn to strike out in that amount of time.WHPratt (talk) 14:26, 2 March 2009 (UTC)

The trouble is, a lot of things attributed to him just sound like him, which says something in itself. Hence, "I never said half the things I said." There's a fundamental truth in everything he actually said, it's just a matter of figuring it out. Hence the comment in the baseball card book, citing Masanori Murakami, at the time of publication the only Japanese who had played MLB: "Murakami was, with the possible exception of Yogi Berra, the only major leaguer who did not speak English." Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} 14:53, 2 March 2009 (UTC)

Team player?

Regarding this comment: (does anybody really beleive that yogi was the single greatest team player in the history of team sports. ?? Cause Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and Joe Montana all say hello.) The New York Yankees, of which Yogi was an important member, won a large number of World Series. There is little doubt that Yogi's performance in a crucial position was a big factor in the team's success, the numbers speak for themselves. His were big performances under big pressure for a long period of time. Also he had a long run in the team, if he was not worth it they would have found somebody else. To say he was the greatest team sportsman of all time is a little fanciful, it is a daft concept anyway, but Yogi has as strong a claim as anybody. Then again, he was a top manager too, different contribution to the team, same outcome.

Guy 15:59, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

Says baseball authority Bill James (in The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, p. 505) "Yogi was the only catcher in baseball history who could catch 145 games a year, hit cleanup, and never have an injury or a bad season." Given the importance of the catcher to the defense and the fact that Yogi routinely batted .290-.300 with 30-40 homers and 100 RBI, he was a pretty good starting point for building a great team. WHPratt (talk) 02:59, 18 February 2009 (UTC)WHPratt

Background on Yogi-George feud

I noted yesterday that Larsen's perfect game was recreated on Yogi Berra day, and celebrated Yogi's return the stadium. Is it worth noting the reason for the feud with Steinbrenner? (He was p*%#^d about being fired 16 games into the season in 1985, after being told he would be the manager for the entire season. Or perhaps this should be an external link?

Here's one account from Everything2 ... 3rd to last graph.: http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=157373

---

I have corrected information I previously posted regarding Yogi Berra Day; it was not the first perfect game since Larsen's, as David Wells pitched one the year before. Also added the background on Steinbrenner-Yogi feud. That may be removed if it detracts from the flow the article. --Drstrnglv64 22:45, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

bit much to call Larsen's perfect game the most notable feat of 3-time MVP Yogi's career, so I switched it to "day."

• David Wells' perfect game has nothing to do with Berra.
• Perfect games don't happen about every eight years; dividing 16 into 128 doesn't tell us anything about the clumps and gaps of time that separate the actual games. And in any event, it again has nothing to do with Berra.
• Berra was fired in April '85, not midway through that season.p

Threw / throws?

the mans not dead yet and he does still throw right (he throws at least one opening pitch a year) so shouldn't the artcle say throws and not threw? I can understand saying batted and not bats but I am willing to bet he play catch with his grand kids. --SelfStudyBuddy 08:58, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

Encyclopedic comment--erratum

Pardon me--I should have added my colophon to that last item. Dougie monty 09:14, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

Biography label?

I don't see a date of death. If he is still living, shouldn't there be statement that the article must conform to the policy regarding living persons? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.53.197.12 (talk) 00:18, 9 October 2007 (UTC)

I removed the two AFLAC commercial quotes

I removed the two AFLAC commercial "quotes," which are obviously not Yogiisms -- the second one definitely not. If more quotes are desired for that section, get them from the Wikiquote list linked in that section. Softlavender (talk) 04:17, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

More references

I added the "refimprove" tag. I just don't think 3 references are enough for a player who apparently deserves so much mentioning in the history of baseball. We should do this article justice. Keith Galveston (talk) 14:18, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

References are not decorations... do you actually doubt any of the claims in the article? Referencing it just to make it look nicer is a waste of editor time. --Rividian (talk) 12:33, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Accuracy of Wiki

The examples of Yogiisms, two years later, still are unreliable, containing several errors. As I reference Wiki very frequently, it pains me to see the lack of accuracy permitted here. Two years ago, I tried to get it better, but my contribution, even at the time, was deleted. Just going through the listed book "The Yogi Book: I didn't say everything I said" would remove most of the errors. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 00:06, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

So I see. You have a number of entries from 2007. How about if you summarize those entries below, and let everyone review them. Maybe you'll find better support this time around. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} 00:11, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

A list of accurate quotes (mostly from the Yogi Book)

In what follows TYB refers to ISBN 0-7611-1090-9; (April 1998) The Yogi Book: 'I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said'. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 23:32, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

"Thank you for making this day necessary." TYB p 10

"You can't hit and think at the same time." TYB p 13

"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." TYB p 16

"The only reason I need these gloves is 'cause of my hands." TYB p 20

When asked the time, Yogi replied: "You mean now?" TYB p 33

"If you ask me a question I don't know, I'm not going to answer." TYB p 38

"Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel." TYB p 47

"If I didn't wake up I'd still be sleeping." TYB p 60

"If you can't imitate him, don't copy him." TYB p 63

"I'm as red as a sheet." TYB p 77

In the book there are other quotes, I didn't use. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 23:32, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” giving instructions over the phone to his friend Joe Garagiola on how to reach his house. The route had a fork but both ways led to Yogi’s. TYB p 48

“You can observe a lot by watching.” yelled to players in the dugout annoyingly not paying attention to the game TYB p 95. In a different book, Yogi says he gave that answer to reporters when asked if he could coach.

Asked by the press what makes good managers, he replied “Good players.” TYB p 14

“You don’t look so hot yourself.” at a ceremony when the New York Mayor’s wife told him he looked cool. TYB p 54

“Don’t get me right, I’m just asking!” negotiating a new contract with the Yankees. TYB p 92

“It was hard to have a conversation with anyone, there were too many people talking.” explaining why he had been mostly silent during a White House dinner. TYB p 42

“We’re lost, but we’re making good time.” on a trip to Cooperstown with his wife and kids. TYB p 51

“Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours.” TYB p 73

“Steve McQueen looks good in this movie. He must have made it before he died.” while half asleep, watching Papillon. TYB p 74

“Never answer an anonymous letter.” TYB p 93

“I really liked it. Even the music was good.” after seeing the opera Tosca, when his wife asked what he thought. TYB p 79

“I wish I had an answer to that, because I’m tired of answering that question.” when given a hard time by the press. TYB p 83

“Nah, I had to get up to answer the phone anyway.” on the phone, when a Yankee public relations apologized for calling very early, and asking if he had awaken Yogi. TYB p 85

After a radio show in St. Louis, Yogi was paid with a check made out to ‘Pay to Bearer’. Looking at it, he angrily says “You’ve known me all this time and you still can’t spell my name.” TYB p 89

“Pair up in threes.” to the players in Spring training. TYB p 88

“Wow, Yogi! What a beautiful mansion you’ve got here!” said to Yogi, his friend Phil Rizzuto visiting Yogi’s new house. Answered Yogi “What do you mean, Phil? It’s nothing but a bunch of rooms.” TYB p 57

In the Spring choosing fitting sizes in apparel someone asks “What size cap do you want, Yogi?” to which he replies “I don’t know. I’m not in shape yet.” TYB p 107

“Yogi, you’re ugly,” someone told him. “So? I don’t hit with my face.” TYB p 112

“Slump? I ain’t in no slump… I just ain’t hitting.” TYB p 41

Asked if Don Mattingly had exceeded his own expectations, Yogi reply was “I’d say he’s done more than that.” TYB p 98

“I knew the record would stand until it was broken.” in a congratulatory telegram to a fellow player who had broken a record held by Yogi. TYB p 91

“It’s déjà vu all over again.” when Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were delivering home run after home run. TYB p 30

“We made too many wrong mistakes.” after losing the 1960 World Series. TYB p 34

“It ain’t over till it’s over.” when the Mets in 1973 were nine games out of first place. The team rebounded and won the division. TYB p 121

“You’ve got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going ‘cause you might not get there!” TYB p 102

“The future ain’t what it used to be.” TYB p 118/119. Sometimes this quote appears with “nostalgia” instead of “future”, but it is a modification.

“A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.” TYB p 19, a statement easily understood by anyone considering cost of living and monthly budget.

“Little League baseball is a good thing ‘cause it keeps the parents off the streets and the kids out of the house.” TYB p 116/117

“We were overwhelming underdogs.” when reminiscing about the 1969 Amazing Mets. TYB p 24

“The other team could make trouble for us if they win.” TYB p 26/27 Logically, if they lose that’s not a problem.

“If people don’t want to come to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them?” when ticket sales were in a slump. TYB p 36

“I’d see if I could find the guy that lost it, and if he was poor, I’d give it back.” when asked by a reporter what he would do if he found a million dollars. TYB p 59

“I usually take a two-hour nap from 1 to 4.” TYB p 61

“90% of the game is half mental.” TYB p 69

When his elementary school teacher told him “you know nothing, don’t you?” Yogi replied, “I don’t even suspect anything.” This probably was attributed to him by Garangiola.

When asked if he wanted the pizza cut in four or eight slices, the reply was “Four. I don’t think I can eat eight.” TYB p 80 This is probably an attribution though quoted in "The Yogi Book". Today it is told as a blondes joke.

“In theory, theory and practice are the same; in practice they differ. ” attributed to him, but the origin is in doubt.

“I really didn’t say everything I said.” When questioned if the many quotes attributed to him, were really his. TYB p 9

“If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.” TYB p 52

Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 21:53, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

All quotes and respective origin accounted for except two. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 23:32, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

Which Yogi book was that? Certainly a fair number of these are genuine. I think some are slight misquotes. Others are stories possibly attributed to Yogi (as Garagiola was famous for doing). For example, "I had to get up to answer the phone anyway", I heard on a Bill Cosby record. And the one about finding a million dollars is a very old joke. I remember hearing it on a Myron Cohen record. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} 22:01, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

The Yogi Book mentioned is in the Book list as ISBN 0-7611-1090-9; (April 1998) The Yogi Book: 'I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said' which has his byline, and where he assumes authorship for the examples you mention. I also read his other book, ISBN 0-7868-6775-2; (May 2001) When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! Inspiration and Wisdom from One of Baseball's Greatest Heroes, co-authored with Dave Kaplan. There's also "So Hank says to Yogi..." by Kevin Nelson with a chapter on Yogi. Given the you have other sources for some of these whose authorship Yogi claims, perhaps in my list, you could add detail. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 22:15, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

I could do that over time, but I don't have time right now. There's another factor you're overlooking, and that is the likelihood that someone is going to say this many quotes belong on Wikiquote instead of Wikipedia. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} 22:27, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

My thing is 1) get accuracy on the quotes, even if given as examples; 2) if an accurate list is worked out, we can put it in Wikiquote also; 3) the circumstances in which each quote appeared in most cases is relevant; 4) if claims of authorship are disputed, that information can be given. As I said before, I value Wiki as a reference tool. Certainly, we can do better than the examples of quotes given. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 22:39, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

I see some overlap with the existing list, and I see there's already a wikiquotes link. To do this right, here's what I think is needed: (1) Create an initial, comprehensive list of the quotes from all 3 places, i.e. the current article, wikiquotes, and your list; (2) Walk through the books and list the book and page number in parentheses after each quote, along with proper context as needed, correcting both quote and context as needed. The result should be a well-sourced and reasonably accurate list of quotes. Then we can worry about putting it in the article and/or in wikiquotes. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} 22:44, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

Most quotes accounted for. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 23:32, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

Checking my Cosby albums, on I Started Out As a Child (1964), in the Ralph Jameson segment, he knocks on someone's door to get directions. He asks, "Did I wake ya up?" and the guy says, "No, I was asleep anyway." That might be the one I'm thinking of. Different joke, same non-sequitor idea. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} 23:38, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

Let's work on this then in the next few days. And have other people contribute other challenges to authenticity. In my list add the comment "Could be originally from a 1964 Cosby joke." This should apply to two of my quotes. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 23:56, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

Another Autobiography

Circa 1962, titled YOGI: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER. I got a copy as a kid. Co-author was, I think, Ed Fitzgerald. WHPratt (talk) 02:45, 18 February 2009 (UTC)WHPratt

One chapter of this was reprinted in SPORT magazine. I believe that in the book, he was already dismissing ersatz yogiisms, including one wherein, on the street, he bumps into a man carrying a grandfather clock and says, "For Pete's sake, why can't you just wear a wrist watch like everybody else?" WHPratt (talk) 14:18, 19 February 2009 (UTC)WHPratt

I recall that one from long ago. I think Garagiola made that one up. He did a lot of that. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} 15:04, 19 February 2009 (UTC)

I've been meaning to get back to this, though I did feel a bit dispirited by the changes in the actual page. The list should be transferred to "Quotes" of course, perhaps with a category "In all likelihood from jokes" added to it. WHPratt do you think you could do a rundown of quotes from the book you own, like Baseball Bugs did below? I would then integrate them into the list (when I can come around to this). Thx. Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 18:01, 24 April 2009 (UTC)

Sorry, I did those from memory -- I don't have the book referenced above anymore. WHPratt (talk) 18:47, 24 April 2009 (UTC) Also, I probably last read the book at 12 or thereabout. Books about athletes weren't quite so gossip-ridden in those days, and I believe that the early mention of a funny malaprop or two was all that was devoted to the subject, so it's not a rich source of yogiisms by any stretch. WHPratt (talk) 13:11, 27 April 2009 (UTC)

Another book

I have a 1974 book by Phil Pepe, The Wit and Wisdom of Yogi Berra (Belmont Tower Books, ISBN 0-505-51141-X-150), which is more than a joke book, it's a biography with some stories interlaced. I'm looking through it and will add any interesting ones as I come across them.

• p.24 - The story about him and Bobby Brown; Yogi reading a comic book and Brown a medical text, closing them at the same time, and Yogi asking Bobby, "How did yours come out?"
• p.28-30 - Yogi's rookie year with the Yankees, 1947. He was from St. Louis, and on the Yankees last series with the Browns that year, Yogi was given a "night" at Sportsman's Park. Bobby Brown wrote a short speech for him, and the nervous Yogi, trying to recite from memory, forgot "possible" and made a substitute: "I'm a lucky guy and I'm happy to be with the Yankees. I want to thank everyone for making this night necessary."
• p.29 - An interesting precursor to the "making good time" story. 1947, the Yankees due to play a pre-season game with the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, a location not familiar to Yogi. Yet he beat all his teammates to the park: "I knew I was going to get lost, so I left an hour early."
• p.57 - Around the time of the 1956 season, Berra bought a Tudor-style mansion in Montclair, New Jersey. He told Jackie Farrell, of Yankees public relations, "What a house. Nothin' but rooms!" Farrell is credited with recalling a number of Yogi stories.
• p.61 - Another Farrell story, the one about Tosca at La Scala, "Even the music was nice."
• p.62 - Another Farrell story, the one about a 2-hour nap from 1 to 4. Also the one about finding a million in the street, and if he could find the guy who lost it, and "if he was poor, I'd give it back to him." That's the same story as one Myron Cohen told, and I would be hesitant to attribute it to Yogi, since why would someone ask him such a weird question anyway?
• p.63-64 - A famous story, this one connected with a place called Charlie's, in Minneapolis yet, in 1961. Yogi is invited to go, but he turns his teammates down: "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." I've heard that one applied to various restaurants.
• p.66 - 1960 World Series. "We made too many wrong mistakes."
• p.69 - 1961 World Series, playing left field in the notorious Yankee Stadium late-season sun field: "It gets late early out there."
• p.75 - At some point near the end of his career apparently, though that's not totally clear, being interviewed on radio, and asked about Little League: "I think it's wonderful. It keeps the kids out of the house."
• p.76 - October 24, 1963, press conference announcing he would be the new Yankees manager. ("What will be your biggest problem next season, Yogi?") "If I can manage." ("How have you prepared yourself for this job?") "You observe a lot by watching." That quote has been somewhat embellished over the years.
• p.107-108 - 1965, as a Mets coach, Ron Swoboda arguing he should crowd the plate like Frank Robinson did, Yogi arguing they would jam him, and in regard to Robby, "He's Frank Robinson and you're you. That's his style of hittin'. If you can't imitate him, don't copy him." (instead of "emulate", of course).
• p.125 - As Mets manager (starting 1972), Tom Seaver asked him what time it was, and Yogi answered, "You mean now?" An oft-repeated story in various circumstances, and a variation on the story about Yogi playing 20 questions and asking, "Is he living now?"
• p.129 - The "cool" story, attributed to an unnamed retired woman at spring training at Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg, FL.
• p.133-134 - Hall of Fame induction day, 1973 - Max Nichols, BBWAA President, introducing Yogi, reported this story from 1964, that he had called Yogi and 9 a.m. and he sounded sleepy: "I hope I didn't wake you up." Yogi: "Nah, I had to get up to answer the phone anyway." The author adds this important note: It wasn't true. But nobody cared. They all laughed. They thought it was true. They wanted to believe it was true. And Yogi Berra laughed too. Yogi then thanks the crowd "for making this day necessary". (Presumably by then it's a well-known story and he's just being funny.) He then reads a written, and serious speech thanking everyone who helped him along the way.
• p.151 - August, 1973, Mets in St. Louis, Jack Buck interviews Yogi and then gives him a check payable to "Bearer". The book says that Buck carried those checks around from his sponsor and gave them to whoever his pre-game guest was. Yogi: "You known me all that time [10 or 12 years] and you still don't know how to spell my name."
• Interestingly, there's nothing during 1973 about, "It's not over till it's over". He just kept saying, "We're not out of it yet," as the team stayed within striking distance in the last half of the season.

Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} 00:03, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

Can you work out the references so the books from, about or mentioning Yogi, can be mentioned as reference in a compact way? I do not do much editing so I'd have to learn how. My idea is to have a quote in the format:"In this instance so much was said. book X page y, also book w page z, but the book a page c says d." I just saw what's in Wikiquote, and it is of poor reference value. I'll be off now, but tomorrow I'll review your additions. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 00:54, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

These are just notes. Let's get the facts down as best we can, and then worry about the presentation style. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} 00:56, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

Clean Slate for Yogiisms Verified and with Qualifications

(please do not edit before discussing in next section)

Sources

TYB ISBN 0-7611-1090-9; (April 1998) The Yogi Book: 'I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said' by Yogi Berra

WYC ISBN 0-7868-6775-2; (May 2001) When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! Inspiration and Wisdom from One of Baseball's Greatest Heroes, co-authored with Dave Kaplan.

PPWW Phil Pepe, The Wit and Wisdom of Yogi Berra (Belmont Tower Books, ISBN 0-505-51141-X-150)

SHSY “So Hank says to Yogi… The best baseball stories ever told” by Kevin Nelson; Chamberlain Bros 2005 ISBN 1-59609-014-6

Verified Yogiisms with Qualifications

1 At a dinner in his honor on The Hill in St Louis "Thank you for making this day necessary." TYB p 10

2 In 1946 when playing with the Newark Bears, and being struck out in three pitches: "You can't hit and think at the same time." TYB p 13

This tale needs to include that someone (manager, coach) told him to please think at the plate.WHPratt (talk) 13:58, 17 March 2009 (UTC)

3 About the trendy Ruggeri’s restaurant in 1959 St Louis: "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." TYB p 16

4 "The only reason I need these gloves is 'cause of my hands." After an argument with his wife about gardening. TYB p 20

5 When asked the time, Yogi replied: "You mean now?" TYB p 33

6 "If you ask me a question I don't know, I'm not going to answer." TYB p 38

7 "Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel." TYB p 47

8 "If I didn't wake up I'd still be sleeping." TYB p 60 Possibly influenced by a 1964 Cosby joke.

9 "If you can't imitate him, don't copy him." To Ron Swoboda for trying to crowd the plate like Frank Robinson did. TYB p 63

10 "I'm as red as a sheet." For failing his lines in a Touch of Mink with Cary Grant and Doris Day TYB p 77

11 “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” giving instructions over the phone to his friend Joe Garagiola on how to reach his house. The route had a fork but both ways led to Yogi’s. TYB p 48

12 “You can observe a lot by watching.” yelled to players in the dugout annoyingly not paying attention to the game TYB p 95. In a different book, Yogi says he gave that answer to reporters when asked if he could coach.

13 Asked by the press what makes good managers, he replied “Good players.” TYB p 14

14 “You don’t look so hot yourself.” at a reception when the wife of New York Mayor John Vliet Lindsay, told him he looked cool. TYB p 54

15 “Don’t get me right, I’m just asking!” negotiating a new contract with the Yankees. TYB p 92

16 “It was hard to have a conversation with anyone, there were too many people talking.” explaining why he had been mostly silent during a White House dinner. TYB p 42

17 “We’re lost, but we’re making good time.” on a trip to Cooperstown with his wife and kids. TYB p 51

18 “Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours.” TYB p 73

19 “Steve McQueen looks good in this movie. He must have made it before he died.” while half asleep, watching Papillon. TYB p 74

20 “Never answer an anonymous letter.” TYB p 93

21 “I really liked it. Even the music was good.” after seeing the opera Tosca, when his wife asked what he thought. TYB p 79

22 “I wish I had an answer to that, because I’m tired of answering that question.” when given a hard time by the press. TYB p 83

23 “Nah, I had to get up to answer the phone anyway.” on the phone, when a Yankee public relations apologized for calling very early, and asking if he had awaken Yogi. TYB p 85 Possibly inspired by a 1964 Cosby joke.

24 After a radio show in St. Louis, Yogi was paid with a check made out to ‘Pay to Bearer’. Looking at it, he angrily says “You’ve known me all this time and you still can’t spell my name.” TYB p 89

25 “Pair up in threes.” to the players in Spring training. TYB p 88

26 “Wow, Yogi! What a beautiful mansion you’ve got here!” said to Yogi, his friend Phil Rizzuto visiting Yogi’s new house in Montclair, NJ. Answered Yogi “What do you mean, Phil? It’s nothing but a bunch of rooms.” Recounted by Phil Rizzuto. TYB p 57

27 In the Spring choosing fitting sizes in apparel someone asks “What size cap do you want, Yogi?” to which he replies “I don’t know. I’m not in shape yet.” TYB p 107

28 “Yogi, you’re ugly,” someone told him. “So? I don’t hit with my face.” TYB p 112

29 “Slump? I ain’t in no slump… I just ain’t hitting.” TYB p 41

30 Asked if Don Mattingly had exceeded his own expectations, Yogi reply was “I’d say he’s done more than that.” TYB p 98

31 “I knew the record would stand until it was broken.” in a congratulatory telegram to a fellow player who had broken a record held by Yogi. TYB p 91

32 “It’s déjà vu all over again.” when Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were delivering home run after home run. TYB p 30

33 “We made too many wrong mistakes.” after losing the 1960 World Series. TYB p 34

34 “It ain’t over till it’s over.” when the Mets in 1973 were nine games out of first place. The team rebounded and won the division. TYB p 121

35 “You’ve got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going ‘cause you might not get there!” TYB p 102

36 “The future ain’t what it used to be.” TYB p 118/119. Sometimes this quote appears with “nostalgia” instead of “future”, but it is a modification.

37 “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.” TYB p 19, a statement easily understood by anyone considering cost of living and monthly budget.

38 “Little League baseball is a good thing ‘cause it keeps the parents off the streets and the kids out of the house.” TYB p 116/117

39 “We were overwhelming underdogs.” when reminiscing about the 1969 Amazing Mets. TYB p 24

40 “The other team could make trouble for us if they win.” TYB p 26/27 Logically, if they lose that’s not a problem.

41 “If people don’t want to come to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them?” when ticket sales were in a slump. TYB p 36

42 “I’d see if I could find the guy that lost it, and if he was poor, I’d give it back.” when asked by a reporter what he would do if he found a million dollars. TYB p 59 This is probably an old joke as it is an unlikely question to ask to a baseball player or manager. Or it can have occurred in casual conversation, recounted with an appropriate but false setting.

43 “I usually take a two-hour nap from 1 to 4.” TYB p 61

44 “90% of the game is half mental.” TYB p 69

45 When asked if he wanted the pizza cut in four or eight slices, the reply was “Four. I don’t think I can eat eight.” TYB p 80 This is probably an attribution though quoted in "The Yogi Book". Today it is told as a blondes joke.

46 “I really didn’t say everything I said.” When questioned if the many quotes attributed to him, were really his. TYB p 9

47 “If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.” TYB p 52

Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 01:03, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

Yogiisms still unaccounted for

A. When his elementary school teacher told him “you know nothing, don’t you?” Yogi replied, “I don’t even suspect anything.” This probably was attributed to him by Garagiola.

B. “In theory, theory and practice are the same; in practice they differ. ” generally attributed to him, but the origin is widely disputed as “theory”and “differ” do not seem to be words of common usage.

C "It's tough making predictions, especially about the future". This actually belongs to Storm P.

D "It's not the heat, it's the humility."

E On the Yankees leaving Yankee Stadium for the final game: "I'm sad to see it go. I really do.”

F When asked about his relationship with George Steinbrenner, he responded: "We agree different.”

Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 01:04, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 01:27, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

Joe Gariagola told one on the Johnny Carson show. In it, Yogi (a sixth-grade dropout) complains about his kids asking school questions he can't answer. Joe suggests "Why don't you get them an encyclopedia?" Yogi replies "Listen: I walked to school, so can they!" This may have made sense in the days when "velocipede" was another term for "bicycle," though it pretty much fails today. —Preceding unsigned comment added by WHPratt (talk • contribs) 14:27, 19 February 2009 (UTC)

I recall one more. Allegedly, Yogi spots Jimmy Dorsey in a restaurant. He says to his guest seated opposite something like "Don't look, but there's someone famous right behind you. You know those bandleader brothers -- one of 'em is dead? I think that's the one who's still alive." WHPratt (talk) 03:02, 19 March 2009 (UTC)

Progress Log

Setup of Clean Slate - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 23:59, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

TYB The Yogi Book verification rundown. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 01:07, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

Examples of Yogiisms from the current Yogi page reviewed. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 01:30, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

Discussion of Clean Slate

I have several comments about the PPWW book. Please give me some time. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 23:59, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

The rundown of WikiQuotes on Yogi will be harder than anticipated. The biggest problem is that none of the quotes comes with a source. - I'm done for today! - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 01:43, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

I left the work unfinished for a few days and the quotes were edited. Is it any use to try to get everything right before moving the final text to the page? At least an acknowledgement of the editing should have been done here. It's called collaborating. I wonder if it's any use to work on this if everyone pushes its own way. - Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 23:10, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

That's the nature of things - once you edit an article, you have to keep it on your watchlist and "defend" it. I think there were only two items added. One was the "what time is it?" which already should be on your list. The other was the Russert item, which would require verification. Obviously Russert interviewed Yogi, several times in fact, and his "what about him?" sounds like a typical Yogiism, but I don't know if there is a transcript or other reliable source. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} 23:48, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Rundown of the examples in Yogi page

Some of the DONE quotes contain errors corrected in the list of the Clean Slate.

§ As a general comment on baseball: "Ninety percent of this game is half mental." DONE

§ On why he no longer went to a popular St. Louis restaurant: "Nobody goes there no more, it's too crowded!" DONE

§ "It ain't over till it's over." - After Berra's 1973 Mets trailed the Chicago Cubs by 9½ games in the National League East; the Mets rallied to win the division title on the next-to-last day of the season. DONE

§ When giving directions to his New Jersey home, which was equally accessible via two different routes: "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." DONE

§ On being the guest of honor at an awards banquet: "I'd like to thank all those who made this night necessary." DONE

§ "It's like déjà vu all over again". Berra explained that this quote originated when he witnessed Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris repeatedly hit back to back home runs in the Yankees' seasons in the early 1960s. DONE

§ "You can observe a lot by just watching." DONE

§ "It's tough making predictions, especially about the future". This actually belongs to Storm P. UNACCOUNTED

§ "Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours." DONE

§ On a trip to Cooperstown, to attend a dinner, Phil Rizzuto commented to Yogi, "I think we're lost." To which Yogi responded "Yeah, but we're making great time." DONE

§ When told by a queen visiting New York on a particularly humid day that he appeared "quite cool," Yogi innocently responded "Thanks; you don't look so hot yourself." DONE

§ When asked if he wanted a personal pizza cut into 4 or 8 slices, Yogi responded with "Better cut it into 4, I don't think I could eat 8." DONE

§ "It's not the heat, it's the humility." UNACCOUNTED

§ "They could make trouble for us if they win" on the American League situation DONE

§ "The future ain't what it used to be." DONE

§ "We made too many wrong mistakes." DONE

§ "If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be." DONE

§ "I usually take a two hour nap from one to four." DONE

§ "Know anything? I don't even 'suspect' anything!" UNACCOUNTED

§ On the Yankees leaving Yankee Stadium for the final game: "I'm sad to see it go. I really do." UNACCOUNTED

§ When asked about his relationship with George Steinbrenner, he responded: "We agree different." UNACCOUNTED

Deep Atlantic Blue (talk) 01:22, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

Restoring some Yogiisms

Recently the entire list of Yogiisms was deleted by an editor citing WP:NOT, presumably intending to indicate the section of that guideline discouraging "Lists or repositories of loosely associated topics". But that guideline goes on to state that "there is nothing wrong with having lists if their entries are famous because they are associated with or significantly contributed to the list topic." And this is certainly true of the Yogiisms. I do think, however, that the list had grown disproportionately long for its purpose in the article. There was an ignored comment among the items on the list--<!-- Add quotes at http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Yogi_Berra - not here: these are a selection of examples, not an exhaustive list. -->. Exactly. The exhaustive list belongs at Wikiquote. But surely a short representative list is not out of place in this article. --ShelfSkewed Talk 05:46, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

Popular Culture (Again)

In the film It Happens Every Spring, a 1949 release, Paul Douglas plays "Monk Lanigan," a roughly-hewn big-league catcher who seems hopelessly naive, but is fundamentally wise. Do you think that he was based on Yogi? Berra was just emerging as a star about that time. Or could it have been another ballplayer who fit that model somewhat earlier? (By the way, Douglas would go on to play a bewildered manager in Angels in the Outfield (1951), and does a cameo at the end of Rhubarb (1951), as if he were already the personification of comedic baseball.) WHPratt (talk) 16:23, 3 June 2009 (UTC)

The dificulty of verifying quotes

Someone left a note in my talk page about the "we're lost, but making good time" quote.

I don't know who put the note, but I'll go to Yogi's page to check. I do not remember deleting the particular quote but I may have changed it. In the Yogi Book, Yogi says that that happened with his wife and not Phil. I wasn't aware of Phil's claim. Yogi's reply is really a classic. Maybe Phil was trying to look good though it didn't happen with him? Why would Yogi tell the story with his wife, if it had happened with Phil?

We are aware of the difficulty of ascertaining the exact circumstances of each quote as many were used by different people on several occasions. For instance he said to Phil that his new house "was just a bunch of rooms" to use that same line a few days on a radio interview. He also said to players "You can observe a lot by watching" as a catcher asking companions to pay attention, but he also gave the same line years later to news reporters when asked if he was qualified to coach.

I had thought of reviewing with qualifications a more complete list of Yogiisms, but attribution and the exact circumstances are exceedingly difficult to determine. Back in the day nobody anticipated the intense scrutiny these issues would have with us here in Wikipedia.

Thanks for the note, anywayDeep Atlantic Blue (talk) 18:08, 2 October 2009 (UTC)

Berra/Spahn quote

I have twice removed from the article a quote attributed, without reference, to Berra, concerning his pairing with Warren Spahn: "I don't think we're the oldest battery, but we're certainly the ugliest." In attempting to verify this quote, I did come across several websites that attributed this quote to Berra. But other sources, including the (it seemed to me) most reliable source I could track down, a 1974 issue of Baseball Digest, attribute the quote to Spahn. Unless a better source can be found, I think the quotation should be removed from the article, or at least moved from its current section and correctly attributed.--ShelfSkewed Talk 18:18, 23 July 2010 (UTC)

RE: Yogi Bear

That old court decision that Berra didn't have any stake in an obvious comic distortion of his name and his persona always seemed misguided. I note that there is now (in 2011) a new Yogi Bear movie that's probably doing big business (maybe not enough to turn a profit, but still more than ther old TV series). Any chance of a new lawsuit? Or did they already come to terms? WHPratt (talk) 05:47, 20 February 2011 (UTC)

1977 1978 World Series

How was Berra a world series champion in 1977 and 1978 when he was neither a player or a manager? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.229.137.169 (talk) 01:41, 13 August 2011 (UTC)

From the article: "In 1976, he rejoined the Yankees as a coach."--ShelfSkewed Talk 03:12, 13 August 2011 (UTC)

Second Ballot Hall of Famer

Berra had to wait until his second year of eligibility to achieve the Hall of Fame, as the writers didn’t elect anyone in 1971 (although the veterans’ Committee inducted a mob of marginally-qualified old-timers, adding insult to injury). This is odd, considering that Berra already had garnered support as arguably the greatest catcher ever. Any story behind this? The only thing I remember is that Berra never led the league in any major offensive category, so that an early application of the Black Ink Test may have hurt his evaluation. Or maybe it was his managerial career which at that time was one year, one pennant, then fired. WHPratt (talk) 14:03, 12 June 2012 (UTC)

Lately it says that he's one of seven men to manage a pennant winner in both leagues. As this number has grown quite a bit since his retirement, and will only increase if anything, wouldn't it be better to just say that he was only the second (or third, whatever) to do so and let it go at that? WHPratt (talk) 12:42, 20 August 2012 (UTC)

Date of Death

Yogi Berra's wife died on March 6, 2014. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.237.34.211 (talk) 21:29, 7 March 2014 (UTC)

Date of Death

Yogi Berra's wife, Carmen died on March 6, 2014. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.237.34.211 (talk) 21:31, 7 March 2014 (UTC)

Statistics

The World Series Championships should be listed as 10 and not 13. He won three as being part of the team as a staff member, i.e. first base coach, but his unbreakable record stands at 10 World Series Championships as a player, and should be separated from the titles with which he was affiliated as team staff: (1969, 1977, 1978) Agtjamesb007 (talk) 00:15, 9 July 2015 (UTC)

We count World Series titles won as a coach or manager. – Muboshgu (talk) 00:52, 9 July 2015 (UTC)

Yogiisms

Would anyone look here first (for "Yogiisms"?) Otherwise it should be moved to the Yogi Berra page itself, shouldn't it? --User:justfred

an (apocryphal) sign outside the hippy- counterculture Oregon Country Fair shows Jerry Garcia with a line drawn even with the top of his head. It's captioned, "You must be this high to enter." [1] --Ed Poor

Maybe it should be mergered..on the other hand with al, due resopect to Ed Poor, what the heck dos the Jerry Garcia thing have to do with this article? Antonio Cover Girl Martin

It is funny when Yogi says these things. It is scary when President Bush says things like them. Kingturtle 05:14 May 8, 2003 (UTC)

Yeah, bit of a double-standard eh?

There are a lot of quotes official by the Yogi Book, comented by himself, you don't allow in the page. Ok, put a subsection of quotes attributed to him.

Apparently "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded" is not an original yogiism - according to a story on CBC "it sounds like classic Yogi Berra, but that quote actually has been found in newspapers going back to the early 1940s and is first attributed to an obscure woman in Montana". Medmyco (talk) 16:39, 11 January 2014 (UTC)

Did Yogi Berra Really Say All Those Things He Said? The New York Times Dyspeptic skeptic (talk) 01:45, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Montclair state

Any information on the stadium at Montclair state? 130.68.226.2 (talk) 14:45, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

See Yogi Berra Stadium – Muboshgu (talk) 15:30, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Disagreeing articles re: harmonica incident

The description in the Yogi Berra article of the harmonica incident involving Phil Linz is very different than what the article devoted to the incident describes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonica_Incident Docsavage20 (talk) 08:10, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

I didn't realize we had an article on the Harmonica Incident. Perhaps Daniel Case would be so good as to transfer some of that knowledge to this article? – Muboshgu (talk) 15:31, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

A lot of that's a matter of interpretation. Houk's was definitely the minority view (and a not disinterested one at that). While the Yankees were making discreet overtures to other managers, notably Alvin Dark, only after the Harmonica Incident did they seem to have seriously looked at Johnny Keane, who they had reportedly offered the job to within two weeks. If they still had confidence in Yogi they would have waited till it was, uh, over.

There are sources in that article reflecting this latter opinion. I can modify the text later. Daniel Case (talk) 15:41, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Much appreciated. – Muboshgu (talk) 15:47, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

 Done I have added a source that includes the players' general perspective that Yogi's standing amongst them was immensely helped by the Harmonica Incident, which is of course exactly the opposite of management's perspective (a perspective colored by the fact that they were trying to get the rest of the league to accept the sale to CBS at the time). Daniel Case (talk) 16:25, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Yogi Bear

Does this article really need to mention *three times* that Yogi Bear was named after him?

At the moment, it doesn't even mention it once. 141.154.111.196 (talk) 06:55, 9 February 2014 (UTC)

Once while playing golf he teared his pants. He was using Yogi Bear undershorts. Well-documented. (Is 'teared' equally well documented?)

it says he was born in Canada — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.27.240.49 (talk) 01:22, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Vandalism Dyspeptic skeptic (talk) 01:39, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

"tore". --Thnidu (talk) 04:22, 26 September 2015 (UTC)

90% mental quote

There are two similar quotes:

• "Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical."
• "Whatever you do in life, 90 percent of it is half mental." clpo13_(talk) 22:43, 27 September 2015 (UTC)

Outfield

According to the baseball almanac, Berra played 265 games in the outfield, mostly in the later part of his career. I just included that in his positions but was reverted. I have reinstated it. JOJ ^Hutton 20:04, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

For reference, here is his career stats from the baseball almanac. [2].JOJ ^Hutton 20:07, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

The infobox is for primary positions only. Berra played a measly 13% of his games there. That's not a primary position.--Yankees10 20:16, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

He played the entire 1961 season in the outfield as a primary position. In your opinion, how many games must a player play at a position for you to consider it primary? An entire season at that position kind of makes it primary. JOJ ^Hutton 20:28, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

My opinion is that it should be by percentage of games there. Anything below 20 percent shouldn't be in the infobox in my opinion.--Yankees10 20:50, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

And that is based on the interpretation of which guideline exactly? Because it would be my opinion that if a player plays a considerable amount of games at a position, including a large part of entire season playing the position as the primary position, that should be sufficient. JOJ ^Hutton 21:08, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

Except 260 out of 1962 is not a "considerable amount of games". The fact that he happened to play one position over another for one year out of a 19 year career, shouldn't matter. I'm sorry but that's not primary.--Yankees10 21:47, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

That is your opinion, but reliable sources say he played in the outfield, such as this one In fact he played in the outfield for nearly an entire season, as his primary position. Not to mention several Word Series games in 1960 and 1961.--JOJ ^Hutton 23:22, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

Don't act like your stance isn't based on opinion as well. We both have our opinion on what "primary" position means. It would be nice if others chimed in because this is going nowhere.--Yankees10 23:34, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

Nope, it's based on reliable sources, such as Berra's own museum and longstanding precedent among other articles, such as Craig Biggio and Babe Ruth. I'm sure there are more, but those two are Hall of Famers as well.--JOJ ^Hutton 23:49, 29 September 2015 (UTC)

It most certainly is opinion, wise guy. Duh the sources mention he played the outfield. That doesn't mean it was a "primary" position. Not even sure what Biggio and Ruth have to do with anything.--Yankees10 00:17, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

I apologize I'm starting to trend towards being uncvil. I re-added the OF to the infobox. I have other things to bother with in my life right now than to argue about this.--Yankees10 00:27, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

Malapropisms

This article has for years included the statement that Yogi Berra was known for his malapropisms. The vast majority of "Yogiisms" are not malapropisms. Yogiisms could perhaps be called "garden path statements," because they sound plausible for an instant until the redundancy, paradox, or other humorous dissonance becomes apparent. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.0.223.69 (talk) 01:32, 1 July 2016 (UTC)

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Another Yogiism

This one seems to be well known: "It is tough to make predictions, especially about the future." I have no source except uncle google. Herbmuell (talk) 11:56, 4 October 2015 (UTC)

Wasn't it Niels Bohr who said that? 49.197.174.73 (talk) 09:05, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

Disputed according to the Niels Bohr article, but would almost certainly predate Yogi Berra even if wasn't Bohr.49.197.174.73 (talk) 09:15, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

Yes you are right, thanks for pointing this out. Best regards, Herbmuell (talk) 13:35, 14 October 2015 (UTC)

After retiring as a player to manage the Yankees, Berra had two public plate appearances in 1964. One in the annual old-timers' game at Yankee Stadium, and later in the annual exhibition game against the cross-town Mets, where he took advantage of lax rule enforcement and inserted himself as a pinch hitter. He hit into a double play in each case, and noted "I've been up two times this year and made four outs." Not too funny, but I believe it genuine. WHPratt (talk) 03:52, 17 August 2017 (UTC)