Yankees legend Yogi Berra celebrates 90th birthday

New York Daily News ^ | 05/13/2015 | BY ERIC BARROW

[SeekAndFind]

Yogi Berra may not be uttering his famous “Yogi-isms” anymore, but the Yankee icon summed up this day best years ago when he said, “I want to thank you for making this day necessary.”

Lawrence Peter Berra, best known as Yogi — or Yog by his close friends — celebrated his 90th birthday on Tuesday at the New Jersey museum that bears his name, surrounded by close family and such New York baseball luminaries as Joe Torre, Ralph Branca, Willie Randolph and Mickey Rivers, to name a few. And he even received a call from former mayor Rudy Giuliani wishing him a happy birthday.

Speaking for her famous grandfather, Lindsay Berra spoke about how welcome this day was after a difficult 2014 that saw the death of Yogi’s wife of 65 years, Carmen, and the theft of his championship rings and his three MVP plaques from the museum.

He’s 90 so he doesn't get to a lot of parties,” said his granddaughter Lindsay Berra. "So he’s excited to be here and have his cake and see all his friends. It’s all coming back to him in his face.

“He loves being (at the museum). Sometimes he asks if he can sleep here.”

[SeekAndFind]

Yogi Berra Quotes

Yogi Berra's second claim to fame is for being one of the most quoted figures in the sports world. He is credited with coining the deceptively simplistic observation, "It ain't over till it's over." But he's also known for his flubs. Here is a collection of the most notorious of these.

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• "This is like deja vu all over again."

• "You can observe a lot just by watching."

• "He must have made that before he died." -- Referring to a Steve McQueen movie.

• "I want to thank you for making this day necessary." -- On Yogi Berra Appreciation Day in St. Louis in 1947.

• "I'd find the fellow who lost it, and, if he was poor, I'd return it." -- When asked what he would do if he found a million dollars.

• "Think! How the hell are you gonna think and hit at the same time?"

• "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there."

• "I knew I was going to take the wrong train, so I left early."

• "If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else."

• "If you can't imitate him, don't copy him."

• "You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six."

• "Baseball is 90% mental -- the other half is physical."

• "It was impossible to get a conversation going; everybody was talking too much."

• "Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting."

• "A nickel isn't worth a dime today."

• "Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded."

• "It gets late early out there." -- Referring to the bad sun conditions in left field at the stadium.

• "Glen Cove." -- Referring to Glenn Close on a movie review television show.

• Once, Yogi's wife Carmen asked, "Yogi, you are from St. Louis, we live in New Jersey, and you played ball in New York. If you go before I do, where would you like me to have you buried?" Yogi replied, "Surprise me."

• "Do you mean now?" -- When asked for the time.

• "I take a two hour nap, from one o'clock to four."

• "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."

• "You give 100 percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough in the second half you give what's left."

• "90% of the putts that are short don't go in."

• "I made a wrong mistake."

• "Texas has a lot of electrical votes." -- During an election campaign, after George Bush stated that Texas was important to the election.

• "Thanks, you don't look so hot yourself." -- After being told he looked cool.

• "I always thought that record would stand until it was broken."

• "Yeah, but we're making great time!" -- In reply to "Hey Yogi, I think we're lost."

• "If the fans don't come out to the ball park, you can't stop them."

• "Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel."

• "It's never happened in the World Series competition, and it still hasn't."

• "How long have you known me, Jack? And you still don't know how to spell my name." -- Upon receiving a check from Jack Buck made out to "bearer."

• "I'd say he's done more than that." -- When asked if first baseman Don Mattingly had exceeded expectations for the current season.

• "The other teams could make trouble for us if they win."

• "He can run anytime he wants. I'm giving him the red light." -- On the acquisition of fleet Ricky Henderson.

• "I never blame myself when I'm not hitting. I just blame the bat, and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn't my fault that I'm not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?"

• "It ain't the heat; it's the humility."

• "The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase."

• "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours."

• "I didn't really say everything I said."

[no-to-illegals]

dang, It's deju vu all over again ... Happy Birthday Yogi!

[SeekAndFind]

[Skooz]

“Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”

My favorite Yogi-ism.

[Genoa]

Lowlifes stole his rings and plaques. That burns me.

[Forgotten Amendments]

Willie Mays last game was the 7th game of the ‘73 World Series and Yogi left him on the bench. I never forgave him.

[dfwgator]

I like the one from the AFLAC commercial....”And they pay you in cash, which is just as good as money.”

[Jolla]

Ralph Branca!! not many guys left from that 1951 epic battle between the Gents and the Bums from Brooklyn - Willie Mays and Monte Irvin for the Giants. I believe Tommy LaSorda was at that match for the Dodgers.

[SeekAndFind]

THE TOP 10 YOGI BERRA MOMENTS:

http://unclemikesmusings.blogspot.com/2015/05/top-10-yogi-berra-moments.html

[KC_Lion]

Half the Lies they Say about him aren’t true!

[DiogenesLamp]

My favorite Yogi-ism.

I like this one:

"I couldn't tell if the streaker was a man or a woman because it had a bag on it's head. "

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Old school...Love it!

[riverdawg]

Yes, that would have been a nice gesture, but it was painful to watch Mays play that last year of his career.

[kenmcg]

Yogi Berra......a true Hall of Famer, a real gentleman and a breathe of fresh air...God bless him.....and one of the best bad ball hitter baseball has seen. And that from an old Brooklyn Dodger fan.

[tang-soo]

“I never said most of the things I said!” Yogi B.

[Pelham]

Seaman Second Class Lawrence P ‘Yogi’ Berra at Normandy, June 6, 1944:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpT8vkQ1rVw

[stephenjohnbanker]

A great sports figure, and a role model for kids.

Happy B-day, Yogi!

[fatnotlazy]

One story I heard: Yogi was in the dugout when he spied a good looking buxom blonde in the stands. Yogi said to whoever was next to him, “she looks just like Dagwood.”

[SeekAndFind]

RE: “she looks just like Dagwood.”

I really hoped he meant “Blondie”.