On the field, Berra was regarded as one of the greatest catchers of all time. Over his 19-year playing career, Berra hit .285/.348/.482, with 358 home runs. He made 15 straight All-Star games and won three MVP awards during his 18 seasons with the Yankees.
Berra appeared in 14 World Series as a player, winning 10 of them. Both of those figures are a major-league record. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1972. The Yankees also retired Berra's No. 8 that same year. Following his retirement, Berra was named the Yankees manager. He initially lasted just one season with the club, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series in seven games. After he was fired, Berra joined the Mets as a coach. He actually appeared in four games in 1965 with the team before finally transitioning into a full-time coach with the team.
Berra would eventually manage four seasons with the Mets, taking them to the World Series in 1973. The team lost in seven games. With the Mets, Berra compiled a 292-296 record. The Yankees brought him back aboard in 1984, but Berra didn't last long. He was fired just 16 games into the 1985 season after the team got off to a slow start. In seven seasons as a manager, Berra compiled a 484-444 record.
All of those accomplishments,
however, might be overshadowed by Berra's vivacious personality off the
field. Berra is responsible for a number of famous quotes about the
game, including "it ain't over till it's over." He also said "baseball
is ninety percent mental, and the other half is physical," and "love is
the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good,
too."
Berra's confusing quotes were the focus on a couple of ad campaigns, including this 1987 commercial for Miller Lite.
Whether you root for the Yankees
or not, it wasn't hard to respect Berra's play on the field, or enjoy
his personality once he stepped away from the game. Major League
Baseball is undoubtedly a less entertaining place without Yogi Berra.
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