# To the list of baseball immortals, add the late Yogi Berra. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 23, 2015, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283 "2015-09-23T09:09:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/1 "2015-09-23T09:09:28Z")
Died yesterday at 90. I’m not a big sports fan, but I know poetry when I hear it. Even when he made no sense, you knew exactly what he meant. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/2 "2015-09-23T11:41:34Z")
The Hall of Fame baseball player and coiner of Yogi-isms and one-time Yoo Hoo huckster has died. I swear, though, when my wife told me about it this morning, I thought she said that Yogi Bear had died. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/3 "2015-09-23T11:55:29Z")
I’m not at all a baseball (or even sports) person, but I wouldn’t have guessed he was still alive. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/4 "2015-09-23T12:15:12Z")
Apparently there was an AP bulletin that Yogi Bear had died. Fark has the link to the Las Vegas Sun-News. I think that somehow that screwup is the perfect tribute to Yogi Berra. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/5 "2015-09-23T12:59:29Z")
It ain’t over 'til it’s over. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/6 "2015-09-23T13:04:01Z")
One of the finest men of his time, and an icon of the game. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/7 "2015-09-23T13:05:14Z")
One of my favorite baseball players, managers and sports figures in general; a truly great man. RIP Mr. Berra; you were awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/8 "2015-09-23T13:11:21Z")
[The AP has posted an amazing article about Mr. Berra](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BBO_OBIT_BERRA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-09-23-06-10-03). ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/9 "2015-09-23T13:21:38Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > It ain’t over 'til it’s over. It’s over. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/10 "2015-09-23T13:36:33Z")
People forget, or maybe don’t realize, how good of a player he actually was. 3 time AL MVP on a Yankees team that was loaded. RIP Yogi. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/11 "2015-09-23T14:17:09Z")
[Them Yankees was lucky cause Yogi was their buddy.](https://youtu.be/BxEopyZ-6sw) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/12 "2015-09-23T15:08:30Z")
I guess he came to the fork in the road and took it. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/13 "2015-09-23T15:11:59Z")
St. Peter: “Welcome to Heaven, Yogi.” Yogi: “Nah, nobody goes to Heaven. It’s too crowded.” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/14 "2015-09-23T15:13:28Z")
[From here.](http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/09/23/yogi-berra-dies-yankees/72667632/) > [@](#): > > “Yogi, where would you like to be buried?’’ > > They were getting up in age, Carmen explained, and it was a question they needed to ask themselves. > > Yogi put his hand to his chin, thought for several minutes, and told Carmen that it was a tough question, and he needed to sleep on it. > > The next morning, Yogi woke up, and Carmen asks him if he reached a decision. > > “Yeah, when I die,’’ Yogi said, “just bury me where you want. > > “Surprise me.’’ How very Yogi. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/15 "2015-09-23T15:18:55Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > How very Yogi. One hopes that whoever is chosen to give his eulogy rises to the occasion. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/16 "2015-09-23T15:24:27Z")
Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours. -Lawrence Peter Berra I think a lot of people will be at Yogi’s funeral, even those whose funerals he didn’t go to. I rarely use my signature, but I’ll take the opportunity to do it here. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/17 "2015-09-23T15:32:10Z")
Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours. -Lawrence Peter Berra I think a lot of people will be at Yogi’s funeral, even if he didn’t go to theirs. I rarely use my signature, but I’ll take the opportunity to do it here. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/18 "2015-09-23T16:50:05Z")
Remember to attend his funeral. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/19 "2015-09-23T16:55:23Z")
There will be a lot of obituaries in the news over the next couple of days, and most of them will mention his malapropisms. I hope they focus on a couple of other things: that he was a truly great ballplayer, and that he was loved by almost everyone. The AP obituary says that Berra was slow. He played 260 games in the outfield, including 149 games in left. How slow could he have been? In the 2001 edition of his Historical Baseball Abstract, Bill James ranked Yogi Berra as the greatest catcher of all time. He was Casey Stengel’s favorite player. He was the best bad-pitch hitter of his generation. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283/20 "2015-09-23T17:08:09Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > The AP obituary says that Berra was slow. He played 260 games in the outfield, including 149 games in left. How slow could he have been? There was a great story in Peter Golenbock’s book _ **Dynasty.** _ Each Spring, Yankee veterans in the Fifties would bet a speedy rookie that he couldn’t even beat Yogi in a sprint. The rookie would even be convinced to give the “slow” Yogi a head start. And the rookie would always lose, because Yogi was MUCH faster than he looked. Interestingly, the FASTEST guy on the Yankee roster was Don Larsen. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-list-of-baseball-immortals-add-the-late-yogi-berra/732283.md?page=2)