Yogi Berra
If he didn’t actually exist, Yogi Berra probably would have been invented as a cartoon character. The left-handed hitting catcher won three Most Valuable Player awards and ten World Series titles with the Yankees. He holds the career record for World Series games played, at-bats, hits and doubles. He was one of the most unlikely stars in baseball history – with his paunchy body, long arms, and large nose, he was razzed by opponents who were consistently beaten by his play on the field.
| Career Batting Stats |
| G |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
OBP |
OPS |
OPS+ |
| 2120 |
7555 |
2150 |
1175 |
358 |
1430 |
30 |
.285 |
.482 |
.348 |
.830 |
116.4 |
|
Quotes About Yogi Berra
"He'd fall in a sewer and come up with a gold watch."— Casey Stengel
"They say he's funny. Well, he has a lovely wife and family, a beautiful home, money in the bank, and he plays golf with millionaires. What's funny about that?"— Casey Stengel
"Why has our pitching been so great? Our catcher - that's why. He looks cumbersome but he's quick as a cat." — Casey Stengel
"As an all-around catcher for both hitting and catching, I'd have to rate Bill Dickey of the Yankees in the 1930's and 40's as the best I ever saw. He was as good as anyone behind the plate, and better with the bat. There were several others I'd include right behind Dickey: Al Lopez, Mickey Cochrane, Gabby Gartnett, Roy Campanella and Wes Westrum. Yogi Berra? An excellent hitter, especially in the late innings with the game hanging in the balance, and the American League's Most Valuable Player three times, but as a catcher I always thought he was above average." — Bob Feller
Teams Yogi Berra Managed
New York Yankees (1964)
New York Mets (1972-1975)
New York Yankees (1984-1985)
Where does Yogi Berra rank among baseball greats?
Yogi Berra ranks #2 among the Top 50 all-time at C. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1950
Yogi set a career-high with a .322 batting average, while catching all but six games on the schedule. He slugged 28 homers and drove in 124 runs. He also set a career-best mark with 166 runs scored, and struck out just 12 times all season. He hit a home run in the World Series sweep of the Phillies.
Factoids
No player earned more World Series rings than the ten won by Yogi Berra.
Berra-isms
Yogi once explained teammate Mickey Mantle's ability to hit with power from both sides of the plate this way: "He was naturally amphibious."
Description
A man-child more likely to read a comic book than a newspaper, Berra is famous for his silly sayings. While giving gratitude at a benefit, Berra commented, "I want to thank all those who made this evening necessary." After experiencing difficulty playing left field in Yankee Stadium, Berra remarked, "It gets late early out there!"
Scouting Report
For a long time the scouting report on Berra was to throw breaking balls away, but Yogi would reach out and slap the ball for a base hit and that strategy was abandoned. He was the ultimate bad-ball hitter, and opposing pitchers took to throwing strikes down the middle to see if that would work.
Where He Played
Catcher (1,699 games), outfield (260), first base (2), third base (1).
Born
Lawrence Peter Berra was born on May 12, 1925, in St. Louis, MO.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Major League Debut
9 22,
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1946
Yogi Berra
Ralph Kiner
Alvin Dark
Carl Furillo
Bobby Thomson
Joe Garagiola
Ellis Kinder
Vic Raschi
Sherm Lollar
Berra's given name was Lawrence Peter. The name "Yogi" was tagged on him as a youngster because he was funny and awkward looking, and friends felt the name fit him. Cartoon character "Yogi the Bear" was named after Berra, not the other way around.
Uniform Numbers
#38 (1946), #35 (1947), #8 (1948-1963, 1965)
Similar Players
None
Related Players
Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin... Dale Berra, Yogi's son, played in the majors from 1977-1987... Joe Garagiola grew up in the same neighborhood in St. Louis as Yogi, and also went on to a successful major league catching career.
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1971 |
BBWAA |
242 |
67.2% |
1972 |
BBWAA |
339 |
85.6% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1947 World Series
1949 World Series
1950 World Series
1951 World Series
1952 World Series
1953 World Series
1955 World Series
1956 World Series
1957 World Series
1958 World Series
1960 World Series
1961 World Series
1962 World Series
1963 World Series
Post-Season Notes
Hit two homers on October 10, 1956, in Game Seven of the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Awards and Honors
1951 AL MVP
1954 AL MVP
1955 AL MVP
Batting Feats
- October 10, 1956: 2 HR in WS Game...
Transactions
Before 1943 Season: Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent; October 29, 1963: Released by the New York Yankees; April 27, 1965: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Mets; May 17, 1965: Released by the New York Mets.
All-Star Selections
1948 AL
1949 AL
1950 AL
1951 AL
1952 AL
1953 AL
1954 AL
1955 AL
1956 AL
1957 AL
1958 AL
1959 AL
1960 AL
1961 AL
1962 AL
Replaced
Aaron Robinson was 6'2", 205 pounds, and had the looks of a major league star. He was the Yanks regular catcher from 1946-1947, until Berra supplanted him. Robinson was traded to the White Sox and was out of the game by 1952.
Replaced By
Elston Howard, the first black Yankee, took Berra's starting job behind the plate in 1960, but Yogi enjoyed a few more seasons as a left fielder.
Best Strength as a Player
Hitting
Largest Weakness as a Player
Early in his career, there was quite a bit of speculation on his throwing ability. After the Dodgers ran wild against Berra in the 1947 World Series (they swiped five bases off him in the first four games), the Yankees toyed with the notion of making him an outfielder. Eventually, he was lauded for his ability to handle a game behind the dish, but it's probable that his throwing arm was never near the best in the league.
Learn More about Yogi Berra
Search Amazon.com for Books about Yogi Berra ⇒
Search for Yogi Berra at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
Sources used for the Yogi Berra Player Page:
SABR member Howard Elson