Oscar de la Hoya Biography

Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra

Born: May 12, 1925
Place of Birth: St. Louis, Missouri

Lawrence "Yogi" Berra played on 14 pennant winning baseball teams and 10 World Championship teams.
He picked up the nickname when a friend thought he looked and acted like a Hindu holy man ( yogi).
Berra began playing baseball in local St. Louis American Legion leagues.
At 17 years old, he was offered a chance to play in the New York Yankees baseball system.
In 1943 at 18, his baseball career was put on hold when he joined the Navy because of World War II.
Yogi Berra finally made it to the Yankees in 1946 after some minor league play with the Newark Bears.
He was used as a part-time catcher and outfielder until Casey Stengal became the Yankees manager in 1949.
Yogi became known for his manner of speaking in that he used malaprop phrases (unintentional misuse of words).
He was the prime catcher for the Yankees over an 18 year period winning the league's Most Valuable Player award three times.
Berra often swung at bad pitches yet he was able to hit many of them and maintained high slugging percentages.
In 1964,when Yogi Berra retired from playing for the Yankees, he was signed immediately to become the team's manager.
He won the American League pennant that year but was replaced because the team lost the World Series.
Not to give up, he went on to manage and coach for other teams and was one of only a few managers to win pennants in both major leagues.
Yogi Berra was elected to the professional baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

For detailed research and more information, check out any of the following: HickokSports Yankee Players Official Yogi Berra Site Baseball Library BrainyQuote ESPN Classic

BACK HOME PAGE