Yogi Berra was a baseball player who won 10 World Series championships over his 18 seasons with the New York Yankees. He was a catcher for the team from 1949 to ’65, went to a total of 14 World Series, and in 1956 he caught the only perfect game in World Series history.
Born Lawrence Peter Berra, the St. Louis native retired from playing in 1963, but went on to either coach or manage the Yankees, New York Mets and Houston Astros. He was also well known for his personality, and spawned countless quotes and “Yogi-isms” including “It ain’t over ’til it’s over” and “It’s déjà vu all over again.”
Berra also served as inspiration for the cartoon character Yogi Bear, who was introduced on The Huckleberry Hound Show in 1958 and got his own show in 1961. Berra appeared as himself on a variety of both scripted and non-scripted television series, including Texaco Star Theatre, The Jackie Gleason Show, The Colgate Comedy Hour, Candid Camera, What's My Line?, The Ed Sullivan Show and Saturday Night Live. He also contributed to the TV specials Joe DiMaggio: The Final Chapter, The Greatest Summer of My Life: Billy Crystal and the Making of '61', Catching Up!, Mantle and Pride Against Prejudice: The Larry Doby Story. He also appeared in television commercials.
He holds the World Series records for most hits (71) and most games (75) and was named American League Most Valuable Player in 1951, ’54 and ’55. In 1998 the Yogi Berra Museum was opened in Montclair, New Jersey.
Berra died September 22, 2015, in Montclair. He was 90.