Comments on: The Man (Amen)

By: Alex Belth

Alex Belth — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 23:01:23 +0000

Of course I never saw Yogi play but the quote that gave me the deepest sense of what he was like as a player came from Don Newcombe, who said, “Every pitch I threw to him I wanted back.” I just love that.

By: MSM35

MSM35 — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 22:42:52 +0000

Nice obit Alex. I was fortunate enough to see him in his prime. Damn he was good. He didn’t care about anything except winning. He gave up at bats when the team was winning because he wanted to get home.
I really did not like GS and was happy when Yogi stood up to him. He was a great American and one of a kind.

By: RIYank

RIYank — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 21:48:52 +0000

He was born the same year as my dad. And he died the same year as my dad.

“Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours.”

By: weeping for brunnhilde

weeping for brunnhilde — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 19:20:48 +0000

[7] Mine too.

By: weeping for brunnhilde

weeping for brunnhilde — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 19:17:13 +0000

So sad.

RIP, Yogi.

It’s gotten late early.

By: thelarmis

thelarmis — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 18:08:53 +0000

i’ve always been a big yogi fan. i have a book and dvd i dig. i saw this late last night and it’s super sad…but what a life! and his legend will live forever and a day.

i’m glad i’ll be at the stadium tomorrow night to pay respects. i hope to be there on time to take part in the moment of silence for him.

By: Greg G

Greg G — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 17:38:05 +0000

Al, That obituary would make Yogi proud.

I will miss him very much. To have touched so many and have such a great heart and warm smile is most admirable.

So much class. I loved how he used to kid Jeter about rings, and how he mentioned of the Red Sox, “We always beat these guys.”

There are people in life that we only know of their public persona and they are beloved. Yogi is on that list.

I hope you are giving the Big Stein the business in heaven today.

By: kenboyer made me cry

kenboyer made me cry — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 17:33:51 +0000

Really nice obit piece for Yogi. A lot said in an economy of prose.

By: mhoward120

mhoward120 — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 17:33:10 +0000

Two thoughts.
First, I think all of us feel just a title bit older today.
Second, on this holiest day of the year, we celebrate the life of perhaps the most universally beloved and respected man in all of sports.

By: Alex Belth

Alex Belth — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 16:58:18 +0000

Thank you guys. I’m a plodder as a writer and spent a long time on that. That obituary writing is some kind of skill. I’m a great admirer of people who do it well. It ain’t easy.

By: Evil Empire

Evil Empire — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 16:57:13 +0000

Good stuff, Alex. So long Yogi.

By: Bronx Boy in NC

Bronx Boy in NC — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 16:20:49 +0000

[9], [10] re [6] – Hear hear.

By: bp1

bp1 — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 15:54:34 +0000

Amazing obit, AB. A keeper.

By: Shaun P.

Shaun P. — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 15:24:35 +0000

[6] Brilliantly done, AB. Thanks for sharing it.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am having a hard time resisting quoting Yogi all day. I think I am going to give up trying.

By: Bronx Boy in NC

Bronx Boy in NC — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 15:08:21 +0000

Book excerpt on his WWII service that included details I’d never seen:

(Go to where this link takes you then scroll up a few pages to begin reading – I don’t know how to adjust the landing point.)

https://books.google.com/books?id=jioUaBmS8FcC&pg=PA37&lpg=PA37&dq=yogi+berra+marseilles&source=bl&ots=bO3a1mE7VF&sig=7FwTSQcOWucU-3iyswh4V5gSkrs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDYQ6AEwBGoVChMI0tnwuq6NyAIVwYkNCh3vmAH4#v=onepage&q=yogi%20berra%20marseilles&f=false

By: Bronx Boy in NC

Bronx Boy in NC — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 15:06:30 +0000

Of all the mornings that have ever brought news like this… Scooter, Clipper, Mick, Billy, all the way back to Elston Howard… this was the first time that my reaction included: They’re gone. My god, they’re all gone.

I know there is no clear, clean line of demarcation — and in particular I mean no disrespect to people like Whitey Ford or Don Larsen when I say this. But that was how my brain processed it.

By: Alex Belth

Alex Belth — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 15:02:34 +0000

Late on the link but I’ve just updated the post to include the obit I wrote on Yogi for SI. Dig it.

By: kenboyer made me cry

kenboyer made me cry — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:20:53 +0000

We happened to be in Cooperstown on a Thursday before induction weekend about 7-8 years ago. Already, baseball greats were organized for the paid autograph sessions. At the time, we didn’t known that this kind of stuff happened. My son, around 14 made a beeline to Yogi who had just sat down at a table. Before I could catch up, Yogi is snarling at the organizer; “let me shake this kids hand” and I was able to take a picture. Genuine warmth for my son, and he and Yogi just smiled at each other. An indelible memory, as Yogi is forever our Yankee Grandpa (although he is the same age as my mother).
A champion the mostest…

By: mhoward120

mhoward120 — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:11:08 +0000

And on top of everything else, he was on one of the gunboats on June 6.

By: Capital Yank

Capital Yank — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:07:16 +0000

“Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too.” Amen, Yogi. Words to live by.