The Witticism of Yogi Berra
Most of us do not realize that some of the idioms that we use in our language came from the unflappable New York Yankee catcher Yogi Berra. Berra’s observations were often off the cuff, straight from the hip, and left more than one interviewer scratching his head. Berra. too many people is known for his witticisms, he was an outstanding catcher for the New York Yankees, which gave him a platform to utter some of the greatest lines still quoted today.
Yogi Berra’s birth name was Lawrence Peter Berra. The moniker Yogi was given to him while a youngster by his friends. Yogi grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and loved to play baseball in the sandlot in the neighborhood, with pal Joe Garagiola (who would play for the Cardinals and the Pirates). Berra has the distinction playing in the most World Series games and winning the most series rings.
Justin Kaplan, the editor of Bartlett’s Famous Quotations remarked: “I don’t think people quote Shakespeare as much as they now quote Yogi Berra. Another writer remarked that if Yogi Berra wasn’t a real person, then “he probably would have been invented as a cartoon character.” His witty sayings, which Berra gives credit to saying what he is thinking at the time, gave rise to the cartoon character Yogi the Bear. Now I present some of the great quips, humor, and personal observations of Yogi Berra:
This is like deja vu all over again.
Half the game is 90% mental.
If I didn’t wake up, I’d still be sleeping.
Slump ? I ain’t in no slump. I just ain’t hittin.
Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical
“You can observe a lot just by watching.”
“I want to thank you for making this day necessary.” — On Yogi Berra Appreciation Day in St. Louis in 1947.
“You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.”
“I knew I was going to take the wrong train, so I left early.”
“If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.”
“If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him.”
“You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.”
“It was impossible to get a conversation going; everybody was talking too much.”
“A nickel isn’t worth a dime today.”
“Nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.”
“It gets late early out there.” — Referring to the bad sun conditions in left field at the stadium.
Once, Yogi’s wife Carmen asked, “Yogi, you are from St. Louis, we live in New Jersey, and you played ball in New York. If you go before I do, where would you like me to have you buried?” Yogi replied, “Surprise me.”
“I take a two hour nap, from one o’clock to four.”
“If you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
“You give 100 percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn’t enough in the second half you give what’s left.”
“90% of the putts that are short don’t go in.”
“I made a wrong mistake.”
“Thanks, you don’t look so hot yourself.” — After being told he looked cool.
“I always thought that record would stand until it was broken.”
“Yeah, but we’re making great time!” — In reply to “Hey Yogi, I think we’re lost.”
“If the fans don’t come out to the ball park, you can’t stop them.”
“Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel.”
“It’s never happened in the World Series competition, and it still hasn’t.”
“How long have you known me, Jack? And you still don’t know how to spell my name.” — Upon receiving a check from Jack Buck made out to “bearer.”
“The other teams could make trouble for us if they win.”
They’ll Give You Cash, which is almost as good as money- AFLAC commercial
“I never blame myself when I’m not hitting. I just blame the bat, and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn’t my fault that I’m not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?”
“It ain’t the heat; it’s the humility.”
“The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase.”
“You should always go to other people’s funerals; otherwise, they won’t come to yours.”
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”