Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Artie Donovan sez: Welcome Yogi

Wanna bet Artie Donovan is one of the first guys to greet Yogi at the Pearly Gates.

Yankees Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra dies at 90

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/09/23/y ... -680296612

Remember, if you don't go to Yogi's funeral, he won't go to yours.

While pausing and reflecting, it came to light that most people here were not born when Yogi Berra played his last game in 1965.
Yet, his name needs no identification.

Without trying, Yogi Berra won the hearts of millions and, like Art Donovan, it is hard to think of him as "gone."

The legendary Eddie Robinson once compared his NCAA win record with two of his other accomplishments -
he was married to the same woman for over 50 years; and, he had the same job for more than 50 years.
Yogi and his wife were married 55 years when she passed and, except for a short visit to Texas,
he was part of New York baseball for over 60 years.

But... was he really a great ball player? Well, just so you know...

Of the great home run hitters, Ralph Kiner hit 11 more than Yogi and the legendary Joltin' Joe hit only 2 more.
Yogi hit more than Lee May, Dick Allen, George Foster, Ron Santo and a host of others.

On the all-time hits list, Don Mattingly has 3 more than Berra and Ken Boyer and Ken Griffey Sr have 7 fewer.

How about runs scored, you ask? Pie Traynor has 8 more and Bert Campaneris 6 more. Yogi is tied with Arky Vaughan
but has more than Joe Carter and Mark McGwire.

Finally, in the rbi department, Berra is ahead of people like Charlie Gehringer, Joe Cronin, Mark McGwire and José Canseco.

As for controversy... well, he had the distinction of being fired by George Steinbrenner and then, of course,
there was the harmonica incident.
We all know George fired everybody and Mickey Mantle instigated the harmonica affair which helped break a slump
and lead to a pennant.

Overall... quite a guy - arguably unmatched in the world of Sports.

Oh, yes; for the record, the actual Yogi-ism is:
"Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't go to yours."

No question Yogi was very much an elite catcher. He's 5th at the position all time in WAR behind Bench, Carter, IRod, and Fisk, all of whom had more plate appearances, and all but Bench trail him in OPS+. The OPS+ leader at the position is Mike Piazza by a significant amount, but Yogi is right among the next tier down in a more-or-less second place muddle with Bench, Dickey, Cochrane, Mauer, Hartnett, Ewing, Lombardi, and Bresnahan -- most of whom had fewer plate appearances. He's definitely top of the line.

Yogi was American League Most Valuable Player 1951, 1954 and 1955 . From 1950 through 1957, he never finished below 4th in the MVP voting. He won this MVP from a team that had Mantle, Bauer, et al on it and all the great pitching.

As a manager he managed the Yankees to the World Series in 1964, losing in 7 games, and the Mets to the World Series 1973 where they lost to the great A's team in 7 games.

Also, when mentioning the harmonica incident, one should always mention Phil Linz, the harmonica player. Otherwise, no one would ever mention Phil Linz's name. The tune he played on the bus was "Mary Had a Little Lamb" Linz ended up in '64 having to substitute for Kubek and the poor infield play possibly lost them that Series.
His first season was in the minor leagues in 1942 at Norfolk, where in one doubleheader he drove in 23 runs.

He became the first player to hit a pinch-hit home run in the World Series when he went yard off the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ralph Branca in Game 3 of the 1947 World Series. "With the Yankees leading the series, 2-0, but trailing, 9-7, in the seventh inning of Game 3 at Ebbets Field, Berra stepped in for catcher Sherm Lollar in the No. 8 spot and took Branca deep for a solo home run. Alas, the Yanks lost, 9-8."

He served in the US Navy as a gunners mate, firing rockets and firing a .50 calibre machine gun at Omaha Beach and Utah Beach as part of a 6 man crew on a rocket boat, during D-Day. Receiving many Navy commendations for bravery and one from France for a later invasion of Southern France..
http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/201 ... _reme.html

I could have sworn this was a football website...

by luckyshow » Thu Sep 24, 2015 11:35 am
"... He served in the US Navy as a gunners mate, firing rockets and firing a .50 calibre machine gun at Omaha Beach and Utah Beach as part of a 6 man crew on a rocket boat, during D-Day. Receiving many Navy commendations for bravery and one from France for a later invasion of Southern France..."

The "later invasion" you reference was Operation Dragoon - the assault on Marseilles. Berra was wounded and earned a Purple Heart.
Nice post, Paul

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There are times when a great athlete and a great person transcend the elementary thinking of some.
Remembering the accomplishments of a decorated veteran is really not a subject for whining.

BD Sullivan wrote:I could have sworn this was a football website...

Superb! Bryan...

Perhaps the Thread should have read "Artie Donovan sez: Welcome Tim Berra's Hall of Fame Dad?"

luckyshow wrote: As a manager he managed the Yankees to the World Series in 1964, losing in 7 games, and the Mets to the World Series 1973 where they lost to the great A's team in 5 games.

The 1973 World Series lasted seven games.