You know those people in life. The ones. They have something about them that lights up an entire room when they walk through the door. Or maybe they are funny, quick to laugh, always giving a good smile. The ones that fill the world with their bright little spark everywhere they go.
I’m lucky enough to know a few. I’ve also seen some from far afar.
And every so often, I read about people from the past and get the notion that they were probably one of these sparklers.
The person I am thinking of today is Yogi Berra. He caught for the Yankees, a pretty darn good baseball player, in fact. It was on this date, October 2, 1947, when he hit the first pinch-hit home run in a Baseball World Series.
But he had, and has, the reputation of being a clown or buffoon or nitwit. But he was no dumb jock. In truth, he was far from it.
He was shrewd in business and had a commanding knowledge of the stock market. Yet, over the years, a different story evolved. Because of his constant good humor, a picture began forming of some unsophisticated man who charmed people with his seeming innocence.
In truth, he was a father, businessman, and leader. A rock on the baseball field as a catcher. He was an 18-time All-Sta and played in 14 World Series as a member of the Yankees. They won 10 of them.
Yet. Somehow, people needed Yogi to be some kind of lovable simpleton. Probably because he had a natural knack for turning straight answers into punchlines. And the public wanted to see him as nothing more than some roundabout goof.
Several times over the years, he tried to explain that he never said most of the phrases that have been given as his quotes. But nobody listened, including me. His quotes are hilarious, uplifting, and often inspiring as we read them. These days, trying to discern a real Yogi quote from a made-up one is too hard to try. It makes people happier to believe he said it all. We’ve found inspiration in those misstepped quotes. We want them to be true.
The stories about Yogi Berra that most people don’t know are the important ones. He was one of the first people in baseball to welcome African American players when it was hard to do. He helped break the color line and was always an inclusive person.
Then, late in his life, he joined Athlete Ally. This is an organization dedicated to ending homophobia and transphobia in sports. He gave his full support to gay and transgender athletes. Good old Yogi. The true Yogi Berra.
“Respect the game, respect others – that’s what I always learned in sports,” Berra said. “Whatever background or whatever you are, it doesn’t matter. Treat everybody the same, that’s how it should be.”
Now that is a great Yogi Berra quote.
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“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
— Yogi Berra
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“You can observe a lot by just watching.”
— Yogi Berra
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“It’s like déjà vu all over again.”
— Yogi Berra
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“We made too many wrong mistakes.”
— Yogi Berra
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“The future ain’t what it used to be.”
— Yogi Berra
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The Yogi we all know and love. Quote me on that.
