REST IN PEACE, YOGI

Late last night, I heard the news that baseball great, Yogi Berra, had passed away at 90 years of age. It elicited a sad, prolonged, "Awwww," from my lips.

Most of his baseball success was as the catcher for the New York Yankees. Now, I've never been a Yankees fan -  in fact, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers - they are the teams I love to hate the most! However, I was most definitely a Yogi Berra fan, not just for his baseball but for his wit & wisdom off the field.

His baseball statistics were pretty amazing for a 5'7", 185 pound catcher. In today's world that is considered tiny & he'd have a tough time even getting a chance in the major leagues. Yogi played 19 years as a catcher & part time outfielder. He has 10 World Series rings & 3 MVP awards to his credit. His lifetime batting average was .285 - pretty damn good!

But his mental process was legendary & had everyone scratching their heads as their minds tried to make sense of his words. There was even a word coined to describe his strange but thought-provoking statements - "Yogi-isms".

Here are a few of my favorites:

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it!"

"Ninety percent of the game is half mental."

"It's deja vu all over again."

"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore."

"Better make it six, I can't eat eight," when asked if he wanted his pizza cut in 6 or 8 slices.

And, of course, the one that virtually everyone has quoted at some point in their lives, "It ain't over, 'til it's over."

Well, Yogi, it's over. I know he had a brilliant baseball career, a wonderful personal life (married to Carmen for 65 years until her death last year) & my guess is that he knew EXACTLY what he was saying with all those seemingly crazy quotes.

Rest in Peace, Yogi - baseball & the world will miss you!