Yogi Berra, renowned baseball catcher well loved for his witticisms that were often referred to as "Yogi-isms," has died. The legend was 90 years old.
Berra, during his lifetime, won 10 World Series championships with the New York Yankees. A member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, he is one of two catchers to have been granted the MVP award three times.
Even so, game stats are not entirely what makes this cantankerous but charming man a household name.
Born Lawrence Peter Berra in an Italian neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri, he allegedly received the nickname "Yogi" from a snake charmer he closely resembled. Berra went on to support his family by playing baseball after he dropped out of eighth grade.
"My first two years, I was awful. I was terrible," shared Berra in a 2003 CNN interview. His fingers had to be painted for other pitchers to see, on account of them being so short.
At the end of his career, Berra became the most popular and most loved figure in baseball. He had always sought to adhere to an inclusive way of living. He was one of the first people in baseball to welcome African-American players. He also recently teamed up with Athlete Ally to champion the ending of homophobia and transphobia in sports.
"Respect the game, respect others—that's what I always learned in sports. Whatever background or whatever you are, it doesn't matter. Treat everybody the same, that's how it should be," Berra said.
For his highly amusing way with words, Berra was a favorite of sports fans and politicians alike.
"Yogi's been an inspiration to me, not only because of his baseball skills but because of the enduring mark he left in the English language," once said George W. Bush.
President Obama also sent a tweet following the news of Berra's death.
Yogi Berra was an American original - a Hall of Famer, jovial prophet, & a humble veteran. We'll miss you, Yogi, but your legacy ain't over. — President Obama (@POTUS) September 23, 2015
"Déjà vu all over again" was one of Berra's most popular phrases. "I really don't know why I say them," he explained, or at least attempted to. In any case, déjà vu would be a befitting ending to a life well lived.
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