Yogi Berra
| Birthdate | 5/12/1925 |
| Death Date | 9/22/2015 |
| Debut Year | 1946 |
| Year of Induction | 1972 |
| Teams | Mets, Yankees |
| Position | Catcher |
One of only five players to win the AL MVP three times, Yogi Berra was an 18-time All Star and 10-time World Series champion as a player.
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Larry "Yogi" Berra has quite the jewelry collection with 18 All Star rings and 10 more from the World Series
Larry "Yogi" Berra has quite the jewelry collection with 18 All Star rings and 10 more from the World Series
Yogi Berra is regarded as one of the the greatest catchers in baseball history. The 18-time All Star earned ten World Series rings as a player.
Berra enjoyed quite a run from 1950-1956. Each of those seven seasons he finished in the top three in MVP voting, winning the award three times. The Yankees appeared in the World Series every year, winning it each season except 1955.
In the collection is this letter from Berra regarding a 1953 endorsement deal. Cigarettes were all the rage in 50’s and Chesterfield was the brand of choice for much of baseball including Yankee catcher Berra.
In this letter Berra writes, “Enclosed please find the two agreements for the Chesterfield contract. In reply to your note, I do smoke and my brand is Chesterfield.”
At the bottom the Yankee catcher has signed his more legal name, “Larry Berra” in favor of his nickname “Yogi”.
Yogi Berra was one of the few stars who had reliable income away from his baseball salary
Yogi Berra was one of the few stars who had reliable income away from his baseball salary
Today it would be unimaginable to have a major leaguer endorsing tobacco products but in 1953 it was a nice source of income and a socially acceptable practice.
Here Berra is shown on a Chesterfield advertisement. The 1953 ad attributes this quote to the 15-time All Star: “Chesterfield – my cigarette for eight years – Best for me. Best for you!”
Yogi Berra helped continue the Yankee dynasty after the Sultan of Swat retired
Yogi Berra helped continue the Yankee dynasty after the Sultan of Swat retired
A young Yogi Berra looks a bit hesitant as he shakes the hand of Babe Ruth in this photo taken in 1947, the catcher’s third season in the Major Leagues.
The shot was taken at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis during the festivities of Babe Ruth Day on April 27, 1947. A less than robust Ruth was ailing and would die two months later of esophageal cancer.
The ceremony honoring the Sultan of Swat featured speeches that were fed into every big league and minor league stadium that day.
Oh, how I loved watching many of these Yankee greats on Saturday afternoon “Baseball Game of the Week”. Every Saturday in the mid to late 1950’s and the early years of the ’60’s watching a Saturday afternoon baseball game that was almost always a “Yankees” game. Announcers for many of those games were PeeWee Reese and Dizzy Dean!! What a treat for a young kid in South Central Texas, Mom would make a hamburger for me and my Dad and we would sit there and watch those games every Saturday. Thanks for the memories guys!!