Mike Vaccaro: Yogi Berra’s Legacy: The Most Beloved Man in Baseball

Great tribute to Yogi Berra. See what you think.

yogi22He played ball. He sold millions of gallons of Yoo-Hoo. He owned a bowling alley with his fellow Jersey Yankee, Phil Rizzuto. He won 10 championships as a player, was a coach on the ’69 Mets and the ’77-’78 Yankees, even brought a playoff berth to Houston during a brief foray with the Astros working for his friend, John McMullen, who called Yogi “the greatest good luck charm ever.”

Hanna-Barbera insisted it did not name the character Yogi Bear for Yogi Berra, as implausible as that seems. For a time, Yogi asked for a hearing in court, but ultimately withdrew because the cartoonists insisted it was mere coincidence. And he believed them.

He was a baseball Zelig in so many ways, for so many moments: for Jackie Robinson’s steal of home in the ’55 World Series (into eternity, Yogi will swear he was out); for Bill Mazeroski’s forever blast five years later (as the left fielder, he had the best — or worst — view). He jumped into Don Larsen’s arms, and 43 years later, he stood and cheered when David Cone threw his own perfecto — on Yogi Berra Day, of course.