Photograph courtesy of Yogi Berra
Born Lorenzo Pietro Berra, Yogi Berra won 13 World Series rings as a player and manager, played with the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, and remains among the most-quoted athletes of all time. (You also probably recognize the picnic basket–stealing homage to the one-time Yankees catcher.) Berra’s father helped build St. Louis Arena, his neighbor and childhood friend was former Cardinals catcher Joe Garagiola, and he played golf with Stan Musial. Even today, Berra laments the absence of T-ravs on the East Coast.
My dad and mom came from the old country [Italy]. My dad came over first. He worked in a brickyard with Joe [Garagiola’s] dad. At 4:30 p.m., when that whistle blew, we stopped doing everything and would go and get his can of beer. My dad was very strict with us; we listened to him.
Growing up, whatever was in season, we played. I loved soccer. We pitched horseshoes, played softball, volleyball, and dodgeball. I played softball in the morning and baseball in the afternoon. Sublette Park and Tower Grove Park, we played there; we used to play at Creve Coeur Lake, too. Wherever a field was open, we played in it.
I sold the St. Louis Globe–Democrat, and [former Cardinals left-fielder] Joe Medwick would always stop at my corner. The papers were only 3 cents then, and he’d give me a nickel and say, “Keep the change.” He was my favorite, you know, my favorite ballplayer.
Joe Garagiola and I were invited to try out for the Cardinals at Sportsman’s Park. I wanted the same [$500 signing bonus] Joe got. I wanted to play with either the Cardinals or the Browns. When the Cardinals didn’t offer me anything, the Browns said, “Well, they don’t want to give him anything. We’re not going to give him anything.” I would have played with anyone. I would have loved to play in St. Louis.
After my first year [with the Yankees], I worked in a Sears and Roebuck’s [in St. Louis]. I went in for lunch at Stan Musial and Biggie’s restaurant, and I saw Carmen [Berra’s future wife], and I asked Biggie, “Who’s she?” I says, “I’m going to ask her for a date.” She says, “I don’t go out with married men.” She thought I was married. Carm and I would go to hockey games. I double-dated with Joe Garagiola. [Once, Yogi practiced with the St. Louis Flyers, and the photos made it into the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.] When [former Yankees GM] George Weiss saw me on them skates, he called and said, “You better get your butt off of them skates.”
My eldest brother, Lefty [Tony], was the best [athlete] in the family. My other two brothers could have played professional ball, too, and my dad says, “You go to work. You aren’t going to go play baseball. You better bring that check home.” They told him, “We’re all working, Pop. Let [Yogi] play ball.” I always teased him. I said, “Dad, you could have been a millionaire if you let your sons play ball.” He said, “Blame your mother.”
