American Baseball Hall of Fame catcher, coach and manager, and Purple Heart recipient, Lawrence Peter Berra was born in the Hill area of St. Louis on this date.
He got the nickname Yogi as a teen. One afternoon he and pal Jack Maguire went to the movies. Along with the feature, the two saw a short film about India. Maguire noticed a resemblance between Lawrence and the “yogi” practicing poses on the big screen. The nickname stuck.
Another thing that stuck are his sayings, or so-called “Yogi-isms.” The major leaguer was also a major contributor to our language, a source cited more often than Shakespeare!
Based upon content from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center.
Photo Credit: Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center.
