Impromptu Power Rankings: Top 10 'Yogisms' on Berra's 90th birthday
Hall of Famer Yogi Berra turns 90 years old on Tuesday. Here are power rankings of his 10 best one-liners.
By
Mike Axisa
•
2 min read
Hall of Famer and 10 time World Series champion -- a ring for each finger! -- Yogi Berra turns 90 years young Tuesday. Berra is one of the best catchers in history and a former three-time MVP. He was a linchpin for those dynastic Yankees teams in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
Berra is an all-time great player, and yet he is perhaps just as famous for his snappy one-liners, affectionately called "Yogisms." So, in honor of Berra's 90th birthday, here are his 10 best Yogisms, ranked authoritatively. The rankings are totally subjective, of course. They're based on a little of everything. Popularity, recognition, wisdom, etc. Away we go ...
10. "So I'm ugly. I never saw anyone hit with his face."
Supposedly this Yogism came about after a reporter gave Berra the nickname "The Ape." Self-deprecating humor is always a plus. And boy, could Yogi hit: .295/.364/.502 (134 OPS+) with 191 home runs, 396 walks and 166 strikeouts during his peak from 1950-56.
9. "Nobody goes there anymore because it's too crowded."
This Yogism stemmed from Ruggeri's, a restaurant in Berra's hometown of St. Louis. Someone asked why he doesn't go there anymore and, well, that's the answer he gave.
8. “We made too many wrong mistakes.”
We all make too many wrong mistakes, don't we? But, as long as you learn from them, wrong mistakes can turn into good mistakes. Speaking of learning ...
7. “You can observe a lot by watching.”
There is definitely something to be said for sitting down, shutting up, and just watching.
6. "Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too."
Yup.
5. "In baseball, you don't know nothing."
This is a philosophy I've really taken to heart this season. No one knows anything about baseball. There's no sense in trying to predict it. Just enjoy it.
4. “When you come to a fork in the road … take it.”
Berra was giving directions to his home in New Jersey when this Yogism came into existence.
3. "90 percent of this game is half mental."
Just a general comment on baseball. And life in general.
2. “It’s deja vu all over again.”
Yogi has explained that this quote was born in the early 1960s, when he watched Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle hit back-to-back home runs on the regular.
1. “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”
Easily the most famous and truest Yogism of them all. This one came about in 1973, when Berra, then manager of the Mets, rallied to erase a 9 1/2 game deficit in July to win the NL East.
