Late Tuesday evening Hall of Famer Yogi Berra passed away at the age of 90. Berra was simply one of the greatest players in history and arguably the greatest catcher ever. At the least, he's on the very short list of baseball's best backstops.

Also on that short list of baseball's best backstops: fellow Hall of Famer Johnny Bench. In fact, Bench broke Berra's record for career home runs by a catcher with his 305th blast on July 15, 1980. The next day, Yogi sent Bench this telegram congratulating him:

"I always thought the record would stand until it was broken." Perfect. Classic Yogi.

The Dale mentioned in the telegram is Yogi's son Dale Berra, an infielder who played from 1977-87, mostly with the Pirates. He was with Pittsburgh during the 1980 season when Bench broke the record.

Mike Piazza currently holds the record for home runs by a catcher with 396. He broke Bench's record in 2004.

Yogi Berra sent Johnny Bench a telegram after he broke his catcher home run record in 1980.
Yogi Berra sent Johnny Bench a telegram after he broke his catcher home run record in 1980. (Getty Images)