In 1998, New York Yankees legend Yogi Berra published a memoir called The Yogi Book: I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said. The title pretty much says it all: Not every famous quote attributed to Yogi Berra -- Yogi-isms -- was actually said by Yogi Berra.
In the wake of the news of Berra's death Tuesday night at age 90, the New York Times published an informational story looking into Berra's Yogi-isms. Based of that, let's take a look at few of the most famous Berra quote attributions and see how true they are.
Quote: "It ain't over 'til it's over."
Did he say it? Kind of.
The Times says:
By most accounts, Berra said this about the 1973 pennant race. Berra managed the Mets, who were in fifth place at the end of August but rallied to win the National League East.
Berra did say “You’re not out until you’re out,” according to the writer Dave Anderson, who quoted Berra in a New York Times column when Berra was managing the Mets in 1974.
Quote: "It's déjà vu all over again."
Did he say it? Probably not until somebody else had said it first.
The Times says:
Berra told the Times language columnist William Safire in 1987 that he never said it, but later in life was known to take credit for it.
Quote Investigator found the line, not tied to Berra, in newspapers as far back as the 1960’s.
The first Times reference to the phrase attributed to Berra was in 1985 in an editorial on the scandal over the French sinking of the Rainbow Warrior.
Quote: "90 percent of the game is half mental."
Did he say it? Yes.
The Times says:
"In his book, Berra took credit for this one. This quote is also sometimes rendered as 'Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.' "
Other sources (one that was compiled by CBS News in 2002) have a more complete list of Yogi-isms -- included:
• "You can observe a lot by watching."
• "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
• "Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded."
Berra said, at some point in his life, some form of these quotes. He just might not have been first. He should be credited for helping to popularize them, however.
But remember: All of these things Yogi Berra said? He didn't necessarily say them -- we'll never know.
