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Yogi: A Life Behind the Mask
Discover the definitive biography of Yogi Berra, the New York Yankees icon, winner of 10 World Series championships, and the most-quoted player in baseball history.
Lawrence "Yogi" Berra was never supposed to become a major league ballplayer.
That's what his immigrant father told him. That's what Branch Rickey told him, too—right to Berra's face, in fact. Even the lowly St. Louis Browns of his youth said he'd never make it in the big leagues.
Yet baseball was his lifeblood. It was the only thing he ever cared about. Heck, it was the only thing he ever thought about. Berra couldn't allow a constant stream of ridicule about his appearance, taunts about his speech, and scorn about his perceived lack of intelligence to keep him from becoming one of the best to ever play the game—at a position requiring the very skills he was told he did not have.
Drawing on more than one hundred interviews and four years of reporting, Jon Pessah delivers a transformational portrait of how Berra handled his hard-earned success—on and off the playing field—as well as his failures; how the man who insisted "I really didn't say everything I said!" nonetheless shaped decades of America's culture; and how Berra's humility and grace redefined what it truly means to be a star.
Overshadowed on the field by Joe DiMaggio early in his career and later by a youthful Mickey Mantle, Berra emerges as not only the best loved Yankee but one of the most appealingly simple, innately complex, and universally admired men in all of America.
Lawrence "Yogi" Berra was never supposed to become a major league ballplayer.
That's what his immigrant father told him. That's what Branch Rickey told him, too—right to Berra's face, in fact. Even the lowly St. Louis Browns of his youth said he'd never make it in the big leagues.
Yet baseball was his lifeblood. It was the only thing he ever cared about. Heck, it was the only thing he ever thought about. Berra couldn't allow a constant stream of ridicule about his appearance, taunts about his speech, and scorn about his perceived lack of intelligence to keep him from becoming one of the best to ever play the game—at a position requiring the very skills he was told he did not have.
Drawing on more than one hundred interviews and four years of reporting, Jon Pessah delivers a transformational portrait of how Berra handled his hard-earned success—on and off the playing field—as well as his failures; how the man who insisted "I really didn't say everything I said!" nonetheless shaped decades of America's culture; and how Berra's humility and grace redefined what it truly means to be a star.
Overshadowed on the field by Joe DiMaggio early in his career and later by a youthful Mickey Mantle, Berra emerges as not only the best loved Yankee but one of the most appealingly simple, innately complex, and universally admired men in all of America.
576 pages, Hardcover
First published April 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
May 20, 2021
"“Kid, you can do this—you’re going to be a great catcher,” Dickey keeps telling him. “Good catchers are scarce. You have a big edge on fellows who are just receivers—you can hit with anyone in the league. Now improve yourself behind the plate, and you’ll have a job for years.”"
Yogi Berra listened to Bill Dickey and learned....learned quickly. The results: He was an 18-time All-Star and won 10 World Series championships as a player—more than any other player in MLB history. Berra had a career batting average of .285, while hitting 358 home runs and 1,430 runs batted in. He is one of only six players to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award three times. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. (And we haven't talked about his performance in 22 World Series!)
Life wasn’t particularly easy for a kid growing up during the Depression on “The Hill” in St. Louis. But friends (like Joe Garagiola) and family, and Berra’s attitude toward life combine in Jon Pessah’s account to let his talent shine through. But to demonstrate the elements of his proposition, Pessah takes us through what America was like and what living in an immigrant ghetto was like during this period of history. I will provide more details shortly but I liked how Pessah takes us from the 1930s through the early 21st Century showing us how Berra's life interacts with and reflects America during this large slice of baseball's history.
I have read a lot of baseball books and have enjoyed reviewing a few. This book gave me as much pleasure as any other. I took my time going through it and I found it helpful to pause and reflect on how the USA and baseball were intertwined for such a long time. Though some of what Pessah offers has been reported or quoted in other sources, I felt that this was a very successful effort to give us “the whole Berra.” I am going to provide below a series of quotations that illustrate this point and hopefully provide you with enough to determine whether you, too, will enjoy what this book contains.
"The two men did not understand baseball offered the very path to American acceptance they craved for their families until Lawdie (Yogi) and Joe were well into their professional careers."
"Yogi lets the insults bounce off him—all but one. It was delivered in the form of a question by Rud Rennie of the New York Herald Tribune. “You’re not really thinking about keeping him, are you?” Rennie asks Harris (his manager in his first full season with the Yankees). “He doesn’t even look like a Yankee.” That one stung, but Berra is soothed when Harris tells a group of writers the Yankees are indeed going to keep Yogi. And then Harris goes one step further. “I’ll make a prediction about Yogi,” Harris says. “I say within a few years he will be the most popular player on the Yankees since Babe Ruth. I know that Henrich and Rizzuto and DiMaggio have a lot of fans that admire them. They are great ballplayers. But I mean more than that. He’s funny to look at and sometimes he makes ridiculous plays. But he has personality and color. That’s crowd appeal and it makes people pay their way into the ballpark to see him."
"Berra’s already got a job lined up in the hardware department at the Sears, Roebuck downtown with his buddy Joe Garagiola, who winds up being one of the stars of the Cardinals’ surprising World Series victory. (Almost every player needs an offseason job to supplement his baseball pay.)"
"Win or lose, DiMaggio spends each postgame tucked into his locker, sipping his cup of coffee, dragging on his cigarette, slowly unwinding from the self-imposed pressure. No one celebrates unless Joe does, and that doesn’t happen often. But all this might change this season, for there is nothing somber about Yogi Berra, who within days of the team’s first workout has captured the imagination and hearts of his manager, his teammates, and especially the press. While DiMaggio feels the burden of perfection, Yogi exudes the joy of playing a game."
"Berra quickly said yes to a salary that is almost 15 times larger than America’s $2,300 median income. (In addition, each of Yogi’s four World Series winner’s checks has been in excess of $5,000, more than what 90 percent of Americans earn in an entire year.) Weiss was so pleased when Berra reported to St. Petersburg on time he threw in an extra $500 the day Yogi sat down to sign the papers in the team’s spring headquarters."
"Sure, Yogi wants to get his share of hits, but never has the ability to call just the right pitch at just the right time been more important. Or throwing out runners attempting a steal, and blocking pitches with a runner on third to prevent a big run from scoring. Every run in the World Series is big."
MVP but "Yogi can’t help but wonder when he’ll enjoy the respect he’s earned without having to endure the same tired insults, too."
"“I didn’t say half the things I said” is without question the most accurate of all Yogi-isms."
"Would Stengel have become a Hall of Fame manager without Yogi’s bat and—far more important—his uncanny ability to coax the best from an ever-changing pitching staff? Would Berra have become a star—and a household name—if Stengel hadn’t brought in Bill Dickey to teach the young man how to be a catcher?"
"The questions flow, and Yogi is ready to talk. But if the reporters hope for fury, they are disappointed. “I had an inkling this would happen—it comes with the game—but I’m not sad,” he says. “What do I have to be sad about? I’ve got two acres of land and a 15-room house I never thought I’d have when I started out. I never thought I’d be in the Hall of Fame, either.”"
4.5*
Yogi Berra listened to Bill Dickey and learned....learned quickly. The results: He was an 18-time All-Star and won 10 World Series championships as a player—more than any other player in MLB history. Berra had a career batting average of .285, while hitting 358 home runs and 1,430 runs batted in. He is one of only six players to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award three times. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. (And we haven't talked about his performance in 22 World Series!)
Life wasn’t particularly easy for a kid growing up during the Depression on “The Hill” in St. Louis. But friends (like Joe Garagiola) and family, and Berra’s attitude toward life combine in Jon Pessah’s account to let his talent shine through. But to demonstrate the elements of his proposition, Pessah takes us through what America was like and what living in an immigrant ghetto was like during this period of history. I will provide more details shortly but I liked how Pessah takes us from the 1930s through the early 21st Century showing us how Berra's life interacts with and reflects America during this large slice of baseball's history.
I have read a lot of baseball books and have enjoyed reviewing a few. This book gave me as much pleasure as any other. I took my time going through it and I found it helpful to pause and reflect on how the USA and baseball were intertwined for such a long time. Though some of what Pessah offers has been reported or quoted in other sources, I felt that this was a very successful effort to give us “the whole Berra.” I am going to provide below a series of quotations that illustrate this point and hopefully provide you with enough to determine whether you, too, will enjoy what this book contains.
"The two men did not understand baseball offered the very path to American acceptance they craved for their families until Lawdie (Yogi) and Joe were well into their professional careers."
"Yogi lets the insults bounce off him—all but one. It was delivered in the form of a question by Rud Rennie of the New York Herald Tribune. “You’re not really thinking about keeping him, are you?” Rennie asks Harris (his manager in his first full season with the Yankees). “He doesn’t even look like a Yankee.” That one stung, but Berra is soothed when Harris tells a group of writers the Yankees are indeed going to keep Yogi. And then Harris goes one step further. “I’ll make a prediction about Yogi,” Harris says. “I say within a few years he will be the most popular player on the Yankees since Babe Ruth. I know that Henrich and Rizzuto and DiMaggio have a lot of fans that admire them. They are great ballplayers. But I mean more than that. He’s funny to look at and sometimes he makes ridiculous plays. But he has personality and color. That’s crowd appeal and it makes people pay their way into the ballpark to see him."
"Berra’s already got a job lined up in the hardware department at the Sears, Roebuck downtown with his buddy Joe Garagiola, who winds up being one of the stars of the Cardinals’ surprising World Series victory. (Almost every player needs an offseason job to supplement his baseball pay.)"
"Win or lose, DiMaggio spends each postgame tucked into his locker, sipping his cup of coffee, dragging on his cigarette, slowly unwinding from the self-imposed pressure. No one celebrates unless Joe does, and that doesn’t happen often. But all this might change this season, for there is nothing somber about Yogi Berra, who within days of the team’s first workout has captured the imagination and hearts of his manager, his teammates, and especially the press. While DiMaggio feels the burden of perfection, Yogi exudes the joy of playing a game."
"Berra quickly said yes to a salary that is almost 15 times larger than America’s $2,300 median income. (In addition, each of Yogi’s four World Series winner’s checks has been in excess of $5,000, more than what 90 percent of Americans earn in an entire year.) Weiss was so pleased when Berra reported to St. Petersburg on time he threw in an extra $500 the day Yogi sat down to sign the papers in the team’s spring headquarters."
"Sure, Yogi wants to get his share of hits, but never has the ability to call just the right pitch at just the right time been more important. Or throwing out runners attempting a steal, and blocking pitches with a runner on third to prevent a big run from scoring. Every run in the World Series is big."
MVP but "Yogi can’t help but wonder when he’ll enjoy the respect he’s earned without having to endure the same tired insults, too."
"“I didn’t say half the things I said” is without question the most accurate of all Yogi-isms."
"Would Stengel have become a Hall of Fame manager without Yogi’s bat and—far more important—his uncanny ability to coax the best from an ever-changing pitching staff? Would Berra have become a star—and a household name—if Stengel hadn’t brought in Bill Dickey to teach the young man how to be a catcher?"
"The questions flow, and Yogi is ready to talk. But if the reporters hope for fury, they are disappointed. “I had an inkling this would happen—it comes with the game—but I’m not sad,” he says. “What do I have to be sad about? I’ve got two acres of land and a 15-room house I never thought I’d have when I started out. I never thought I’d be in the Hall of Fame, either.”"
4.5*
July 19, 2023
"It ain't over till it's over."
Lawrence Berra (1925-2015), who became known as Yogi Berra, is perhaps best known today for his sayings, his "Yogi-isms." But as Jon Pessah shows in this definitive biography, Yogi was one of the greatest and most iconic ballplayers of all. Certainly he was one of the greatest catchers, a Hall of Famer who played in 14 World Series for the New York Yankees.
Yogi grew up during the Depression, a son of Italian immigrants in the Italian community known as "the Hill," in St. Louis, MO. He proved himself to the other kids to be a natural athlete in different sports, including boxing. But, of course, the sport he cared about the most was that all-American sport of baseball. Although Yogi was short and squat and looked more like a wrestler than a ballplayer, as it's stated in the book, he was "born to the game." When his father found out that he wanted to become a professional ballplayer, he was angry and forbade him to pursue that dream. Berra's father did not think that it was right for a grown man to spend his time playing a children's game and that Yogi should get a serious job to help his family. But Yogi could not maintain interest in any jobs but played ball at every opportunity...
At a tryout in St. Louis, Branch Rickey was there scouting for the Cardinals. He offered Yogi's best friend, Joe Garagiola, a contract, but rejected Yogi. Rickey told Yogi to his face that he would not make it in the major leagues, but would be a minor leaguer at best. This did not discourage Yogi--who went on to get a contract with baseball's greatest organization--the New York Yankees, the team of Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio.
We follow Yogi's baseball career--and his service in the Navy in WWII. Following the war, he was in the minors for but a short time, very quickly going into the majors. He became one of the most popular of all the Yankees. He went on to be a coach, a manager...in retirement, he opened the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center. He became famous for his Yogi-isms, such as "It's deja vu all over again."
Yogi, of course, was a great baseball player. But more than that, he was a great human being. The son of immigrants, he achieved his American Dream and became one of the most beloved sports figures in his time. I can't believe I'm saying that, as I am a lifelong White Sox fan. But I thoroughly enjoyed this biography bringing the amazing Yogi to life. I want to thank Goodreads and the publisher for this giveaway book!
Lawrence Berra (1925-2015), who became known as Yogi Berra, is perhaps best known today for his sayings, his "Yogi-isms." But as Jon Pessah shows in this definitive biography, Yogi was one of the greatest and most iconic ballplayers of all. Certainly he was one of the greatest catchers, a Hall of Famer who played in 14 World Series for the New York Yankees.
Yogi grew up during the Depression, a son of Italian immigrants in the Italian community known as "the Hill," in St. Louis, MO. He proved himself to the other kids to be a natural athlete in different sports, including boxing. But, of course, the sport he cared about the most was that all-American sport of baseball. Although Yogi was short and squat and looked more like a wrestler than a ballplayer, as it's stated in the book, he was "born to the game." When his father found out that he wanted to become a professional ballplayer, he was angry and forbade him to pursue that dream. Berra's father did not think that it was right for a grown man to spend his time playing a children's game and that Yogi should get a serious job to help his family. But Yogi could not maintain interest in any jobs but played ball at every opportunity...
At a tryout in St. Louis, Branch Rickey was there scouting for the Cardinals. He offered Yogi's best friend, Joe Garagiola, a contract, but rejected Yogi. Rickey told Yogi to his face that he would not make it in the major leagues, but would be a minor leaguer at best. This did not discourage Yogi--who went on to get a contract with baseball's greatest organization--the New York Yankees, the team of Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio.
We follow Yogi's baseball career--and his service in the Navy in WWII. Following the war, he was in the minors for but a short time, very quickly going into the majors. He became one of the most popular of all the Yankees. He went on to be a coach, a manager...in retirement, he opened the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center. He became famous for his Yogi-isms, such as "It's deja vu all over again."
Yogi, of course, was a great baseball player. But more than that, he was a great human being. The son of immigrants, he achieved his American Dream and became one of the most beloved sports figures in his time. I can't believe I'm saying that, as I am a lifelong White Sox fan. But I thoroughly enjoyed this biography bringing the amazing Yogi to life. I want to thank Goodreads and the publisher for this giveaway book!
May 8, 2020
I won a copy of this biography from a Goodreads giveaway and would like to thank them and the publisher for their Herculean efforts in getting it to me in these crazy-Covid times. I find that baseball is one of the simple and casual things that I miss most, not only catching occasional Yankees games on television but simple things like checking the standings and the stats and the schedule everyday, so I particularly enjoyed this history of one the greatest Yankees of them all. When reviewing a book like this, an historical biography, it's important to remember that one is considering the book itself: not the subject, but the way it is presented. I thought Pessah did a very good job here with Berra. He presents his childhood and home life, his early involvement with the game, his service in the war, and then his stellar playing career followed by managing and coaching, interspersed with his personal life and involvements. We also get an interesting historical picture of the country and what it was like, both for Berra and his family but also other ball players. I thought it was amazing that the hotel the team used for spring training only allowed white players to stay there, for example, or that the players in the clubhouse regularly smoked and drank after games. (Actually, the casual consumption of lots of alcohol seemed to be a theme of the time.) The book is written in a casual chronological style, but I felt jarred a time or two when jumps were introduced, such as when it's mentioned that his sister died but then the fact that both of his brothers had died years before is just noted in parentheses. They were both central figures in his early life, had both worked extra hours to support the family in order to let him play ball rather than work fulltime himself, and their passings should have been detailed in proper sequence. Also, in order to set the time, the book is written in present tense much of the time ("It is April of 1955, and..."), but then shifts into past tense when relaying some further details, which I thought was occasionally a bit awkward, but other than that I had no quibbles. Berra was a larger than life figure and the book does a good job of presenting the good and bad without judgment and letting the reader draw their own conclusion. For example, some of the problems he had with his sons is a topic, but then it's pointed out that he was never at home to watch them play or play with them because he was always with the team or playing golf or doing promotional work or... something. It was also fascinating to read about some of his relationships with other famous baseball figures such as Mantle, Ford, Stengel, and on and on and on. (The Steinbrenner years were even crazier than I'd previously suspected!) Pessah doesn't seem to have had much first hand contact with the Berra family, but I didn't see anything that contradicted anything I'd read earlier from other viewpoints. Berra was the subject of several prior biographies and autobiographies, but I think he presented everything in a convincing and mostly cohesive way. No two readers of a sports biography are ever going to be pleased by the same kind of book: some want the play-by-play with stats and no personal information, some don't care about the numbers but just want the human interest angle, and so on. I think Pessah did a very good job of presenting a good balance of all. Berra was very smart but poorly educated, immensely talented on the field but frequently insecure otherwise, worked very hard to achieve what he did but also had a Forrest Gump-kind of luck in turning out on top. I enjoyed learning more about his life very much!
April 15, 2020
Lawrence Peter Berra, better known to the American public as Yogi, may be one of the most misunderstood professional athletes in all of sports. To millions, non-baseball fans and even some sporadic followers of the National Pastime, Berra is a lovable, somewhat comical figure who has uttered some of the most memorable aphorisms of our times, to wit: 'Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded' or 'It ain't over till it's over.' But to folks who care about baseball, Berra is one of the best catchers to ever squat behind home plate, a Hall of Famer who appeared in 14 World Series for the New York Yankees, 10 of them resulting in championships. He won three Most Valuable Players awards and was named an All-Star 15 times. This is the Yogi that Jon Pessah brings to life, from his childhood on the heavily Italian Hill neighborhood of St. Louis to his days with the Bronx Bombers, his memorable managerial stints and his all-consuming love for his family, especially his wife Carmen. He founded the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Montclair, N.J. Berra is an American Icon, and Pessah will help the reader understand why that it true.
June 27, 2022
Yogi Berra was my childhood hero and started my life long love for baseball and the Yankees in particular, even following their every game to this day. But Yogi was special, a brilliant hitter, the best catcher of his era and a great baseball strategist. But today he is better known for his Yogisms. You knew what he was trying to say, but they came out garbled and ofter very funny.
One of my favourites, which I cannot verify and was not in this biography, was his answer to a sportswriter asking him his secret to successful hitting. 'Hit it where they ain't.' Probably his most famous was: 'It ain't over until it's over.' Referring to the fact that baseball is not limited to time and a team can always come back (as the Yankees did today, three runs down to Houston, being no hit for the second day running, when they scored six runs, the last three on a ninth inning home run by Aaron Judge to win 6-3.
Baseball and Yogi are timeless. I did find much of the writing a bit dry and not very engaging, but interesting. No one has ever won as many World Series as Yogi did through his career, playing with Joe Dimaggio, Micky Mantle and Whitey Ford among many other greats.
One of my favourites, which I cannot verify and was not in this biography, was his answer to a sportswriter asking him his secret to successful hitting. 'Hit it where they ain't.' Probably his most famous was: 'It ain't over until it's over.' Referring to the fact that baseball is not limited to time and a team can always come back (as the Yankees did today, three runs down to Houston, being no hit for the second day running, when they scored six runs, the last three on a ninth inning home run by Aaron Judge to win 6-3.
Baseball and Yogi are timeless. I did find much of the writing a bit dry and not very engaging, but interesting. No one has ever won as many World Series as Yogi did through his career, playing with Joe Dimaggio, Micky Mantle and Whitey Ford among many other greats.
November 12, 2020
(3.5 stars) This book suffers from the weakness of many sports biographies and that is if the book just covers the subject's playing career as if it were one long sporting event, it gets boring fast. I mean, I don't care how many fans were in attendance when Yogi hit two home runs in one World Series game, yet this book is chockfull of useless information like that. Indeed, Yogi's playing career is covered quite extensively and it boils down to nothing more than a few anecdotes from each season with a recounting of highlights as if it were an ESPN show. Pretty soon all the seasons run together and you're stuck with one long highlight reel. This makes for boring reading.
You will not find much deep insight or analysis of what Yogi thought or felt about pretty much anything in this book, but you'll get a lot of play by play as if the author were a baseball announcer.
The most interesting parts of the book, to me at least, came after Yogi's playing career ended: the family's struggle with one son's cocaine addiction, Yogi's tortured response to being fired as manager by George Steinbrenner 14 games into the season, the long self-banishment from the Yankees organization and the eventual reconciliation with Steinbrenner, these are the most interesting parts of the book and reveal Yogi's character better than a highlight reel of his playing career.
Yogi is an interesting character and certainly one of the best baseball players of all time: 15 consecutive all-star games, three mvp awards, 13 World Series titles, it's a pretty impressive resume. It's just that this book could have been so much better if the author had tried to drill down to the real Yogi.
You will not find much deep insight or analysis of what Yogi thought or felt about pretty much anything in this book, but you'll get a lot of play by play as if the author were a baseball announcer.
The most interesting parts of the book, to me at least, came after Yogi's playing career ended: the family's struggle with one son's cocaine addiction, Yogi's tortured response to being fired as manager by George Steinbrenner 14 games into the season, the long self-banishment from the Yankees organization and the eventual reconciliation with Steinbrenner, these are the most interesting parts of the book and reveal Yogi's character better than a highlight reel of his playing career.
Yogi is an interesting character and certainly one of the best baseball players of all time: 15 consecutive all-star games, three mvp awards, 13 World Series titles, it's a pretty impressive resume. It's just that this book could have been so much better if the author had tried to drill down to the real Yogi.
April 19, 2022
I listened to this truly amazing story of the man, the legend, and the hero to millions of Americans.
This narrative follows Yogi from birth to death.
The early failures in baseball turned into the best catcher, hitter, and right fielder.
We learn about his friendships that last a lifetime. And a few legendary fights with owners. But in the end, Yogi found a way to mend all fences.
Even if you aren't a baseball fan, this book is so much more. We learn of Yogi's time in the Navy and his family time with his entire extended family.
As Yogi prospered so did many around him.
There are some sad moments in the book, but hearing Yogisms makes the book fun.
I remember watching baseball games on Saturdays with my Dad and Grandfather and seeing Yogi and all the other great names in baseball play for the love of the game. Not for a huge payday.
This narrative follows Yogi from birth to death.
The early failures in baseball turned into the best catcher, hitter, and right fielder.
We learn about his friendships that last a lifetime. And a few legendary fights with owners. But in the end, Yogi found a way to mend all fences.
Even if you aren't a baseball fan, this book is so much more. We learn of Yogi's time in the Navy and his family time with his entire extended family.
As Yogi prospered so did many around him.
There are some sad moments in the book, but hearing Yogisms makes the book fun.
I remember watching baseball games on Saturdays with my Dad and Grandfather and seeing Yogi and all the other great names in baseball play for the love of the game. Not for a huge payday.
April 20, 2020
Players and teams are dispersed across America. The stadiums are empty, and the Major League Baseball schedule has been destroyed by the virus known as COVID-19. What are fans to do as they anxiously pause at home hoping against hope that something resembling a baseball season will still be played? Even world wars and the terrorists of 9/11 could not stop baseball from completing its season. Many sports channels are rebroadcasting games from previous years. Perhaps there is some ironic joy in those replays because in every North American city, fans are watching highlights of their team at its greatest, winning a pennant or perhaps even a World Series. It’s almost like the Opening Day wish of every fan has come true. This is our year!
But if games from past seasons are not your ideal way to pass the time, consider sitting down with a great baseball book. Jon Pessah’s YOGI is a wonderful biography of a baseball legend who, even today, 45 years after retiring as a player, remains under-appreciated. Most people remember Lawrence Peter Berra not for his world championships --- 10 as a player and two as a manager --- but for the long history of malapropisms that made him famous. So famous that when President Obama posthumously awarded Berra the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he reminded the audience, "One thing we know for sure: if you can't imitate him, don't copy him.”
Berra’s career was extraordinary and unique on several levels. He was the son of Italian immigrant parents who lived in the St. Louis neighborhood known as The Hill. His father, Pietro, was a bricklayer devoted to his family and to the American dream, which in his mind did not include playing games. Berra had no use for studies or work; he only loved baseball. Eventually his father allowed him to pursue that dream. His best friend growing up was Joe Garagiola, a young prospect who was scouted and signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals would pass on Berra, perhaps because he did not look like a ballplayer. He was only 5’7” with a big head and large ears. Throughout his career, he would be taunted by opponents because of his looks. He would often reply, “I haven’t seen anyone who hits with their face.” His career numbers tell the story. When Berra retired, he was the all-time home run and RBI leader among catchers and had won the American League Most Valuable Player Award three times.
Pessah covers Berra’s life, including his service in World War II, in chronological order, moving through season after season as a player, manager and coach, concluding with his post-baseball years. He uses newspaper accounts and reporters’ stories to detail many of these events. His baseball career coincided with the years that New York was the news capital of the world. Sportswriters who would become legends in their profession covered the Yankees. It was a glorious time for the media, and the source material presented here is a delightful reminder of that period.
The contemporary trend in sports biographies is to place the subject in the context of his times. Berra’s career coincided with the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, the elimination of baseball’s reserve clause resulting in free agency, and an explosion in baseball salaries. Berra was not one to become involved with such historic events. He and his wife, Carmen, were focused on two things: baseball and money. Perhaps it was his lack of education or his family’s financial struggles, but for whatever the reason, Berra looked out for himself and his loved ones. The great social issues of the ’60s and ’70s were not his concern.
YOGI is a terrific reminder of baseball’s golden era, with a cast of players that included Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford and dozens of others. Baseball will be back, hopefully sooner rather than later, reminding Americans once again that it is truly the greatest game of all.
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
But if games from past seasons are not your ideal way to pass the time, consider sitting down with a great baseball book. Jon Pessah’s YOGI is a wonderful biography of a baseball legend who, even today, 45 years after retiring as a player, remains under-appreciated. Most people remember Lawrence Peter Berra not for his world championships --- 10 as a player and two as a manager --- but for the long history of malapropisms that made him famous. So famous that when President Obama posthumously awarded Berra the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he reminded the audience, "One thing we know for sure: if you can't imitate him, don't copy him.”
Berra’s career was extraordinary and unique on several levels. He was the son of Italian immigrant parents who lived in the St. Louis neighborhood known as The Hill. His father, Pietro, was a bricklayer devoted to his family and to the American dream, which in his mind did not include playing games. Berra had no use for studies or work; he only loved baseball. Eventually his father allowed him to pursue that dream. His best friend growing up was Joe Garagiola, a young prospect who was scouted and signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals would pass on Berra, perhaps because he did not look like a ballplayer. He was only 5’7” with a big head and large ears. Throughout his career, he would be taunted by opponents because of his looks. He would often reply, “I haven’t seen anyone who hits with their face.” His career numbers tell the story. When Berra retired, he was the all-time home run and RBI leader among catchers and had won the American League Most Valuable Player Award three times.
Pessah covers Berra’s life, including his service in World War II, in chronological order, moving through season after season as a player, manager and coach, concluding with his post-baseball years. He uses newspaper accounts and reporters’ stories to detail many of these events. His baseball career coincided with the years that New York was the news capital of the world. Sportswriters who would become legends in their profession covered the Yankees. It was a glorious time for the media, and the source material presented here is a delightful reminder of that period.
The contemporary trend in sports biographies is to place the subject in the context of his times. Berra’s career coincided with the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, the elimination of baseball’s reserve clause resulting in free agency, and an explosion in baseball salaries. Berra was not one to become involved with such historic events. He and his wife, Carmen, were focused on two things: baseball and money. Perhaps it was his lack of education or his family’s financial struggles, but for whatever the reason, Berra looked out for himself and his loved ones. The great social issues of the ’60s and ’70s were not his concern.
YOGI is a terrific reminder of baseball’s golden era, with a cast of players that included Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford and dozens of others. Baseball will be back, hopefully sooner rather than later, reminding Americans once again that it is truly the greatest game of all.
Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
April 29, 2020
“Eighty percent of putts that fall short don’t go in.” This cogent observation (accomplished by just watching) is, of course, one of Yogi Berra’s famous Yogi-isms.” While Jon Pessah’s new biography of everyone’s favorite Yankee doesn’t quite drop in the hole, it doesn’t come up too short. This book won’t gain a place as one of the all-time great baseball books, it is, nevertheless, a solid contribution to the history of our national pastime.
Pessah lacks the first-person experience of the Bronx Bombers’ number 8, but he manages to build a truly personal story that exhibits an understanding of Yogi the man rather than Yogi the caricature. You come to understand that meanness comes in many forms and to appreciate how Yogi internalized the pain of the countless insults to his appearance and his intelligence that were hurled at him over his decades of experience as a player, manager, and coach. The portrait painted by Pessah is of a complex man who loved baseball and who could forgive almost any sin of those who shared his passion.
As a kid growing up in a highly segregated and racially-charged St. Louis, he exhibited almost a total absence of racial bias. As corny and condescending as it may sound, some of his best friends, including Larry Doby (the next Black player after Jackie Robinson to break the color barrier) and Elston Howard (his replacement as the Yankee’s catcher) were African-American. At the same time, Yogi viewed Ted Williams, icon of the last Major League Baseball team to integrate (12 years after Jackie Robinson’s debut), and a guy not exactly known for his progressive views on race, as a close friend. Yogi’s point of view seemed to be that Ted might have been biased, but boy could he hit a baseball. Actually, Pessah’s portrayal of Berra would lead you to believe that race probably didn’t even cross Yogi’s mind.
Yogi was forgiving of Mickey Mantle’s and Whitey Ford’s drinking behavior and of Billy Martin’s temper tantrums for the same reason. They could play the game. Yogi’s numerous close friendships with other men is also remarkable. His relationship with boyhood chum Joe Garagiola and with Fellow Yankee star Phil Rizzuto appear to be exceptional both for their duration and their depth. Finally, Pessah offers considerable insight into the inner-workings of the Berra family. Carmen, the love of his life and his relationships with his parents, siblings, sons, and grandchildren underscore the importance of family in the Italian culture.
In short, Jon Pessah’s YOGI isn’t the next Boys of Summer or Ball Four. It is, however, a solid biography of one of sport’s most beloved characters and well worth reading.
Pessah lacks the first-person experience of the Bronx Bombers’ number 8, but he manages to build a truly personal story that exhibits an understanding of Yogi the man rather than Yogi the caricature. You come to understand that meanness comes in many forms and to appreciate how Yogi internalized the pain of the countless insults to his appearance and his intelligence that were hurled at him over his decades of experience as a player, manager, and coach. The portrait painted by Pessah is of a complex man who loved baseball and who could forgive almost any sin of those who shared his passion.
As a kid growing up in a highly segregated and racially-charged St. Louis, he exhibited almost a total absence of racial bias. As corny and condescending as it may sound, some of his best friends, including Larry Doby (the next Black player after Jackie Robinson to break the color barrier) and Elston Howard (his replacement as the Yankee’s catcher) were African-American. At the same time, Yogi viewed Ted Williams, icon of the last Major League Baseball team to integrate (12 years after Jackie Robinson’s debut), and a guy not exactly known for his progressive views on race, as a close friend. Yogi’s point of view seemed to be that Ted might have been biased, but boy could he hit a baseball. Actually, Pessah’s portrayal of Berra would lead you to believe that race probably didn’t even cross Yogi’s mind.
Yogi was forgiving of Mickey Mantle’s and Whitey Ford’s drinking behavior and of Billy Martin’s temper tantrums for the same reason. They could play the game. Yogi’s numerous close friendships with other men is also remarkable. His relationship with boyhood chum Joe Garagiola and with Fellow Yankee star Phil Rizzuto appear to be exceptional both for their duration and their depth. Finally, Pessah offers considerable insight into the inner-workings of the Berra family. Carmen, the love of his life and his relationships with his parents, siblings, sons, and grandchildren underscore the importance of family in the Italian culture.
In short, Jon Pessah’s YOGI isn’t the next Boys of Summer or Ball Four. It is, however, a solid biography of one of sport’s most beloved characters and well worth reading.
May 3, 2020
I only knew Yogi Berra as the Yankee legendary catcher and king of malapropisms; I now appreciate the Italian immigrant childhood in St. Louis (neighbor was Joe Garagiola), his being a natural hitter who had to learn to become a good catcher, and the overall humility and likability. Sure I would like the guy. There were other Yankees greats - but DiMaggios was surly and unapproachable, Mantle, Martin, and Ford were all drunken louts. Yogi among them all was the classic nice guy who never forgot his roots. Yogi is to Yankees lore what my hero Brooks Robinson is to the Orioles. Unfortunately this is a very pedestrian biography - nothing vivid in the retelling which spans 500+ pages (and is told in present tense, which I found a bit weird).
April 14, 2020
Yogi Berra is one of the first names that people associate with the New York Yankees, but he was never meant to be a famous baseball player. The author's book is well-researched and details how one of the greatest players of all time was able to prove the father that said he wasn't supposed to play professional baseball along with the people that taunted him about his speech and appearance wrong. I never realized that Yogi was an underdog and loved reading about how someone so beloved was able to have such success and stay humble after achieving it.
May 1, 2020
Excellent
Less an has written the best and most authoritative biography on Berra, beginning in his small childhood hangout The Hill in St. Louis to the bright lights of New York. Required reading.
Less an has written the best and most authoritative biography on Berra, beginning in his small childhood hangout The Hill in St. Louis to the bright lights of New York. Required reading.
July 21, 2021
I loved this book. Granted, I'm not a huge baseball fan and could do without all of the stats and play by play the author includes but I'm not sure how to divorce that without losing some of the crucial character development that made Berra the consummate competitor he was.
I grew up hearing the name Yogi Berra and often was confused with the cartoon character that the Hanna Barbera enterprise swore was not a spin off of the iconic NY Yankees baseball star. I also have heard many of his Yogi-isms that still spice up the American lexicon today. I knew he was a baseball player. I had been corrected often enough throughout my life to know that the cartoon bear with Boo Boo as a side kick was not the Yankee baseball legend. And I had seen him on TV in different capacities but always as more of a celebrity than a baseball player. It was mostly in commercials that I had any connection with the famed athlete. But reading this book opened up a whole new world to me of a genuine and guileless man who's accomplishments other sport GOATS have a hard time rivaling. I had no idea that he was as accomplished an athlete as he was. He always seemed to be in the shadows of Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Don Larsen who pitched baseball's first perfect game in a world series. Who was behind the plate and called the pitches in that game? Yep, you guessed it. Yogi. whenever anyone tried to shine the lime light on Berra he demurred... and did so completely naturally. I know about "the shot heard 'round the world" (baseball's version - not American History's) but had no idea Yogi Berra played in that year's world series let alone winning it and 12 others of his 14 appearances! Truly unbelievable!
The son of Italian immigrants, Berra was bullied incessantly in his early career by the fans, media, opposing teams, and even his own club members and friends for his ethnicity and having the appearance of being somewhat of a neanderthal. He had little formal education (he dropped out of school and started playing baseball fulltime at 17) and was not much of a public speaker. Often when he opened his mouth, what came out wasn't exactly what he meant to say. These sayings became known as Yogi-isms and my guess is, you've used at least one in your life like, "It's like dejavu all over again."
More than anything, this giant of a public icon was without a doubt one of the most unassuming, genuine, and authenticly humble human beings on the planet. I'm sure he had his flaws. The author points some of them out. Mostly he was just good. With the exception of one long term grudge he held against Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner, Yogi overlooked much of how he was treated despite being hurt, especially when those he called friends joined in the ribbing. But later in his life, after a storied career and the respect of peers, media, and millions of fans, and just being a nice guy, he decided he'd had enough. So he uncharacteristically dug in his heals on the Steinbrenner incident. Yogi refused to set foot in Yankee Stadium so long as Steinbrenner owned the club. It wasn't even so much that he was fired after 16 games in the 1985 season after a Steinbrenner promise that he would stay on the whole season no matter what, and had a record of winning the pennant the first year as manager for the club in 1964. It was the way George did it sending his manager to do the dirty deed instead of in person. Yogi stood his ground and didn't budge until Steinbrenner finally relented and made amends in person at the Yogi Berra Museum behind closed doors. The two made up and Berra considered George one of his good friends to the end of their lives.
One of the anecdotal highlights I gleaned from the author was that Berra late in life watched Seinfeld reruns that featured a characterization of George Steinbrenner as an impulsive, idiotic, and illogical owner of the Yankees who keeps George Castanza on the club's payroll despite Castanza's manic efforts to get fired. Irony at its finest :)
I grew up hearing the name Yogi Berra and often was confused with the cartoon character that the Hanna Barbera enterprise swore was not a spin off of the iconic NY Yankees baseball star. I also have heard many of his Yogi-isms that still spice up the American lexicon today. I knew he was a baseball player. I had been corrected often enough throughout my life to know that the cartoon bear with Boo Boo as a side kick was not the Yankee baseball legend. And I had seen him on TV in different capacities but always as more of a celebrity than a baseball player. It was mostly in commercials that I had any connection with the famed athlete. But reading this book opened up a whole new world to me of a genuine and guileless man who's accomplishments other sport GOATS have a hard time rivaling. I had no idea that he was as accomplished an athlete as he was. He always seemed to be in the shadows of Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Don Larsen who pitched baseball's first perfect game in a world series. Who was behind the plate and called the pitches in that game? Yep, you guessed it. Yogi. whenever anyone tried to shine the lime light on Berra he demurred... and did so completely naturally. I know about "the shot heard 'round the world" (baseball's version - not American History's) but had no idea Yogi Berra played in that year's world series let alone winning it and 12 others of his 14 appearances! Truly unbelievable!
The son of Italian immigrants, Berra was bullied incessantly in his early career by the fans, media, opposing teams, and even his own club members and friends for his ethnicity and having the appearance of being somewhat of a neanderthal. He had little formal education (he dropped out of school and started playing baseball fulltime at 17) and was not much of a public speaker. Often when he opened his mouth, what came out wasn't exactly what he meant to say. These sayings became known as Yogi-isms and my guess is, you've used at least one in your life like, "It's like dejavu all over again."
More than anything, this giant of a public icon was without a doubt one of the most unassuming, genuine, and authenticly humble human beings on the planet. I'm sure he had his flaws. The author points some of them out. Mostly he was just good. With the exception of one long term grudge he held against Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner, Yogi overlooked much of how he was treated despite being hurt, especially when those he called friends joined in the ribbing. But later in his life, after a storied career and the respect of peers, media, and millions of fans, and just being a nice guy, he decided he'd had enough. So he uncharacteristically dug in his heals on the Steinbrenner incident. Yogi refused to set foot in Yankee Stadium so long as Steinbrenner owned the club. It wasn't even so much that he was fired after 16 games in the 1985 season after a Steinbrenner promise that he would stay on the whole season no matter what, and had a record of winning the pennant the first year as manager for the club in 1964. It was the way George did it sending his manager to do the dirty deed instead of in person. Yogi stood his ground and didn't budge until Steinbrenner finally relented and made amends in person at the Yogi Berra Museum behind closed doors. The two made up and Berra considered George one of his good friends to the end of their lives.
One of the anecdotal highlights I gleaned from the author was that Berra late in life watched Seinfeld reruns that featured a characterization of George Steinbrenner as an impulsive, idiotic, and illogical owner of the Yankees who keeps George Castanza on the club's payroll despite Castanza's manic efforts to get fired. Irony at its finest :)
April 1, 2024
I grew up as a New York Yankees fan, probably because in the 1960’s the Yankees were often on television on Saturday afternoons. There was no ESPN or regional sports networks on which all of a team’s games were broadcast. My favorite player was Mickey Mantle. I didn’t know much about Yogi Berra as he completed his Yankees career when I was still quite young.
I’m glad I read Jon Pessah’s well-researched and enjoyable biography of Berra - the result of hundreds of hours of interviews with more than 150 people conducted during a more than four-year span. I had no idea of how impressive Berra’s career was. He won thirteen (ten as a player and three as a coach) World Series championships, was a fifteen time All-Star and was the American League’s Most Valuable Player three times.
Berra, was known as Lawdie, the youngest son of Italian immigrants. His proper name in Italian, the language of the Berra household, was Lorenzo Pietro Berra. He was born in 1925 and grew up on “The Hill”, an Italian neighborhood in St. Louis. His best (and life-long) friend, who lived directly across the street on Elizabeth Avenue was Joe Garagiola. On a recent trip to the Hill, my wife and I saw both of their photos in the restaurant we had lunch in and in a bakery we visited.
He got his nickname of Yogi, from a minor league player after a number of teammates had seen a movie featuring yogis in India. Yogi was often mocked for his physical appearance.
Yogi joined the Navy at age eighteen, and served as a World War II Navy gunner at D-Day at both Utah and Omaha beaches before joining the Yankees.
Yogi could always hit, but was initially criticized as a catcher, shuttling between catcher and the outfield. It was the coaching of Bill Dickey turned him into an excellent catcher.
The author writes that Berra is arguably the best catcher in baseball history. In his seventeen full seasons, he had 358 home runs, 1,430 RBIs, 2,148 hits, and a .285 batting average. Berra caught two no-hitters for Allie Reynolds in 1951, and was the catcher for Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series, the only perfect game in World Series history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Berra would later manage the Yankees and the New York Mets, and serve as a coach for the Yankees and the Houston Astros. The manner in which Yankees owner George Steinbrenner had him fired led to Berra staying away from Yankee Stadium for fourteen years, until Steinbrenner came and apologized to him.
Yogi would become known as an excellent marketer and for his “Yogi-isms”, such as “It ain’t over ’til it’s over”, “It’s deja vu all over again, and “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
Yogi loved to play golf, and we once saw him play in a pro-am at the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament in Orlando.
Yogi married Carmen Short, who he met as a waitress at Biggie and Charlie’s Steak House (later renamed Stan Musial and Biggie’s Steak House). They were married sixty-five years and had three children.
Berra died in September, 2015, a few months before President Obama would honor him with the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in America.
This is a comprehensive and enjoyable look at the life and career of Yogi Berra.
I’m glad I read Jon Pessah’s well-researched and enjoyable biography of Berra - the result of hundreds of hours of interviews with more than 150 people conducted during a more than four-year span. I had no idea of how impressive Berra’s career was. He won thirteen (ten as a player and three as a coach) World Series championships, was a fifteen time All-Star and was the American League’s Most Valuable Player three times.
Berra, was known as Lawdie, the youngest son of Italian immigrants. His proper name in Italian, the language of the Berra household, was Lorenzo Pietro Berra. He was born in 1925 and grew up on “The Hill”, an Italian neighborhood in St. Louis. His best (and life-long) friend, who lived directly across the street on Elizabeth Avenue was Joe Garagiola. On a recent trip to the Hill, my wife and I saw both of their photos in the restaurant we had lunch in and in a bakery we visited.
He got his nickname of Yogi, from a minor league player after a number of teammates had seen a movie featuring yogis in India. Yogi was often mocked for his physical appearance.
Yogi joined the Navy at age eighteen, and served as a World War II Navy gunner at D-Day at both Utah and Omaha beaches before joining the Yankees.
Yogi could always hit, but was initially criticized as a catcher, shuttling between catcher and the outfield. It was the coaching of Bill Dickey turned him into an excellent catcher.
The author writes that Berra is arguably the best catcher in baseball history. In his seventeen full seasons, he had 358 home runs, 1,430 RBIs, 2,148 hits, and a .285 batting average. Berra caught two no-hitters for Allie Reynolds in 1951, and was the catcher for Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series, the only perfect game in World Series history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Berra would later manage the Yankees and the New York Mets, and serve as a coach for the Yankees and the Houston Astros. The manner in which Yankees owner George Steinbrenner had him fired led to Berra staying away from Yankee Stadium for fourteen years, until Steinbrenner came and apologized to him.
Yogi would become known as an excellent marketer and for his “Yogi-isms”, such as “It ain’t over ’til it’s over”, “It’s deja vu all over again, and “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
Yogi loved to play golf, and we once saw him play in a pro-am at the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament in Orlando.
Yogi married Carmen Short, who he met as a waitress at Biggie and Charlie’s Steak House (later renamed Stan Musial and Biggie’s Steak House). They were married sixty-five years and had three children.
Berra died in September, 2015, a few months before President Obama would honor him with the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in America.
This is a comprehensive and enjoyable look at the life and career of Yogi Berra.
July 3, 2020
Mr. Pessah gifts us with the life of a true American hero in Yogi:A Life Behind the Mask. One of only a few people in the history of this country who is instantly recognized by only one name. If you know baseball you’re well aware of the player Yogi Berra was. Plain and simple he was the epitome of what every baseball player strives to become - a winner. Everywhere he played, managed or coached his teams won. If you’re not a fan of baseball you are sure to know him via at least one or two of the Yogi-isms that permeate our conversations (It ain’t over ‘til it’s over and It’s deja vu all over again to name two of the better known). Minimizing his accomplishments to what occurred only on the baseball field or the malapropisms he gifted us, is to miss the simple, complex, brave, kind, considerate, focused and, yes, I’ll say it, intelligent man called Yogi. You simply cannot name anyone else in American history who has the Medal of Freedom (the highest civilian honor in the US); the American League MVP award (3 times); 10 World Series titles (of the 14 he played in); 15 major league All-Star appearances; was present off Utah Beach on D-Day; where afterward he was awarded two battle stars, a European Theater of Operations ribbon, a Distinguished Unit Citation, a Good Conduct Medal and the Purple Heart. Go ahead, I dare you. Who else lived that kind of life?
Being a die hard baseball fan I devoured this book. But, being someone born a Brooklyn Dodger fan it was at times a very difficult read. Yogi was in the center of 6 Brooklyn Dodger/Yankee World Series battles only one of which the Dodgers won. Given that stat I was reluctant to pick this book up but am very glad I did. If you have ever been a fan of Mr. Peter Lawrence Berra I guarantee you will revel in this book. If he never meant all that much to you, this biography will definitely challenge that feeling. A very worthwhile read I’ll call this missive.
Being a die hard baseball fan I devoured this book. But, being someone born a Brooklyn Dodger fan it was at times a very difficult read. Yogi was in the center of 6 Brooklyn Dodger/Yankee World Series battles only one of which the Dodgers won. Given that stat I was reluctant to pick this book up but am very glad I did. If you have ever been a fan of Mr. Peter Lawrence Berra I guarantee you will revel in this book. If he never meant all that much to you, this biography will definitely challenge that feeling. A very worthwhile read I’ll call this missive.
April 30, 2020
When Jon Pessah was asked why another book on Yogi Berra, the author basically said, it is the right timing with the current pandemic crisis and the despair in New York. Yogi Berra born in 1925 and died in 2015 was a favorite to many.
Barnes and Noble's review:
The definitive biography of Yogi Berra, the New York Yankees icon, winner of 10 World Series championships, and the most-quoted player in baseball history
Lawrence "Yogi" Berra was never supposed to become a major league ballplayer.
That's what his immigrant father told him. That's what Branch Rickey told him, too-right to Berra's face, in fact. Even the lowly St. Louis Browns of his youth said he'd never make it in the big leagues.
Yet baseball was his lifeblood. It was the only thing he ever cared about. Heck, it was the only thing he ever thought about. Berra couldn't allow a constant stream of ridicule about his appearance, taunts about his speech, and scorn about his perceived lack of intelligence to keep him from becoming one of the best to ever play the game-at a position requiring the very skills he was told he did not have.
Drawing on more than one hundred interviews and four years of reporting, Jon Pessah delivers a transformational portrait of how Berra handled his hard-earned success-on and off the playing field-as well as his failures; how the man who insisted "I really didn't say everything I said!" nonetheless shaped decades of America's culture; and how Berra's humility and grace redefined what it truly means to be a star.
Overshadowed on the field by Joe DiMaggio early in his career and later by a youthful Mickey Mantle, Berra emerges as not only the best loved Yankee but one of the most appealingly simple, innately complex, and universally admired men in all of America.
Barnes and Noble's review:
The definitive biography of Yogi Berra, the New York Yankees icon, winner of 10 World Series championships, and the most-quoted player in baseball history
Lawrence "Yogi" Berra was never supposed to become a major league ballplayer.
That's what his immigrant father told him. That's what Branch Rickey told him, too-right to Berra's face, in fact. Even the lowly St. Louis Browns of his youth said he'd never make it in the big leagues.
Yet baseball was his lifeblood. It was the only thing he ever cared about. Heck, it was the only thing he ever thought about. Berra couldn't allow a constant stream of ridicule about his appearance, taunts about his speech, and scorn about his perceived lack of intelligence to keep him from becoming one of the best to ever play the game-at a position requiring the very skills he was told he did not have.
Drawing on more than one hundred interviews and four years of reporting, Jon Pessah delivers a transformational portrait of how Berra handled his hard-earned success-on and off the playing field-as well as his failures; how the man who insisted "I really didn't say everything I said!" nonetheless shaped decades of America's culture; and how Berra's humility and grace redefined what it truly means to be a star.
Overshadowed on the field by Joe DiMaggio early in his career and later by a youthful Mickey Mantle, Berra emerges as not only the best loved Yankee but one of the most appealingly simple, innately complex, and universally admired men in all of America.
June 27, 2023
I was entertained by this book--the audible version--so I can't give it less than three stars. But I was much put off by the author's insistence of using the present tense to tell about things that happened in the past--MOST of the time. There are odd moments when he does use the past tense--evidently the author has reasoned out in which instances he should do this, but it wasn't evident to me in casual listening. The book also recreates entire conversations even though there couldn't possibly be any real evidence as to what was said on these occasions. At times the story is told so simplistically that I wondered early on if it was written for children, though the salty language soon made it evident that it was not. I'm sure part of this mood was created by the reader, whose delivery sounded as if he was explaining something very carefully to someone who had trouble comprehending things. But I did feel I knew the subject better after listening to this book and, as I said, I generally enjoyed listening to it.
June 1, 2020
There is arguably nothing funnier than a good Yogism (it gets late early here). This book didn’t focus on that part of him as much and I ended up being glad it didn’t. We are shown the real story that while he walked around being considered a cartoon character (with funny looks and even funnier sayings) Yogi was putting together one of the greatest baseball careers of all time, Winning championships almost his entire career (as player, coach and manager) and making savvy business moves that would later become the norms for celebrities and athletes today. From taking stock instead of one time payments from Yoo-hoo , using friends and his own celebrity to pitch products to being ahead of the curve on signing memorabilia. He is also an incredible human being and most importantly a World War II war hero. This book perfectly mixes his life and baseball action. Both sides are equally as interesting. But the writer flashes into the baseball action and includes stats that never cease to create a perfect picture of Yogis playing days.
July 7, 2020
Is there any baseball player who had a cooler life than Yogi Berra? Ten rings. A war hero. Three MVPs. A 60-year marriage. All the love and adulation you could ever want from baseball fans everywhere. Caught the only perfect game in playoff history. A lifetime of great friendships, inside the game and out. A museum dedicated to your life while you're still around to enjoy it... but in a good way that respects the game as a whole and your place in it, not in an egotistical way at all.
Pessah does a great job of telling Yogi's story, from his well-known beginnings in The Hill in St. Louis and Branch Rickey's rejection, to his stardom with the Yankees, his family life, his experiences in World War II, his post-playing career, his long-running feud with George Steinbrenner, his eventual return to the Yankee fold. Pessah also does a good job of showing that Yogi was actually a serious, intelligent person despite his silly malaprop-driven reputation. I could not have loved this book more - I was genuinely choked up at several moments.
Pessah does a great job of telling Yogi's story, from his well-known beginnings in The Hill in St. Louis and Branch Rickey's rejection, to his stardom with the Yankees, his family life, his experiences in World War II, his post-playing career, his long-running feud with George Steinbrenner, his eventual return to the Yankee fold. Pessah also does a good job of showing that Yogi was actually a serious, intelligent person despite his silly malaprop-driven reputation. I could not have loved this book more - I was genuinely choked up at several moments.
November 19, 2021
Everybody knows a little bit about Yogi Berra or have probably heard one or more of his world famous "Yogisms," most notably, "it ain't over till its over.," but this book tells his life story from birth and growing up on "the Hill" in St. Louis to his playing with the Yankees and winning 10 championships, to managing the Yanks to the 1964 Series and being fired after 1 season, to the Mets, to the Astros, and to the creation and opening of the "Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, and hundreds of games of golf before passing away at age 90. It is a longgggg read, but man is it good! (this is coming from a 3rd generation Cardinals fan.) Yogi Berra truly is an American icon!
April 30, 2020
Just finished Yogi: A Life Behind the Mask by Joe Pessah. The author gives a complete picture of this iconic figure, a great baseball player but an even better person. From humble beginnings in an Italian neighborhood in St Louis, to minor league baseball, a naval enlisted man who was at the D-Day invasion of Normandy, to a Hall of Fame baseball career, husband, father, grandfather, coach and manager. Throughout his long life, a man sometimes underestimated, full of honor and decency, quiet and universally loved ad respected. I’m so glad I found this book. We need heroes like this today.
August 11, 2020
A sentimental read for me, Yogi Berra was my father's all-time favorite baseball player. Not knowing much about Yogi, I set out to read what is being hailed as his definitive biography. If it is that or not, I can't say. But I do now have a deeper understanding and appreciation of why my father loved the guy so much. For that, I loved it and now love Yogi as well.
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May 27, 2020Very good book about a baseball player and person about whom many had misconceptions. A humble man with extraordinary baseball skills but never forgot where he came from. Yogi was one of the best who never doubted himself although many others did.
May 27, 2020
Outstanding read. Deals with yogi as a boy and his progression to the major league. After his playing days The opening of the day of the Yogi Berra museum is something I didn't really know about. Any baseball fan should have this book.
July 26, 2025
I knew some about Berra - he's bigger than baseball, of course, so everyone at least knows the name.
But as a baseball fan, I should have known more about this guy. What a ballplayer! It's embarrassing I didn't know he started a a great hitting, but defensively-suspect (including pitch calling) catcher, but trained himself to be a real threat to catch stolen base runners, and maybe the most respected pitch caller in the game. It's embarrassing I didn't know he won MVP three times and was a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame (the only question is why it took two years). I try to hate the Yankees, because that's what my religion teaches, but this guy was amazing! And a stand-up, classy, great human being to boot.
I don't know how many bios there are of him, but this is a great one. It's worth learning about the real Yogi Berra beyond the caricature who said a lot of funny things.
But as a baseball fan, I should have known more about this guy. What a ballplayer! It's embarrassing I didn't know he started a a great hitting, but defensively-suspect (including pitch calling) catcher, but trained himself to be a real threat to catch stolen base runners, and maybe the most respected pitch caller in the game. It's embarrassing I didn't know he won MVP three times and was a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame (the only question is why it took two years). I try to hate the Yankees, because that's what my religion teaches, but this guy was amazing! And a stand-up, classy, great human being to boot.
I don't know how many bios there are of him, but this is a great one. It's worth learning about the real Yogi Berra beyond the caricature who said a lot of funny things.
May 3, 2020
A wonderful read about a wonderful and talented man.
May 17, 2020
I received an advanced reader copy as a giveaway here on Goodreads. Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads! I found this biography to be one of the best I have ever read. I was riveted to the play by play of Yogi’s baseball exploits. But what I find most satisfying is Yogi’s character and devotion not only to baseball in general but to his family and life-long friends.
July 21, 2020
One of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in quite sometime. Having grown up as a 1960s Yankees fan, the insights offered here were outstanding. Yogi was always a hero and served as a model for why I became a catcher. Although I swung at almost any ball thrown my way, I was not proficient as Yogi as turning those swings into hits. Reading about his dedication to principles and to the Yankee way was heartwarming. A truly wonderful story of his life, career, and family. I hated to reach the end of the book knowing that Yogi died and that tears would flow. I was right.
January 28, 2024
Definitive biography on one of the top Yankees of all time. Learned a ton I didn’t know which is always good
April 11, 2023
Great biography of one of the best ball players of all time, thoroughly enjoyed this read.
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