The wisdom of Yogi

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I was saddened to hear of the passing of baseball great Yogi Berra this week at the age of 90. Even if a person does not watch baseball, doesn’t care about baseball or even dislikes baseball, it was hard to not to like Lawrence Peter Berra.
He will be remembered mostly for two things. He will be known for being an outstanding baseball player.
His baseball statistics are truly stunning, making 15 All-Star games in his 19-year career. He also was a part of 13 World Series-winning teams, either as a player or coach. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, has had his jersey number retired by the New York Yankees and is widely regarded as one of the best catchers of all time.
But somehow, those great accomplishments will almost always be secondary to his personality.
Those who knew him saw him as a warm and caring person, easy to interview and easy to be around.
He was not shy by any means, and was rarely intimidated. The son of Italian immigrants, he was not big or exceptionally athletic, yet overcame those obstacles to become a great baseball player, author and humanitarian.
More than anything, Berra will likely be remembered for his so-called “Yogi-isms.” Even if you had never heard of Yogi Berra, you have likely heard one of his sayings, many of which were contradictory or nonsensical.
• Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.
• Pair up in threes.
• A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.
• It ain’t over until it’s over.
• It’s deja vu all over again.
Although he was often viewed as a bit of a simpleton, those who knew him best knew him as a very intelligent man who had a handle on possibly the most important skill there is — he knew how to deal with people.
He knew how to do it because he loved doing it. And that, more so than baseball statistics, will be his lasting legacy.

Glen Brockenbush is a staff writer for the Snyder Daily News. Comments about his column may be emailed to news@snyderdailynews.com.