Baseball legend Yogi Berra dies at the age of 90
Wednesday 23 September 2015 11:55, UK
New York Yankees Hall of Famer Yogi Berra has died at the age of 90.
Berra died of natural causes on Tuesday at his home in New Jersey, according to Dave Kaplan, the director of the Yogi Berra Museum.
Berra was a legendary Yankee who helped the team reach 14 World Series during his 18 seasons in the Bronx.
He played in more World Series games than any other major leaguer, and was a three-time American League Most Valuable Player.
A tweet from MLB's official Twitter account read: "We mourn the passing of Yankees icon and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra."
He succeeded Ralph Houk as Yankees manager in 1964 but was soon fired. He led the New York Mets between 1972 and 1975 before returning to the Bronx to coach the Yankees - a second tenure which lasted for only 16 games.
On Wednesday morning the Yankees tweeted: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of a Yankees legend and American hero, Yogi Berra."
The saying 'It ain't over till it's over' was coined by then-Mets player Berra when he refused to concede defeat to the Chicago Cubs in the race for the 1973 divisional title. The Mets would overturn a nine-and-a-half game deficit to triumph on the last day of the season.
He was one of America's most quoted sportsmen, and often unintentionally amused the nation.
Some classic Berra quotes include:
- "The future ain't what it used to be."
- "Never answer an anonymous letter."
- "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
- "Always go to other people's funerals. Otherwise they won't go to yours."
- "Nobody goes there any more. It's too crowded."
- "I usually take a two-hour nap from one to four."
- "Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical."
- And perhaps most famously: "It's deja vu all over again."