The Man We Will Miss
by Mike Davis, Ph.D.
Head of School
When I read that Yogi Berra had died this week, I felt like a piece of my childhood went as well. He was 90 years old, and passed away 69 years to the day after his Major League Baseball debut.
Who doesn't love his Yogisms?Head of School
When I read that Yogi Berra had died this week, I felt like a piece of my childhood went as well. He was 90 years old, and passed away 69 years to the day after his Major League Baseball debut.
"It ain't over till it's over."
"It's déjà vu all over again."
"When you come to a fork in the road ... take it."
Part of what makes them so endearing is that they came from a man who many of us grew up watching as a baseball catcher, manager, and coach. Here was a man who racked up more World Series rings than anyone – 10 of them; he was a player that made 18 All-Star appearances, won more MVP awards than any other catcher. He is one of only five players to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award three times. And he was widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history. I played catcher in Little League, and, even though he was a coach and manager during my childhood baseball career, I knew that I was playing his position.
Growing up in the 1970s and 80s, I was a Pirates fan, but I couldn’t help being drawn to the Yankees, their story, and, of course, all those amazing personalities. (Billy Martin, George Steinbrenner, Reggie Jackson, and Yogi Berra, were part of this just fascinating cast of characters.) Where there was anger and hubris with certain of those personalities, Berra offered something else… humility and self-effacement. That was a public image that I saw through a child’s perspective. I better appreciate that
his success came through focus, dedication, and a rare type of intelligence.
his success came through focus, dedication, and a rare type of intelligence.
It’s often easy to idolize and idealize sports figures. But Berra wasn’t that. I believe what people mark the loss of with Berra’s death is the man they will miss. Berra was someone even with all of his success, who never lost sight of what really mattered in life. His staying power was remarkable, his grit and grace (simultaneously) were admirable.
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