THIS WEEK IN SOUTHSIDE HISTORY: Yogi made it big, but stayed a son of The Hill
Berra was born May 12; final game was May 9
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| Erica Burrus photo/ Josie Sadowski, Yogi Berra's sister, loves to tell stories about her famous brother. |
He hated school so much he stopped going after eighth grade. That lack of education is seen even today, in mangled sentences that befuddle listeners.
Before she married, Josie's last name was Berra. Her brother's name was Lawrence Peter Berra. To generations of baseball fans and amused followers of his wise sayings, he's known simply as Yogi.This week, Yogi Berra celebrates two high points of his life. Friday marks the 43rd anniversary of his last Major League Baseball game. And Monday he'll blow out 83 candles on his birthday cake.
Yogi's statistics make it clear why he made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. From the time he started with the Yankees in late 1946 to his last games as a player-coach with the Mets in 1965, he batted .285 and hit a solid 358 home runs.
One of the all-time-great catchers, he was the losing manager when the Cardinals beat the Yankees in seven games in 1964 and managed the "You Gotta Believe" Mets from last place to win the National League pennant in the last month of the 1973 season.
Now he's often known for his sayings that make people do a double take.
Whether it's "I usually take a two-hour nap from one to four," "I want to thank you for making this day necessary," or "I didn't really say everything I said," the normal response is, "Huh?"
While all that's true, people around Elizabeth Avenue remember Yogi as just another son of The Hill.
Born the son of Italian immigrants on May 12, 1925, Yogi spent the years before he signed a contract with the Yankees at 5447 Elizabeth Ave. He was the youngest of four brothers, and five years older than his only sister, Josie.
Now 78, Josie lived at the house on Elizabeth Ave., until she entered the Beauvais Manor on the Park nursing home, 3625 Magnolia Ave.
She loves to talk about her brother.
"He's the only one that had 10 world series rings," Josie said.
All of Josie's brothers played baseball, but especially Yogi.
"That's all that guy ever though about, play ball, play ball, play ball," she said. "My dad used to go crazy because he played ball so much."
He never attended high school, Josie said. "He didn't like to go to school and he didn't. That's why he said it ain't over 'til it's over," she said.
After he signed with the Yankees and went to the major league, Yogi could have stayed anywhere when he came to St. Louis to play against the St. Louis Brown.
Instead, he came to Elizabeth Avenue.
"He always stayed in our house. He'd never stay in a hotel," Josie said.
In the off season, Berra lived on Elizabeth Avenue from the time he married in 1948 until he moved to New Jersey in 1951, said his son, Dale Berra.
"When I was a kid, we used to go back to The Hill," Dale said. He recalled the Italian delis, a candy store at the corner, playing ball in the street and his father taking him to Sublette Park, where he played baseball.
Yogi has come back from his home in New Jersey over the years and still comes back from time to time, Dale said.
"There's still some guys in the neighborhood that grew up with dad," Dale said.
One thing he would see on his block are plaques marking the former homes of himself, his friend baseball player and broadcaster Joe Garagiola, Joe's brother Mickey, 1949 Cleveland Browns member Ben Pucci and broadcaster Jack Buck.
The block, given the honorary designation "Hall of Fame Place," is part of a larger "Hill Walk of Fame."
He'd also find a warm welcome at the old house, where his niece still lives. There, he could talk about all the homers he used to hit and say some more things that would make listeners say "Huh?"
Have a date you'd like us to write about? Contact Jim Merkel at 664-2700, ext 134 or jmerkel@yourjournal.com.
