"It Ain't Over 'Till It's Over"... Beloved Hall of Famer, Yogi Berra Dies at 90

Aimee Herd : Sep 23, 2015
Biography.com

"There's an essential sweetness about him. He's without guile. That's about as kind of a thing you can say about a human being. He's one of the great people in the world."

(New Jersey)—He's best known for his unique malapropisms that often made the hearer respond, "Huh?" And which have affectionately become known as "Yogi-isms," like: "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." (Photo via Wikiquote)

Hall of famer Yogi Berra, called one of the greatest catchers of all time, died in his sleep of natural causeson Tuesday, at the well-lived age of 90, at his home in New Jersey.

Lawrence Peter Berra, born in 1925, was given the nickname of "Yogi" by a friend who thought he resembled an Indian snake charmer. He was the son of Italian immigrants, playing sports with his brothers during his childhood, and becoming "serious" about baseball in his teens.

Yogi went on to play 19 seasons in Major League Baseball—most with the NY Yankees—he was an 18-time All-Star, and 10-time World Series champion. He also coached and managed both in the American and National Leagues.

A Catholic, Berra was married to his wife, Carmen, for 65 years—she died last year following a stroke.

Berra died on Tuesday, September 22nd, he was 90-years-old. It was the same day he had had his MLB debut 69 years before, according to reports. (Photo: Sam Falk/The New York Times)

Of his ability to come up with mind-numbing "Yogi-isms," Berra once said, "When I'm sittin' down to dinner with the family, stuff just pops out. And they'll say, 'Dad, you just said another one.' And I don't even know what the heck I said."

In a Reuters interview he also said, "I don't know why I say these things, but people understand me."

Here are some of his best-known quotes:

"Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical."

"It ain't over till it's over."

"The future ain't what it used to be."

"Always go to other people's funerals; otherwise they won't go to yours."

"It's déjà vu all over again."

"You can observe a lot by watching."

"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore."

Regarding the beloved Berra's death, the NY Yankees tweeted, "We are deeply saddened by the loss of a Yankees legend and American hero."

Former teammate, Jim Bouton once said of Berra, "There's an essential sweetness about him. He's without guile. That's about as kind of a thing you can say about a human being. He's one of the great people in the world."