Yogi Berra Profile

There is no more beloved figure in the history of America's national pastime than Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra. One of the greatest catchers and clutch hitters in the history of baseball, he was the anchor of the great New York Yankees dynasty from the late 1940s to early '60s.

Berra played on more pennant-winning teams (14), and on more World Series winners (10) than any player in the history of the game. A 15-time All Star, he was named Most Valuable Player in the American League three times, an unsurpassed accomplishment. He also set numerous records for catchers, including 148 consecutive games without an error. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972 and is a member of Major League Baseball's All-Century Team. As a manager, he won pennants for both the Yankees in 1964 and the Mets in 1973.

His trademark "Yogi-isms," such as "It ain't over 'til it's over" and "It's déjà vu all over again," have become part of the American vernacular. No other sports figure has as many entries in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. Since retiring from baseball he has selflessly devoted himself to charitable causes, raising over $1 million for scholarships, educational programming and special-needs scouts through his annual golf tournament.