Game Over Tamil Yogi

[Stephani Kapnick]

Onenight, a friend of mine who lives in Montclair, New Jersey, drove me around the exclusive neighborhood on the hill to show me all the mansions owned by people like Stephen Colbert. We came to a fork in the road, and my friend said, "No matter which fork you take, you get to Yogi Berra's house." He then drove me around the circular road to show me. It was so funny, especially in the context of one of Yogi Berra's (many) famous comments (known as "Yogi-isms"): "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."

The title could have multiple meanings, in the same way, Yogi-isms tend to unfold the longer you think about them. Yogi Berra played baseball and coached and managed teams. He did so for the majority of his career to great distinction. Yet he is remembered mostly for the Yogi-isms, for Yogi Bear, and the lovable, goofy image presented by the media. The tone was often condescending, focusing on his apparently un-baseball-like appearance, short, squat, and close to the ground. He was treated almost like a clown, or a team mascot, particularly with his penchant for product endorsement and silly commercials. Meanwhile, he was a force to be reckoned with at the plate and behind it as a catcher.

Let's not forget he was the child of Italian immigrants and enlisted in World War II before getting drafted (with a New York Yankees contract already signed). He was present at the storming of the beach at Normandy. The documentary's title could refer to Berra's legacy, which needs some serious polishing.

"It Ain't Over" starts with an inciting event. At the 2015 All-Star Game, the fan-voted "four greatest living players" (Sandy Koufax, Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, and Willie Mays) walked out onto the field to a thunderous ovation. It was very touching, but I remember my cousin saying, "Where the hell is Yogi?" Indeed. Many people said the same thing, and "It Ain't Over" repeatedly says it. It's unfair that Yogi should be minimized by his "brand," a lovable regular feature in the game, wisecracking, goofing off in commercials, and participating in his "brand," a brand which overshadowed his career.

All you need to do is look at his dazzling stats. As a player, he won 10 World Series championships. He was MVP three times. In 1956, during the World Series, pitcher Don Larsen pitched a perfect game, with Berra squatting behind the plate, essentially running the show. I love the detail provided that of all the pitches Larsen threw that day, he didn't wave off one of Berra's calls. Not one. The accomplishment is as much Berra's as Larsen's. It is the only perfect game in World Series history. The footage is still thrilling, no matter how often you watch it: Berra leaping into Larsen's arms like a little kid as the crowd goes wild. As a manager and coach, the World Series wins continued to rack up. His record is, if anything, more impressive than the four greatest living players (legends all, and rightfully so). So why the condescension?

"It Ain't Over" is a family affair: his sons are interviewed, and his grandchildren (his granddaughter is the main voice, leading us through the career). This gives the doc an urgent and emotional mood. The Berra family tells the stories with familiarity and affection, often laughing or crying: this is well-trod ground, tall tales, the narrative of their family.

The roster of interview subjects is impressive, with Derek Jeter, Roger Angell, and other writers, former teammates, and current-day admirers. I loved the brief, enthusiastic commentary from former MLB player Nick Swisher: "12 strikeouts? I don't even think I did that in whiffle ball!" Former player and coach Joe Madden says bluntly, "Just look at the old videos, man." Roger Angell said, "He abolished the strike zone."

There's also copious commentary on his welcoming the integration of the major leagues at a time when it was not a popular stance to take. Jackie Robinson never forgot Yogi Berra's first comment to him: "Thank you for your service to the country, and welcome to professional baseball." There's more where that came from, including Berra's late-in-life involvement in Athlete Ally, a nonprofit advocacy group helping sports organizations be more inclusive towards their LGBTQ fans and athletes.

"It Ain't Over" works the way it's supposed to work. I admit I am a sucker for baseball players talking shop, enthusing and sharing knowledge, and professional admiration for peers and forebears. There is a continuum, an inheritance from the past. The film includes a tangent into Yogi-isms and how they are constructed, with life coaches and linguists weighing in. This is an unnecessary divergence. If you need it explained why Berra's "If you can't imitate him, don't copy him" makes perfect sense, no literary professor can help.

Berra was born in St. Louis, in an Italian community, and signed with the Yankees in 1943 before serving in the United States Navy as a gunner's mate in the Normandy landings during World War II. He was wounded in his left hand, but declined to fill out the paperwork to receive the Purple Heart because he did not want his mother to get a notification telegram and worry that he had been hurt. Berra never received the medal. He made his major-league debut at age 21 in 1946 and was a mainstay in the Yankees' lineup during the team's championship years beginning in 1949 and continuing through 1962. Berra was a power hitter and strong defensive catcher, despite being shorter than most in the league at 5 feet 7 inches [1.70 m] tall. Berra played 18 seasons with the Yankees before retiring after the 1963 season. He spent the next year as their manager, then joined the New York Mets in 1965 as coach (and briefly a player again). Berra remained with the Mets for the next decade, serving the last four years as their manager. He returned to the Yankees in 1976, coaching them for eight seasons and managing for two, before coaching the Houston Astros. Berra appeared as a player, coach or manager in 13 of 15 World Series that New York baseball teams won from 1947 through 1981.[2] (The Brooklyn Dodgers won the 1955 World Series and the NY Giants won the 1954 World series; Berra was neither a player, coach or manager of either team.) Overall, he played or coached in 21 World Series, 13 on the winning side. Berra caught Don Larsen's perfect game in game five of the 1956 World Series. He also holds the all-time record for shutouts caught with 173.[4]

The Yankees retired his uniform number 8 in 1972; Bill Dickey had previously worn number 8, and both catchers had that number retired by the Yankees. The club honored him with a plaque in Monument Park in 1988. Berra was named to the MLB All-Century Team in a vote by fans in 1999. For the remainder of his life, he was closely involved with the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, which he opened on the campus of Montclair State University in 1998. Berra quit school after the eighth grade.[5] He was known for his malapropisms as well as pithy and paradoxical statements, such as "It ain't over 'til it's over", while speaking to reporters. He once simultaneously denied and confirmed his reputation by stating, "I really didn't say everything I said."[3][6]

He began playing baseball in local American Legion Baseball leagues, where he learned the basics of catching while playing both outfield and infield positions. While playing in American Legion Baseball, he received the nickname "Yogi" from his friend Jack Maguire, who, after seeing a newsreel about India,[13] said that he resembled a yogi from India whenever he sat around with arms and legs crossed waiting to bat or while looking sad after a losing game.[14]

In 1942, the St. Louis Cardinals overlooked Berra in favor of his boyhood best friend, Joe Garagiola. On the surface, the Cardinals seemed to think that Garagiola was the superior prospect, but team president Branch Rickey actually had an ulterior motive. Rickey already knew that he was going to leave St. Louis to take over the operation of the Brooklyn Dodgers and was more impressed with Berra than he let on; he apparently had planned to hold Berra off until he could sign him for the Dodgers.[15] However, the Yankees signed Berra for the same $500 bonus ($9,300 in current dollar terms) the Cardinals offered Garagiola before Rickey could sign Berra to the Dodgers. Berra played for the Norfolk Tars in 1943.[16][17]

Berra joined the United States Navy in 1943, and served as a gunner's mate on the attack transport USS Bayfield during the Normandy landings.[18] A Second Class Seaman, Berra was one of a six-man crew on a Navy rocket boat, firing machine guns and launching rockets at the German defenses on Omaha Beach. He was fired upon and later received several commendations for his bravery. During an interview on the 65th Anniversary of D-Day, Berra confirmed that he was sent to Utah Beach during the D-Day invasion as well.[19][20] According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, he was shot in the left hand during Operation Dragoon, an injury which qualified him for the Purple Heart. However, he never received the medal, because he did not fill out the paperwork. He did not want his mother to get a telegram and worry that he had been hurt. Berra's family tried to obtain the Purple Heart posthumously, but was unable. His military records were burned in the St. Louis Archives fire in 1973, and without his medical records, there was no way to prove he had been wounded.

Following Operation Dragoon, he was sent to Tunisia before returning to the United States in January 1945 and being stationed at Naval Submarine Base New London. While there, he played for the base's semi-pro baseball team. He also bribed guards to allow him to sneak off base and play for the Cranston, Rhode Island, Chiefs for $50 a game under an assumed name, as he was already signed with the Yankees.[21][22] He was ultimately honorably discharged in May 1946.[23]

Following his military service, Berra played minor-league baseball with the Newark Bears, surprising the team's manager with his talent despite his short stature.[24] He was mentored by Hall of Famer Bill Dickey, whose uniform number Berra took. He later said, "I owe everything I did in baseball to Bill Dickey."[25]

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