Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center
The museum and learning center’s permanent and rotating exhibitions tell the unique story of Yogi Berra, while exploring history, culture, science and society within the larger context of baseball and sports. It is located on the campus of Montclair State University at 8 Yogi Berra Drive, Little Falls, NJ 07424. It is open Wednesday-Sunday from noon until 5 PM. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for children under 18, and $10 for seniors. Admission is free for veterans and Montclair State students. Website: https://yogiberramuseum.org/
Yogi Berra transcended the world of sports to become an American icon. Few athletes have made such a transition. Yogi is a household name, known even to those unfamiliar with baseball history. He was a child of Italian immigrants, a World War II Navy gunner who served at D-Day, a record-holding athlete, a Major League coach and manager, a husband and father, an engaged community member, a friend to many and, famously, a one-of-a-kind master with language who uttered some of the most frequently recalled sayings in American life. After a long career and during a very public retirement in which he remained involved in baseball, Yogi spent many of his days at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Montclair, N.J., where his interests in education, sports and community came together as one. His legacy is carried on in the Museum’s exhibitions and programs.
Yogi Berra Career Highlights
• Played on 10 world championship teams and 14 pennant winners in 17 full seasons; played in 75 World Series games
• Three-time American League Most Valuable Player (1951, 1954, 1955); never finished lower than fourth in MVP voting from 1950-57
• Led American League catchers in home runs and RBI in each of nine straight seasons (1949-1957)
• Selected to play in 15 successive All-Star Games, 18x All-Star overall
• Played outfield early and late in his career, a total of 260 games
• Hit the first pinch hit home run in World Series history (1947)
• Caught at least 100 games in 10 seasons, and caught both games of 117 doubleheaders
• Became one of only four catchers to have a 1.000 fielding percentage for the season (1958)
• Caught the only Perfect Game in World Series history (1956)
• Selected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team
• No. 8 retired by the New York Yankees
Famous Yogi-isms
“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
“It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”
“It’s deja vu all over again.”
“Never answer an anonymous letter.”
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
“I want to thank you for making this day necessary.”
“We made too many wrong mistakes.”
“You can observe a lot by watching.”
“The future ain’t what it used to be.”
“Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”
“It gets late early out there.”
“If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.”
“Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel.”
“If the people don’t want to come out to the ballpark, nobody’s going to stop them.”
“Pair up in threes.”
“We were overwhelming underdogs.”
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