Why are the New York Yankees so much a part of American History? What makes them bigger than the game itself? No matter who your team is or how much you might root against the Bronx Bomber, there is no denying the Yanks are in a class by themselves.
The country truly lost a National Hero this past week. Yogi Berra wasn’t just a New York Yankee; he was really one of us. Joe D was the statesman. He was the class of the organization. A well dressed class act with Marilyn Monroe on his arm. He was Madison Avenue and patrolled the outfield with a stoic confidence.
Then there was Mickey. He was a superhero. Built has if the Ford Motor Company decided to put a baseball player together. His million-dollar smile and boyish charm made him the face of Baseball. His home runs were the stuff of legend, and made Yankee fans feel as if the Son of Jor-El had fallen to earth to put on pinstripes. These Yankees are now woven into the very fabric of America.
Yogi Berra wasn’t a statesman…although his ability to turn a phrase…and then turn it again is legendary. He didn’t have the looks of a catalog model. He was an average guy with an above average heart. Yogi Berra was America in every way, shape and form. He was the guy that always showed up. He always won and he did it with a blue-collar sensibility. Berra won 10 rings, which puts him in the top 5 in most among MLB TEAMS! Not players…TEAMS!
I will miss this guy a lot. I would love to be at Old Timer’s Day and see him make his appearance. He was the link that brought all Yankee fans together. We loved Yogi as if he were actually part of our family…and in a way, he was. Everyone he’d meet respected the man. He brought a smile to your face when you’d see him interviewed. Yogi was one of a kind. He represents a time in this nation’s history. A time when we didn’t run each other down or spew venom at one another via social media and cable news. Yogi was America at it’s best. He worked hard, respected the game and won.
Baseball will miss you, Yogi. Ya done real good…ya done real, real good.
** I really do believe this song is the best way to say goodbye to the greats. Yogi was truly that. **
--Mike O'Hara Senior "Features" Writer
Twitter: @mikeyoh21
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