Yogi Berra: An Unlikely Philosopher

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Yogi Berra was one of the great base ball players, hitter and catcher, he also spent years as a successful team manager. He is more famous for his malaproprisms ( in fact his statements are a genre in it’s known & have been labeled Yogisms), but there is usually an element of  philosophical truth within them. But philosophical or not they just make me crack up every time I read them. (Taking a little break from the wisdom of Epictetus, we all could use a little laughter now & then)~If you don’t know where you’re going, chances are you will end up somewhere else.

~I really didn’t say everything I said.

~It’s deja-vu all over again.

~You should always go to other people’s funerals. Otherwise they won’t come to yours. 

~The only reason I need these gloves is ’cause of my hands.

~If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.

~If I didn’t wake up, I’d still be sleeping.

~I knew I was going to take the wrong train, so I left early. 

~If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him.

~It’s never happened in the World Series history – and it hasn’t happened since.

~It’s not too far, it just seems like it is.

~If you don’t set goals, you can’t regret not reaching them. (Yup this is my personal philosophy too, no goals, no work, no guilt)

~Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.

~You mean now? (When asked for the time.)

~We have a good time together, even when we’re not together. 

~The future ain’t what it used to be.

~If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

~Pair up in threes.

~Don’t get me right, I’m just asking.

~We made too many wrong mistakes. 

~When told by a queen visiting New York on a particularly humid day that he appeared “quite cool,” Yogi innocently responded “Thanks; you don’t look so hot yourself.”

~We’re lost, but we’re making great time! 

~I knew exactly where it was, I just couldn’t find it.

~If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.

~You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.

~You better cut the pizza in four pieces. I’m not hungry enough to eat eight.

~I usually take a two hour nap, from one to four.

~Steve McQueen looks good in this movie. He must have made it before he died.

~It gets late early out there. (Referring to the sun conditions in left field at the stadium.) ( I know what he’s talking about, it used to get late early in North-east)

~You can observe a lot just by watching.

~No, you didn’t wake me up. I had to get up to answer the phone anyway. 

~I really liked it. Even the music was good. (When asked if he liked the opera one evening.) 

~Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel. 

~Shut up and talk. 

~You can’t think & hit at the same time. (A focused approach! Zen like concentration & single Tasking)

~Once, Yogi’s wife Carmen asked, “Yogi, you are from St. Louis, we live in New Jersey, and you played ball in New York. If you go before I do, where would you like me to have you buried?” To this, Yogi replied, “Surprise me.”

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• Out of the Mouth of No One (nytimes.com)