If the subtitle of this delicious collection of Yogi-isms has you scratching your head, it has done its job as stunningly as Berra used to do his behind the plate at Yankee Stadium. The Hall of Fame MVP catcher for the pinstriped dynasties of the late 1940s through the '50s and into the '60s, Berra was about as quick with his witticisms as he was with his bat and glove. But if his observations hit the heart of the plate, his grammar tended to pop out of left field, hence the creation of a unique mode of malapropism dubbed the Yogi-ism. To truly understand the title, you need to know that not every mot ascribed to Yogi actually emanated from his mouth--they only sounded like they should have. Thus, he really didn't say everything he said, which makes The Yogi Book absolutely necessary (see page 10).

To the things that Yogi did say, The Yogi Book does both service and justice. It gathers the witticisms in a single convenient volume, adds a scrapbook of photos, then lets their progenitor riff, filling in color commentary on what was happening beyond his mind and what was going through it when the famous phrases were dispatched into the public domain. He deservedly takes credit for such immortal pronunciamentos as "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." (page 16); "It's deja vu all over again." (page 30); "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." (page 48); "The future ain't what it used to be." (page 118); "It gets late early out there." (page 64); and "Ninety percent of this game is half mental." (page 69). All, like the sacred texts they happen to be, are appropriately parsed for your edification, as is the greatest Yogi-ism of them all: "It ain't over 'til it's over." (page 121).


Book Description
It's deja vu all over again! And just in time for Father's Day. Announcing a hardcover edition of the 300,000-plus -copy national bestseller that has baseball fans everywhere saying "It ain't over 'til it's over" and "90% of the game is half mental" and "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." A $12.95 jacketed edition that ships in time for Father's Day, The Yogi Book is a perfect gift for sports fans, quote book collectors, lovers of pop culture and Americana, and everyone who ever knew exactly what Yogi meant by You can observe a lot by watching.


About the Author
Elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra holds numerous records and distinctions. He was a fifteen-time All Star, and won the American League Most Valuable Player award three times, in 1951, '54 and '55. He played in 14 World Series and holds numerous World Series records including most games by a catcher (63), hits (71) and times on a winning team (10). He has managed both the Mets and the Yankees to pennant wins.