Yogi

There were plenty of firsthand witnesses, however, to Berra's famous remark on the occasion of Yogi Berra Night at Sportsman's Park in 1947: "I want to thank all those who made this night necessary." Isn't that a perfect expression of the ambivalence of one who sincerely feels honored but hates playing the role of honoree? A poetic slip.

Some Berraisms transcend logic because they are simpler than logic. "I'm wearing these gloves for my hands," he said one cold spring-training day.

Others express something too subtle for logic. There was the time when some sportswriters urged Berra to go with them to a dirty movie. "Nahhh," he said, "I don't want to see no dirty movie. I'm going to see Airport."

"Come on, Yog, come with us. Let's go see the dirty movie."

"Nahhh. I'm not interested."

"Come on. You can see Airport anytime. Let's go see this dirty picture."

"Well," said Yogi, "who's in it?"

Isn't that a trenchant comment on pornography? Dirty movies don't have anyone in them.

There are many stories about Yogi on radio shows. He's supposed to have laid down this ground rule once: "If you ask me anything I don't know, I'm not going to answer." Would that everyone on radio followed that policy.

But my radio favorite is the one about the interviewer who told Berra before the broadcast, "We're going to do free association. I'm going to throw out a few names, and you just say the first thing that pops into your mind."