Yogi Berra during his palying days with the Yankees.
LITTLE FALLS, NJ — The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, located on the campus of Montclair State University, is marking what would have been the 100th birthday of legendary baseball Hall-of-Famer and national icon Yogi Berra.
The celebration, on Monday, May 12, at 4 p.m., is being hosted by Emmy Award-winning sportscaster Bob Costas. Attendees include members of the Berra family; Museum leadership and supporters; former Major League players; president of the Major League Baseball Players Association, Tony Clark; president of Montclair State University, Jonathan G. S. Koppell; president of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Teik C. Lim; local elected officials; youth groups served by the Museum’s education programs as well as members of the community who knew Yogi as both friend and neighbor.
The afternoon will culminate in a surprise announcement by the Museum of a major community-based initiative to be held this September, coinciding with the date of Berra’s passing.
Born May 12, 1925 in St. Louis, the child of working-class, Italian-American immigrants,Yogi Berra became the anchor of the New York Yankees dynasty from the late 1940’s through the early 1960’s, amassing ten World Series championships with the team, more than any player in the history of the game.
Beyond his records as an athlete, Berra transcended the world of sports to become a household name, known even to those unfamiliar with baseball history. His long life reflected in many ways the history of 20th-century America: his proud Italian-American heritage, his service as a World War II navy gunner at D-Day, his playing career as a record-holding athlete, followed by a successful stretch as Major League coach and manager, his commitment to family in his role as husband and father, engaged community member and friend to many and, famously, his one-of-a-kind mastery with language, resulting in some of the most frequently used sayings in American life.
After a long career and during a very public retirement in which he remained deeply involved in baseball, attending spring training well into his eighties, Yogi spent many of his days at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, where his interests in sports, education and community came together as one. His legacy is carried on in the Museum’s exhibitions and programs, which use baseball and Yogi’s values as a vehicle for learning experiences that serve close to 10,000 young people annually.
About The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center:
The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center is a nonprofit sports education organization on the campus of Montclair State University. The Museum’s mission is to preserve and promote the values of perseverance, respect, sportsmanship and excellence through inclusive, culturally diverse, sports-based educational exhibits and programs.
For additional information about the Museum, visit www.yogiberramuseum.org or call 973-655-2378.
Photo Courtesy of The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center
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