Yogi Berra interview, 1982 February 23
Yogi Berra interview
Date1982 February 23
DescriptionAn audio cassette featuring an interview with Yogi Berra conducted by Rod Roberts on the behalf of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on February 23, 1982 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at Yankees Training Camp.
Object numberHF-1994-0001-005
Interviewer
Roberts, Rod
Interviewee
Berra, Yogi, 1925-2015
Subject
Berra, Yogi, 1925-2015
Classificationsaudio/visual materials
Library Call NumberCTA 789
Collection NumberBA RMA 001 Rod Roberts oral history collection
Dimensions1 audio cassette
TrannscriptionCassette 1 content includes: Side One -- Track 1 - Born in St. Louis, May 12, 1925; parents were born in Italy, in a small town called Malvaglio outside of Milan; four boys and one girl in the family; Berra was fourth child; started playing ball at age 10-11; attended Shaw Elementary School; never went to high school, went to work in a shoe factory as a tack puller; started playing baseball in the American Legion; playing corkball; best ballplayer was his oldest brother according to his friend Joe Garagiola; father sometimes would punish him for playing ball (00:00:00 to 00:04:12) Track 2 - American Legion ball a real stepping stone; playing with Bobby Hofman and Jack (?); Cardinals scout was their manager; fan of Cardinals and Browns; played a lot of soccer, sandlot football (00:04:12 to 00:05:36) Track 3 - On starting out as a third baseman, pitcher; Garagiola normally was catcher but got hurt one day, so Berra became catcher (00:05:36 to 00:06:08) Track 4 - Signed with the Yankees in 1943; St. Louis teams didn't want him; went to spring training with Kansas City Blues; ended up in Norfolk, VA playing Class D ball; at end of that season Berra was called up to military service; went to boot camp in Bainbridge, MD; sent to Toledo Beach in Long Island, and Little Creek, VA; volunteered for amphibious unit, served on a 36-foot boat (00:06:08 to 00:08:12) Track 5 - On being shipped to Scotland to train for D-Day and Normandy Invasion; spent a year in Europe; returned to Norfolk and was shipped to a submarine base where they were starting a baseball team; met Jim Gleeson, who was in charge of the baseball team; build a field; played with Walt Masterson, Joe Glenn, Junior Thompson; stayed there until 1946 (00:08:12 to 00:11:10) Track 6 - On speaking Italian at home; parents speaking mostly Italian; mother called him Lawdie, from Lawrence; Hofman game him the nickname Yoggi because he always had his feet crossed (00:11:10 to 00:12:29) Track 7 - On Italian neighborhood, The Hill; two older brothers, Tony & Mike, were born in Italy; father came over first; eating Italian food (00:12:29 to 00:13:58) Track 8 - After the service, returned to baseball in Newark; then came up to the Yankees the last two weeks of the 1946 season; in 1947 hit a home run off the first pitch in the World Series (00:13:58 to 00:15:36) Track 9 - On Joe DiMaggio, great man and leader, not a phony; Tommy Henrich; Charlie Keller; Phil Rizzuto, (Allie) Reynolds; (Ed) Lopat; (Vic) Raschi; all good players; DiMaggio very quiet but didn't let things go; people looked up to DiMaggio, he was very serious (00:15:36 to 00:17:39) Track 10 - On jokers on the team: Billy Johnson, Johnny Lindell (00:17:39 to 00:17:58) Track 11 - On DiMaggio being the best ballplayer; (Ted) Williams not bad either; DiMaggio best all-around, better than Willie Mays; Williams a good hitter; Mays basket catch (00:17:58 to 00:19:25) Track 12 - More on Henric;, Keller being mistaken for Berra; Rizzuto ribbing King Kong Keller as the strongest man in the world; Berra hit the Shibe Park light standard three times and in American League the ball was in play; National League that was a home run (00:19:25 to 00:21:26) Track 13 - On Berra's first manager, Bucky Harris, right after Johnny Neun; Berra also worked for Casey Stengel and Ralph Houk; understanding Stengel's way of speaking; Stengel's platoon system, prolonging players' careers; Berra arguing with Stengel and getting seven hits in a double-header; having a good bench; Stengel being meaner when the team was winning than losing; not liking players playing around in the dugout (00:21:26 to 00:25:34) Track 14 - On Bobo Newsom having fun at the end of his career; reputation as a drinker; being a Yankee making him put out more effort (00:25:34 to 00:27:07) Track 15 - On Johnny Mize getting in Hall of Fame; a few more who should be there; Berra never expecting to be in the Hall of Fame, just wanting to play ball (a lot of background noise here) (00:27:07 to 00:28:29) Track 16 - On Alex Kellner being the toughest pitcher; best pitcher Vic Raschi or Whitey Ford; Raschi being all-business; Allie Reynolds (tape runs out) (00:28:29 to 00:30:29) Side Two -- Track 1 - Closing remarks and thanks (nothing else on this tape, the rest is blank) (00:00:00 to 00:00:33.2)Public Access NotePlease note that not all works are on view at all times - their availability is subject to change per the discretion of the Museum staff. 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