Clark's Eye on Books

by Clark Isaacs

YOGI BERRA: Eternal Yankee

Author: Allen Barra

ISBN: 978-0-393-33714-3, Pages: 451, $16.95, 66 Photographs, Publication Date: March 29, 2010, Paperback, Biography, and Published by: W. W. Norton & Company

Fall is descending upon us and the national pastime classic of the World Series is around the corner. What better time to bring to your attention a classy ball player by the name of Larry “Yogi” Berra. A biography written by a true sportsman Allen Barra, who has penned a best seller “The Last Coach: A Life of Paul “Bear” Bryant. His writing appears in the Wall Street Journal, The Village Voice, Playboy and others.

Yogi came to the Yankees on September 22, 1946, when he made his major league debut at Yankee Stadium; he hit a home run in his first game. This was the first of many he would hit in his stellar career where he contributed his talents so that the New York team would win 10 World Series while he participated. He was voted Most Valuable Player of the American League three times. Also, he hit the first pinch-hit home run in World Series History.

These accomplishments only summarize the highlights of his career as a ball player. As a World War II veteran who had volunteered for a Top Secret mission in the Normandy Invasion, he earned several medals. When his Navy days were over, he returned to pick-up his quest to become a major league ball player.

Yogi spent nearly 20 years on the field and then moved behind the bench to become the first manager to lead teams in both the American and National Leagues to the World Series.

Allen Barra writes a well-researched book which brings out the other facets of the men who played around the diamond. These yarns of the interplay among various writers that created mystic and foibles of our national heroes on the field dared to bring home the truth of what really happened. As a baseball affectionate learning about those who played major league ball while we were growing up, it certainly is a round-trip to the plate to realize many of these icons were really quite young. When a player reached the age of 32 he was considered an old man ready to step aside for the new young players of the day.

Yogi-isms are scattered through-out the book. He was one of the first to admit his limited education made him stumble through some of the thoughts that came out of his mouth. Or were they really just the way he thought?

One of the memorable statements came from Joe DiMaggio when he commented about the strike-zone for Yogi being from the ankles to the tip of his nose. Yogi was an unusual hitter in that he would swing at pitch-outs, high-inside fast balls, or just mediocre pitches near the plate putting each of them over the fence for a home run. He became invaluable to the team as he developed into one of the greatest catchers of all time.

If you love baseball, this is the book for you. Historically, it is about the game. Its stars and accuracy are the statistics which are never failing by that other Barra, the author. By the way, “It ain't over until it’s over.” This biography is a keeper because of the impact that Yogi made upon the game. Highly recommended!

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Week of August 23, 2010

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Non-Fiction

1. Women Food and God Geneen Roth;
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Clark Isaacs is an accomplished book critic who is published in local newspapers and national book review lists. Visit Clark Isaacs at http://clarkisaacs.ning.com and tell him what you would like to have him write about.