Yogi Berra - When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It!

WHEN YOU COME TO
A FORK IN THE ROAD,
TAKE IT!

Inspiration and Wisdom from
One of Baseballs Greatest Heroes

Y OGI B ERRA
withDAVE KAPLAN

The authors would like to acknowledge the valuable assistance of editor Leslie Wells in making this book, as well as Ed Breslin, and Michael Harriot and David Vigliano of Vigliano Associates.

For my favorite nineLindsay, Larry, Gretchen, Bridgette,
Whitney, Christopher, Andrew, Nicholas, and Maria.
I will always be thankful for the presence of wise and
wonderful grandchildren, whom I each love so much.

YOGI BERRA

To Naomi and Leah, Emily and Eva
my daily inspiration.

DAVE KAPLAN

A proud tradition of Yankee catchers: (left to right) Bill Dickey, me, Elston Howard, and Thurman Munson. Berra Archives

T hroughout life you come to serious forks in the roaddecisions. Which path do you choose? Sometimes its tough. People are always afraid of making the wrong choice. But no matter what decision you maketaking a job, getting married, buying a house, whatever it isyou shouldnt look back. Trust your instincts.

The beauty of baseball is that you always have forks in the roaddecisions that could mean the difference between winning and losing. If youre a manager, when do you take a pitcher out if hes tiring? Do you hit and run with slow runners on base? Like they say, decisions, decisions. Joe Torre does a great job as the Yankee manager; it always seems he makes the right decision. He trusts his instincts.

But he also trusts his bench coach, Don Zimmer, to bounce ideas off of. Zim has a lot of experience. Hes Joes security blanket. Between them, the Yankees are always on the right road.

Ive always done things that feel right. Ive also been lucky. Throughout my life, Ive always had my family behind me, helping me make the right choices. My first big life decision was at age fourteen, when I wanted to quit school after eighth grade to go to work. My parents, the principal, and the parish priest all had a conference and tried to talk me into continuing, but I was a lousy student and pretty stubborn and felt I was wasting my time. I remember a teacher once asking me, Dont you know anything? and I said I dont even suspect anything.

They finally all agreed Id be just as well off working and handing over what I made to Mom. I realize now this was a major turning point in my life, and I was fortunate. Education is a necessary part of a young persons life. Very few who quit school early on ever wind up successful when they get older.

But the decision was for my own good, and it wouldnt have been made without Mom and Pops approval. Also, without my parentsand my three older brothersI wouldnt have been allowed to pursue my dream of playing baseball. Things worked out well, because if not for baseball, I might still be in the shoe factory. So I didnt have regrets about taking that fork in the road to leave school. Except, looking back now, I do feel a little remiss about not finishing. Its a void in my life, and its why Carm and I arranged trust funds for our three sons, Larry, Tim, and Dale, to guarantee them a college education. Because of my situation, I was very anxious they get as much schooling as they could.

One of my biggest decisions ever was over fifty years ago, asking a beautiful waitress at Biggies restaurant in St. Louis out on a datethen eventually asking her to marry me. I didnt have much confidence back then. I was bashful, nervous, and not good-looking. I could hardly believe my luck that Carmen liked me as much as I liked her. I soon knew as sure as anything that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.

After marrying Carm in 1949, we came to a few forks in the roadtough life decisions. At the time, I was making only $12,000 a year with the Yankees. After the season, we lived in St. Louis where I grew up (although Carm grew up in Salem, Missouri) and where we had real tight-knit families. Everything and everybody we knew were there. I even worked at nearby Ruggeris restaurant as a head waiter in the off-season.

But we were kind of torn. There were more opportunities in the East. My baseball career was there. We wanted to start a family. Believe me, it was tough leaving everything behind when we finally decided to move to the New York area in 1951. But it was the right thing for us, because we made a good new life, and got more comfortable financially. I doubt the same couldve happened back home.

Carm and I talk over everything. The decision to leave St. Louis was ours. The big decision to become a coach with Casey Stengel and the Mets, and not stay with the Yankees in another job after being let go as manager in 1964, was ours. As it turned out, things were good coaching with the Mets. It was the right move, secure and safe. Thats why Carm didnt want me to become their manager when Gil Hodges died in 1972. But I was at a crossroadsanother fork in the road. I was forty-six years old and wanted to manage again, to prove I could. I didnt think Id ever get another chance. Carm and my old pal Joe Garagiola thought I was foolish, and tried to talk me out of it. They thought I had a great job, since coaches last forever and managers dont. But I had a strong desire to take the Mets job, and did. I relished the challenge and never looked back. A year later, we won the National League pennant.

I think thats what all these graduation speakers mean when they quote me, When you see the fork in the road, take it. Make a firm decision. Make sure it feels right. Learn from the choice you make. Dont second-guess yourselftheres no need to give yourself ulcers. But my advice on big life decisions is to get advice if you can. Talk it over with a parent, a mentor, a teacher, or a coach. Theyve had more life experience. Theyve got more miles on them, they can help you get on the right path. When I see my grandchildren choosing colleges and graduating from them and looking for the right job, Im very proud. I see them making informed choices. Theyre coming to the fork in the road, and they know what to do.

The perfect ending to a perfect gameOctober 8, 1956. AP Photos

W hen people ask what my biggest thrill was, I always say catching Don Larsens perfect game in the 1956 World Series was right up there. Thats because it happened in the high drama of a World Series. And against such a powerful team, the Brooklyn Dodgers.

As the catcher I was pretty calmI was so concentrated on calling a good gamebut I was pretty nervous going into that last inning. And Dons palms were sweaty, too. The game was still close, we were only winning 20, and I didnt want him to worry about the perfect game. Nobody said anything to Larsen all game for fear of jinxing him. But before the ninth inning, I told him, Lets get the first guy. Thats the main thing. And Gooney Birdthats what we called himdid just that and even better. He made history and all hell broke loose.