The Yogi Book: "I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said" (Paperback)

~ Yogi Berra (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If the subtitle of this delicious collection of Yogi-isms has you scratching your head, it has done its job as stunningly as Berra used to do his behind the plate at Yankee Stadium. The Hall of Fame MVP catcher for the pinstriped dynasties of the late 1940s through the '50s and into the '60s, Berra was about as quick with his witticisms as he was with his bat and glove. But if his observations hit the heart of the plate, his grammar tended to pop out of left field, hence the creation of a unique mode of malapropism dubbed the Yogi-ism. To truly understand the title, you need to know that not every mot ascribed to Yogi actually emanated from his mouth--they only sounded like they should have. Thus, he really didn't say everything he said, which makes The Yogi Book absolutely necessary (see page 10).

To the things that Yogi did say, The Yogi Book does both service and justice. It gathers the witticisms in a single convenient volume, adds a scrapbook of photos, then lets their progenitor riff, filling in color commentary on what was happening beyond his mind and what was going through it when the famous phrases were dispatched into the public domain. He deservedly takes credit for such immortal pronunciamentos as "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." (page 16); "It's deja vu all over again." (page 30); "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." (page 48); "The future ain't what it used to be." (page 118); "It gets late early out there." (page 64); and "Ninety percent of this game is half mental." (page 69). All, like the sacred texts they happen to be, are appropriately parsed for your edification, as is the greatest Yogi-ism of them all: "It ain't over 'til it's over." (page 121).

Product Description

At last they're all together, in celebration of one of America's most beloved figures: from It ain't over til it's over to You can't think and hit at the same time here are all the famous Yogisms, those pithy-as-poetry legendary words that are among the most popularly quoted sayings ever. Compiled by Yogi Berra and his family, The Yogi Book is the official collection of all Yogi Berra's quotable quotes. And more than just the genuine sayings themselves, there's Yogi on hand to explain each saying's provenance. Including many rarely-before-seen photographs plus appreciations and comments from friends and colleagues, the Yogi Book is a one-man Bartlett's, and a look at the life of a legend.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 127 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; 1 edition (January 3, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761110909
• ISBN-13: 978-0761110903
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,358 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Page is a laugh!!, September 15, 1999

By A Customer

I knew that Yogi was full of great sayings, and this book has them all! Not only does it tell you what Yogi said, but he explains the situation and the people involved. It's great reading, and there are insites on Yogi from his celebrity friends and family. You'll enjoy it!

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Know He Didn't Say All Those Things He Said, June 13, 2001

By	Todd Hawley (San Francisco CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book has a lot of Yogi's famous sayings and how they first originated. While I was too young to see Yogi play, I've always admired him. Not just because of his apparent intent to destroy the English language with all of his malaprops, but also because of his Hall of Fame baseball career and his overall intelligence. When I was young and first heard some of his now famous quotes, I used to derive hours of giggles from them. Now that I am much older and hopefully wiser, I realize that Yogi makes a tremendous amount of sense with his observations. Essentially he's saying things in a short sentence that most of us spend an hour saying.

For example, "When You Come To a Fork in the Road, Take it," he's saying if you have a great chance for something, go after it and don't look back. Or when he says "It Ain't Over Til It's Over," he's saying the game is never over until the final out or the clock runs out on you. Or "You Can Observe A Lot By Watching," he's telling his former Yankee players to pay attention to the game they're playing in! After having read this short but fascinating and at times hilarious book, I've gained a new respect for Yogi as one of the truly great minds and people major league baseball has ever been lucky enough to have. While his quotes may prompt English teachers to jump out windows, I hope we get to hear a lot more of them.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun from a simpler era, April 19, 2001

By	Robert J. Crawford (Balmette Talloires, France) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

You always hear yogiisms pop up like "you can observe a lot by watching" - they combine homespun wisdom, unique humor, and gramatical error. In this book, Yogi puts it all together in a wonderful excursion into his life and mind, and the result is very very fun and funny. He is really from a less cynical time, when it was easier to believe in heros and you could take things more at face value. I love this book and have perused it many times for a chuckle as well as a good quote to post around the office. Great gift book.