Lawrence Peter ‘Yogi’ Berra, an iconic figure in Major League Baseball, was known for his exceptional career as a catcher and manager and his unique, inspiring quotes.
Born in 1925, he dedicated 19 years (1946-65) of his life to the New York Yankees, playing in 21 World Series and securing 13 wins.
His talent was recognized with three AL MVP awards. His unforgettable quotes like “It ain’t over ’til it’s over” continue to motivate and inspire many.
Berra made significant contributions to baseball, such as starting a 148 game errorless streak and hitting the first pinch-hit home run in the Baseball World Series.
Named Yankees’ manager twice, Berra left an indelible mark on baseball before his death in 2015.
His legacy continues through his memorable quotes and the influence he had on the game.
Related: Zack Greinke Quotes from the American Baseball Pitcher and Harmon Killebrew Quotes from The Killer Baseball Player
I have compiled the top quotes by Yogi Berry below.
Yogi Berra Quotes & Sayings to Inspire and Motivate You
1. “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
2. “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
3. “It ain’t over till it’s over.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
4. “Without a plan, even the most brilliant business can get lost. You need to have goals, create milestones and have a strategy in place to set yourself up for success.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
5. “You can observe a lot just by watching.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
6. “Doing the little things can make a big difference.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
7. “It’s like deja-vu, all over again.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
8. “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
9. “The future ain’t what it used to be.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
10. “If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be. ” ~ (Yogi Berra).
11. “90% of the game is half mental.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
12. “Keep trying. Stay humble, Trust your instincts. Most importantly, act. When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
13. “You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
14. “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
15. “That’s too coincidental to be a coincidence.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
16. “Make a game plan and stick to it. Unless it’s not working.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
17. “Cut my pie into four pieces, I don’t think I could eat eight.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
18. “If you don’t set goals, you can’t regret not reaching them.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
Best Yogi Berra Quotes
19. “We made too many wrong mistakes.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
20. “Nothing is like it seems, but everything is exactly like it is.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
21. “Nobody comes here anymore, it’s too crowded.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
22. “Life is a learning experience, only if you learn.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
23. “Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
24. “If I had to do it all over again, I would do it all over again.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
25. “I never said most of the things I said.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
26. “Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
27. “You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
28. “Deja Vu All Over Again.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
29. “You stand up for your teammates. Your loyalty is to them. You protect them through good and bad, because they’d do the same for you.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
30. “We’re lost, but we’re making good time.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
31. “Somethings don’t always work out the way you plan. The main thing is to keep trying, do better next time, and deal with disappointment if it comes.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
32. “Its getting late early.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
33. “Losing is a learning experience. It teaches you humility. It teaches you to work harder. It’s also a powerful motivator.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
34. “Prediction is very hard, particularly when it’s about the future.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
35. “Laughter is the shock absorber that eases the blows of life.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
36. “I can’t concentrate when I’m thinking.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
37. “Records and achievements are made to be broken.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
Short Yogi Berra Quotes
38. “I’d give my right arm to be ambidextrous.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
39. “The hardest thing is to get started, but the really hardest thing is to finish.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
40. “You can’t think and hit the ball at the same time.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
41. “Anyone who understands Jazz knows that you can’t understand it. It’s too complicated. That’s what’s so simple about it.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
42. “I wish I had an answer to that because I’m tired of answering that question.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
43. “I knew I was going to take the wrong train, so I left early.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
44. “If you ask me anything I don’t know, I’m not going to answer.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
45. “Failure is just another opportunity to start over.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
46. “Whatever you do, you should do it with feeling.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
47. “Little things are big.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
48. “Listen up, because I’ve got nothing to say and I’m only gonna to say it once.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
Top Yogi Berra Quotes
49. “I tell the kids, somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose. Just don’t fight about it. Just try to get better.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
50. “You don’t have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you got the timing, it’ll go.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
51. “It is a disturbing conundrum that true free will cannot exist without the possibility of suicide. Then again, it ain’t over ’til it’s over!” ~ (Yogi Berra).
52. “I just want to thank everyone who made this day necessary.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
53. “Texas has a lot of electrical votes.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
54. “What the hell is wrong with him now?” ~ (Yogi Berra).
55. “Never answer an anonymous letter.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
56. “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
57. “You have to give 100 percent in the first half of the game. If that isn’t enough, in the second half, you have to give what’s left.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
58. “In theory, practice should work like theory. In practice, it doesn’t.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
59. “You can’t make anybody do anything, if they don’t want to.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
60. “Losing’s a great motivator.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
61. “I’m not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
62. “The game was two hours, with the commercials. I wish they did that now.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
63. “Ninety percent of all mental errors are in your head.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
64. “It’s fun; baseball’s fun.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
65. “It’s not too far; it just seems like it is.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
66. “Yeah? For what paper?” ~ (Yogi Berra).
67. “If you’re going to cheat, it’s better if you don’t get caught.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
68. “Thanks, you don’t look so hot yourself.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
Famous Yogi Berra Quotes
69. “I never blame myself when I’m not hitting. I just blame the bat and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn’t my fault that I’m not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?” ~ (Yogi Berra).
70. “You can’t win all the time. There are guys out there who are better than you.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
71. “Everything should be built top-down, except the first time.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
72. “What makes a good man?” ~ (Yogi Berra).
73. “In baseball, you don’t know nothing.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
74. “I’m a lucky guy and I’m happy to be with the Yankees. And I want to thank everyone for making this night necessary.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
75. “It was hard to have a conversation with anyone, there were so many people talking.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
76. “I’m glad I was in the Navy.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
77. “The only color I don’t have is navy brown.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
78. “Every entrepreneur deals with fears of failure. However, the truly successful know how to face these fears and keep on working.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
79. “You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
80. “The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
81. “I don’t blame the players today for the money. I blame the owners. They started it. They wanna give it to ’em? More power to ’em.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
82. “I’ve been with the Yankees 17 years, watching games and learning. You can see a lot by observing.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
83. “All pitchers are liars or crybabies.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
84. “I usually take a two-hour nap from one to four.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
85. “You gotta call a blacksmith.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
86. “Anyone who is popular is bound to be disliked.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
87. “He must have made that before he died.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
88. “I was in the invasion of Normandy in southern France.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
89. “Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
90. “Nobody did nothin’ to nobody.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
91. “I don’t know if it’s good for baseball, but it sure beats the hell out of rooming with Phil Rizzuto!” ~ (Yogi Berra).
92. “So I’m ugly. So what? I never saw anyone hit with his face.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
93. “Congratulstions on breaking my record. I always thought the record would stand until it was broken.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
94. “If the fans don’t wanna come out to the ballpark, no one can stop ’em.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
95. “I hate to see it go, I’ll tell you that. I played here all my life. Eighteen years I played here and I’m sorry to see it go.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
96. “Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
97. “Cut that pizza into six slices instead of eight, I ain’t that hungry.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
98. “I’d find the fellow who lost it, and, if he was poor, I’d return it.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
99. “Ninety percent of putts that are short, don’t go in.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
100. “Bill Dickey learned me all his experience.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
101. “If you’re feeling good, don’t worry. You’ll get over it.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
Inspiring Yogi Berra Quotes
102. “There are some people who, if they don’t already know, you can’t tell ’em.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
103. “He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
104. “It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
105. “I really didn’t say everything I said.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
106. “Anybody who can’t hear the difference between a ball hitting wood and a ball hitting concrete must be blind.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
107. “Pitching always beats batting – and vice-versa.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
108. “Swing at the strikes.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
109. “He can run anytime he wants. I’m giving him the red light.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
110. “It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
111. “It was pretty good. Even the music was nice.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
112. “I take a two hour nap between 1PM and 3PM.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
113. “If I didn’t wake up I’d still be sleeping.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
114. “Slump? I ain’t in no slump… I just ain’t hitting.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
115. “Half the lies they tell about me aren’t true.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
116. “Every time I see him, he’s not there.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
117. “Why don’t you pair’em up in threes?” ~ (Yogi Berra).
118. “We were over-whelming underdogs.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
119. “A good time to hit is with men on base, because the pitcher ain’t got no place to put you. He’s going to get that ball around there somewhere. He don’t want to walk you.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
120. “I couldn’t tell if the streaker was a man or a woman because it had a bag on it’s head.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
121. “Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
122. “I love baseball, I really do. I always told my Dad, I’m not gonna make it working… I like to play ball too much. Which I did. I played hard. You gotta work at this game. You really do. And its fun doing it if you do it the right way.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
123. “I’m lucky. Usually you’re dead to get your own museum, but I’m still alive to see mine.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
Yogi Berra Quotes for Motivation
124. “The other teams could make trouble for us if they win.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
125. “I’ve always felt real blessed, especially to live in this country. If you dream hard and work hard, anything can happen here-I’m perfect proof.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
126. “50% of all married people are women.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
127. “What a house – nothin’ but rooms!” ~ (Yogi Berra).
128. “Well, I used to look like this when I was young and now I still do.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
129. “If my father was alive to hear that, he’d turn over in his grave.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
130. “Almost every Monday I have a charity thing. I like that. I do.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
131. “If there’s one pitch you keep swinging at and keep missing, stop swinging at it.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
132. “A home opener is always exciting, no matter if it’s home or on the road.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
133. “When the waitress asked if I wanted my pizza cut into four or eight slices, I said, ‘Four. I don’t think I can eat eight.’” ~ (Yogi Berra).
134. “It ain’t like football. You can’t make up no trick plays.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
135. “The game is supposed to be fun. If you had a bad day, don’t worry. You can’t expect to get a hit every game.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
136. “I don’t mean to be funny.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
137. “Nobody can be all smiley all the time, but having a good positive attitude isn’t something to shrug off.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
138. “On why he no longer went to Ruggeri’s, a St. Louis restaurant: “Nobody goes there anymore because it’s too crowded.”” ~ (Yogi Berra).
139. “Buy a stock, if it goes up, sell it, if it goes down, don’t buy it.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
140. “I guess I’ve got a smart wife.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
141. “How long have you known me, Jack? And you still don’t know how to spell my name.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
142. “I think Little League is wonderful. It keeps the kids out of the house.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
143. “Yogi saw three of his players in the locker room wearing Cone Head hats. Yogi said, Those guys make a pair.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
144. “If you get a guy that can play a couple positions, it helps you out a real lot.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
145. “When giving directions to Joe Garagiola to his New Jersey home, which is accessible by two routes: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”” ~ (Yogi Berra).
146. “I enjoy now doing what I do… playing golf, relaxing a little, enjoying life.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
147. “The ballparks have gotten too crowded. That’s why nobody goes to see the game anymore.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
148. “If people don’t want to come to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them? -Yogi Berra, The Yogi Book, to baseball commissioner Bud Selig about lagging baseball attendance Ninety percent of the game is half mental.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
149. “A lot of guys go, ‘Hey, Yog, say a Yogi-ism.’ I tell ‘em, ‘I don’t know any.’ They want me to make one up. I don’t make ’em up. I don’t even know when I say it. They’re the truth. And it is the truth. I don’t know.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
150. “If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him.” ~ (Yogi Berra).
151. “Baseball player: “What time is it?” “You mean now?”” ~ (Yogi Berra).
So these are some of the best Yogi Berra quotes.
You Might Like
- Mahatma Gandhi Quotes
- Ronald Reagan Quotes
- Nelson Mandela Quotes
- Thomas Jefferson Quotes
- Socrates Quotes
- Walt Disney Quotes
- Alan Watts Quotes
- Confucius Quotes
- Michael Jordan Quotes
- Frida Kahlo Quotes
Short Biography of Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra, an iconic American baseball player, spent 19 seasons mainly with the New York Yankees, becoming an 18-time All-Star and winning 10 World Series—more than any other MLB player.
He boasted a .285 batting average, hit 358 home runs, and had 1,430 RBIs.
Berra, who stood at 5 feet 7 inches, excelled as a power-hitting catcher and was renowned for his defensive skills.
| Full Name | Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra |
| Birth Name | Lorenzo Pietro Berra |
| Born | 12 May 1925, The Hill, St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Died | 22 September 2015 (age 90 years), West Caldwell, New Jersey, United States |
| Hall of fame induction | 1972 |
| Spouse | Carmen Berra (m. 1949–2014) |
| Children | Dale Berra, Tim Berra, Larry Berra |
| Height | 1.73 m |
| Number | 8 (New York Yankees / Catcher) |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1943–1945 |
| Rank | Seaman second class |
| Unit | Landing Craft Support gunner |
| Battles/wars | World War II-Normandy landings |
| Awards | World War II Victory Medal, European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal |
Before joining MLB, he served as a Navy gunner during WWII, participating in the Normandy landings and opting out of a Purple Heart to avoid worrying his mother.
Post-retirement, he managed both the Yankees and the Mets and coached the Astros, marking his presence in 21 World Series, 13 as a victor.
Berra was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Quick Facts about Yogi Berra
- Yogi Berra was born on May 12, 1925, in St. Louis, Missouri.
- He was originally named Lorenzo Pietro Berra.
- Yogi served in the U.S. Navy as a gunner’s mate during World War II, including participating in the D-Day invasion.
- Despite being wounded, he declined the Purple Heart to avoid worrying his mother.
- Berra signed with the New York Yankees in 1943.
- He made his major league debut in 1946 at the age of 21.
- Yogi played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball, mostly with the Yankees.
- He was an 18-time All-Star and a 10-time World Series champion as a player.
- Berra won three American League MVP awards.
- He is considered one of the greatest catchers in baseball history.
- Yogi was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
- The Yankees retired his uniform number 8 in 1972.
- Berra caught Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series.
- He holds the record for World Series games caught and for catcher putouts.
- After retiring as a player, Yogi managed both the Yankees and the New York Mets.
- He appeared in 21 World Series as a player, coach, or manager.
- Berra was known for his humorous and paradoxical quotes, known as “Yogi-isms.”
- His best-known saying is “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”
- The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center opened in 1998 in New Jersey.
- Berra was involved with the museum, promoting sportsmanship and dedication.
- He married Carmen Short in 1949, and they had three sons.
- Yogi and Carmen were married for 65 years until her death in 2014.
- Berra passed away on September 22, 2015, at the age of 90.
- He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 2015.
- The Yankees honored him with a plaque in Monument Park in 1988.
- Berra was also honored with a USPS commemorative stamp in 2021.
- He played a key role in the Mets’ 1973 World Series run as their manager.
- Berra’s sons also pursued careers in professional sports.
- Yogi was also a coach for the Houston Astros later in his career.
- He was a beloved figure in baseball, known for his wit, wisdom, and skill on the field.
Top Questions about Yogi Berra
A: Yogi Berra’s most famous saying is, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” He also famously quipped, “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.”
A: Yogi Berra is renowned for being one of baseball’s greatest catchers and characters. He served in World War II and won 13 World Series championships, ten as a player and three as a coach. His unique abilities were highly praised by his manager, Casey Stengel.
A: The phrase “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical” was famously said by Yogi Berra.
A: Yogi Berra was a three-time AL Most Valuable Player, a rare honor for catchers. He contributed to the Yankees’ numerous World Series victories in the late 1940s and 1950s and holds the record for the most World Series games caught (75) and hit 12 World Series home runs.
A: Yogi Berra humorously advised, “Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours.”
A: Yes, Yogi Berra served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He enlisted in 1943, pausing his budding baseball career, and served as a gunner’s mate on the USS Bayfield.
A: Yogi Berra retired from playing baseball in 1963. However, he immediately continued his baseball career by managing the Yankees for a season and later joining the coaching staff of the Mets under Casey Stengel.
A: George Steinbrenner fired Yogi Berra early in the 1985 MLB season, despite earlier promises of a full season to manage the team. The news was delivered by assistant general manager, Clyde King.
