Berra Wins MVP

On Nov. 8, 1951, Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees picked up his first MVP award. 

Berra hit .294 that season and hit 27 home runs. Berra was an All-Star catcher 18 times, every year from 1948 through 1962. 

There were two All-Star games in 1959, 1960, and 1961, in which Berra was a selected to be a part of both.

He would also in the MVP award in 1954 and 1955.

His three MVP awards are tied second All-Time with Philadelphia Athletics great Jimmie Foxx, St. Louis Cardinals great Stan Musial, former New York Yankee teammate and Martinez native Joe DiMaggio, another former teammate and Yankee great Mickey Mantle, Brooklyn Dodgers catcher great Roy Campanella, former Philadelphia Phillies great Mike Schmidt, former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and current New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez. 

The three MVP awards won by Berra are only behind Barry Bonds, who has seven, and won four straight from 2001 to 2004.

Berra was part of the Yankees from 1946 to 1963 as a player; in 1963 he was a player and coach for the Bronx Bombers. In 1964 he served his first term as manager for the team. 

After managing the team for one year he would jump back into coaching from 1976 to 1983. He would take his second stint as manager in 1984 through 1985. 

During his time with the Yankees, Berra helped the elder New York franchise to 13 World Championships as a player, manager and coach in 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1977 and 1978.

Berra would also play, coach and manager for the other New York team, the Mets. He would help the New York “Miracle” Mets to a World Series title in 1969.

Berra would have his no. 8 jersey retired by the Yankees on July 22, 1972 and would be inducted into Cooperstown Baseballs Hall of Fame in 1972, with 85.61 percent of the vote. It was the first time he was on the ballot.

Since his time from baseball, Berra has written several books including:

Yogi: It Ain't Over (1989). The Yogi Book: 'I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said' (1998). When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! Inspiration and Wisdom from One of Baseball's Greatest Heroes (2001). What Time Is It? You Mean Now?: Advice for Life from the Zennest Master of Them All (2002). Ten Rings: My Championship Seasons (2003). Let's Go, Yankees! (2006). You Can Observe a Lot by Watching (2011).