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The Great Baseball Friendship Blossoms
Larry Berra, now publicized as Yogi Berra, developed an amazing ability to read Casey Stengel and know his intentions without a word being uttered. Casey's face was just a mass of wrinkles, but Yogi could just glance over at the Yankee dugout and then signal the pitcher how to treat the next batter or reveal what the next throw should be.
Just as important, for the sportswriters, were the languages of the pair. Sportswriters soon learned to be in the hotel where the team was staying, the night before a game, when Casey would hold forth on a variety of topics, including old contests and critiques of current and past players. These were in colorful detail that came to be known as "Spengelese." Yogi's pithy remarks came to be known as "Yogi-isms." You probably remember "It's Deja-Vue all over again." My favorite is when the Yankees had a game in Saint Louis, and a sports writer found Yogi in the hotel. Curious, he asked Yogi why he was not at his favorite restaurant in Saint Louis, and Yogi replied, "Oh no one goes there any more, it's too crowded."
