Driving Mr. Yogi
Yogi Berra, Ron Guidry, and Baseball's Greatest Gift
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
“A warm, sentimental look at a baseball icon” (The Tampa Tribune).
Driving Mr. Yogi is the story of a unique friendship between two New York Yankees legends—a pitcher and catcher—who share rides, meals, and a bond that transcends the twenty-five-year difference in their ages.
The story begins in 1999, when Hall of Famer Yogi Berra is reunited with the Yankees after a long self-exile, the result of being unceremoniously fired by team owner George Steinbrenner fourteen years before. A reconciliation between Berra and the boss means that Berra will once again attend spring training. Retired-pitcher-turned-pitching-coach Ron Guidry knows the club’s young players will benefit from “Mr. Yogi’s” encyclopedic knowledge of the game, just as Guidry had during his playing days, so he encourages his old mentor to share his insights. In Yogi, Guidry finds not just a personable dinner companion or source of amusement—he finds a best friend.
At turns tender and laugh-out-loud funny, and teeming with unforgettable baseball yarns that span more than fifty years, Driving Mr. Yogi is a universal story about the importance of wisdom being passed from one generation to the next, as well as a reminder that time is what we make of it and compassion never gets old.
“Funny, revealing, and surprising . . . Anything that brings new Yogi Berra stories is a good book.” —MLB.com
“Lovingly documented . . . You’ll find yourself wishing it ain’t over till it’s over.” —Parade magazine
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ron Guidry got to know Yogi Berra, the beloved baseball legend and notable quotable, in 1977, when he was a curious young ace pitcher for the New York Yankees and Berra was a venerable coach with answers. When Berra joined the Yankees as a spring training instructor in 2000, Guidry volunteered to pick up Berra, eventually becoming his valet and companion during their monthlong stay in Florida. That annual arrangement has bloomed into a deep friendship. Guidry calls Berra his best friend, and as his former mentor approaches 90, Guidry has become a guardian and protector. Berra cares for Guidry, though he's loath to say that. "He doesn't want to be treated like a superstar or a celebrity," says Kevin McLaughlin, a Berra family friend. "He wants his friends to bust his balls. He loves it. And nobody does it better than ." Araton (When the Garden Was Eden) deftly and tenderly traces the odd couple's rapport, which involves an assist from late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, whose apology to an angry Berra ended his long exile from the venerable organization. More than a portrait of two unlikely pals, Araton has fashioned a tribute to the days when teams could be considered families, rather than a collection of constantly changing faces. The book should soothe the soul of the most cynical sports fan. Photos not seen by PW.
