An intimate and revealing portrait of a largely misunderstood American icon, this emotional and engaging documentary about Yogi Berra takes us beyond the caricatures and “Yogisms” and into the heart of a sports legend whose unparalleled accomplishments on the baseball diamond were often overshadowed by his off-the-field persona.
“It Ain’t Over” opens with the 2015 All-Star Game at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, putting on display the best-living major league baseball players as selected by 25 million baseball fans. Not surprisingly, the names included Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Sandy Koufax, and Willie Mays. Yet as Lindsay Berra – Yogi Berra’s granddaughter – correctly notes, her granddad, who was still living then, had won more World Series rings than all four of the other greats combined. And that is to say, Yogi Berra the player, not the manager.
Berra spent 18 seasons with the New York Yankees from 1946-1963, was a 3-time World Series MVP, and a 10-time champion – with all the rings to show for it. Further, only two people in the entire history of major league baseball have had more than 350 home runs with fewer than 500 strikeouts. One was Joe DiMaggio. The other was DiMaggio’s teammate, Yogi Berra.
The mystery regarding Berra’s lack of recognition as a player no doubt stems from his accumulated celebrity – a function of his outsized personality, his success as a manager, and most notably, his celebrated aphorisms – several of which are now included in Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. As a result, Berra’s on-field accomplishments, in large measure, have faded from the popular memory.
Born Lawrence Peter Berra in St. Louis, Yogi grew up in a working-class family but never missed an opportunity to play baseball with the other kids. His experience with bottle-cap baseball, in particular, taught him how to make the first swing count when he reached the pros.
Berra enlisted in the Navy and served in World War II on what were called Rocket Boats; ships trained up in preparation for the invasion of Normandy. After the landing, Berra was tasked with pulling the war dead from the water, which he called the most difficult experience of his life.
“It Ain’t Over” includes scores of interviews with veteran sportscasters, best-selling authors, teammates, and other players, all of which lend welcome color to the engaging narrative. A common theme among those appearing on screen is that Berra didn’t look like a typical baseball player. He was short, and most of his features were rounded – unlike the other players’ square and tall physiques. He certainly didn’t look like what people expected to see in a Yankee. Yet, he hit a home run in his first big league game – an understandably rare event. Then he did the same thing in his second game. When Berra returned to the dugout, DiMaggio stared at his short teammate in baffled bewilderment. Berra replied, “What? I can hit home runs too.”
Berra was an unorthodox batter, with many of his hits coming on pitches that weren’t strikes. He swung at almost everything coming across the plate, causing some to remark that he was one of the game’s best “bad ball” hitters.
Berra transitioned well to managing teams, even though, once again, he did not fit stereotypes. Berra was considered too chummy with the players in his early coaching career. Nonetheless, he led the Yankees to the 1964 World Series in his first year as manager.
The documentary spends ample time on Berra’s non-baseball exploits, highlighting, for example, his many witticisms. Some of Yogi’s great sayings include: “Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical,” “When you get to a fork in the road, take it,” “We may be lost, but we’re making good time,” “In theory, there’s no difference between theory and practice – in practice there is,” “You can see a lot by watching,” and of course, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
Yogi Bear, the popular cartoon, was also named after Berra. His lawyers sued but lost the case since Yogi was not Berra’s real name, and he hadn’t trademarked the nickname.
Written and directed by Sean Mullin, the documentary lays out the compelling story of a remarkable man, solidly paced and confidently elaborated. After his days as a manager, Berra became a well-regarded pitchman and spokesperson – again most likely overshadowing his extraordinary playing days. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 – an accolade long overdue. Throughout his life, virtually everyone Berra encountered considered him genuine and authentic. He was truly loved.
For those who may have forgotten – or never knew – “It Ain’t Over” chronicles the career of a too-often underappreciated talent, not only on the field but off as well. During and after his time as a player, Yogi Berra demonstrated a special type of poise and charm, unlike any other competitor before or since.
In Select Theaters Friday, May 26th
