Yogi Berra’s Baseball Greatness And Exemplary Life Recognized In New Documentary

Much like some younger generations only identified Hall of Fame Yankee center fielder Joe DiMaggio with the “Mr. Coffee” brand, the same can be said for Yogi Berra, Joltin’ Joe’s former teammate and a fellow baseball Hall of Famer, who had a rebirth in pop culture later in his life, pitching products like Aflac insurance and Visa credit cards with his signature “Yogi-isms” on full display.

“And they give you cash, which is just as good as money,” Berra said in the Aflac commercial while sitting in a barbershop stool. The man next to him in the ad has a puzzled look throughout the 30-second clip.

But Lindsay Berra, Yogi’s granddaughter and an executive producer on “It Ain’t Over,” said she hopes the new documentary — which releases in theaters May 12 — will provide baseball fans of all ages with the definitive biopic on the legendary catcher.

Beyond Berra’s remarkable playing career — in which he won a record 10 World Series rings, three American League MVP awards and was an 18-time All-Star — was an extraordinary life lived. Born in Depression-era St. Louis, Berra signed with the Yankees as an 18-year-old before he enlisted in the Navy during World War II. He was part of the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Berra met his wife Carmen in St. Louis and they were married for over 60 years, which encompassed his playing, managing and coaching career in baseball. The couple raised three sons — one of whom, Dale, was managed by Yogi when the younger Berra played for the Yankees. During and after his playing/managing days, Yogi showed an eye for business, serving as an ad pitchman for numerous blue chip brands.

Berra died in September 2015 at age 90, and two months later, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. Hall of Famer Willie Mays was also a recipient of the nation’s highest civilian honor that year.

“Yogi would have been an incredible human with a rich, fulfilling life if he had never set foot on a baseball diamond,” said Lindsay Berra in a recent interview.

But, she added, because her grandfather is often overshadowed by other Yankee and baseball greats — whether it be an “all-time list” or, as depicted in the documentary, when the still-living Berra was not recognized on the field in Cincinnati as one of the greatest living ballplayers during the 2015 All-Star Game — this documentary can serve as a means to bring Yogi back into the national baseball spotlight.

“I figuratively want him back in the picture, back in the conversation as the greatest catcher of all time,” said Lindsay Berra. “The man deserves to be there.”

The genesis of “It Ain’t Over” began just over five years ago, said Lindsay Berra, whose father Larry is the oldest of Yogi’s three sons. Film producer Peter Sobiloff, who had played in Yogi’s charitable golf tournaments in the past, approached Yogi’s other sons, Tim and Dale, and asked why a movie on Yogi had not yet been made.

After Sobiloff put the wheels in motion, Sean Mullin, a West Point graduate, was tapped to direct. It was around that same time that Lindsay Berra said she met with Mullin and told him and the film’s producers that there was a list of baseball people who would be integral to the film, but who were getting up in age, and that if those interviews were to be completed, the sooner the better.

And, Lindsay Berra added, she was the best way to access these bold face names, including Hall of Fame broadcaster and Dodgers voice, Vin Scully, Yogi’s former Yankee teammates Dr. Bobby Brown, Al Downing, Hector Lopez, Bobby Richardson, and Tony Kubek, and journalist Roger Angell, who was nearing 100 at the time.

Scully, who called so many memorable Yankees-Dodgers games, including pitcher Don Larsen’s perfect game caught by Berra in the 1956 World Series, was interviewed in 2019, along with numerous others who appear in the film. The pandemic shut down production for 15 months.

“I wanted as many people as possible who’d seen my grandpa play. Vin Scully was there throughout all of grandpa’s career,” said Lindsay Berra. “And I wanted as many teammates of his that were still living. We were fortunate to get people like (pitcher) Ralph Terry, who talks about how (Yogi) handles the pitching staff.”

In addition, there are baseball insights peppered throughout the film — everyone from the late Scully, Brown and Angell to Hall of Fame Yankee manager Joe Torre to Cooperstown broadcast inductee Bob Costas to actor Billy Crystal to Hall of Fame Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter.

“He would slash at something that was way out of the strike zone. In effect, what he’s doing is abolishing a strike zone,” said Angell in the film.

“Yogi was a tremendous clutch hitter,” said Richardson.

“He has one of the greatest World Series resumes of any player — ever,” said Costas.

Berra only struck out 414 times during his 19-year playing career — an astonishing stat — while behind the plate, he was the consummate field general. A Cooperstown great who is now getting his due.

“There’s his participating in D-Day, his marriage to my grandma Carmen. He was a dad and a granddad. He helped his son Dale through Dale’s drug addiction. He was an incredible baseball player,” said Lindsay Berra. “There are so many things in the movie that, I think, people can identify with. I’m just happy people are finally going to be able to see it.”