Former New York Yankee Yogi Berra stands at home plate before the final regular season MLB American League baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, in this file photo taken September 21, 2008. Berra, a Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees whose mangled syntax made him one of the sports world’s most beloved and frequently quoted figures, died on Sept. 22 at the age of 90, Major League Baseball said. (REUTERS/Mike Segar/Files)
By Father Timothy Gollob
Special to The Texas Catholic
During the funeral of the great Yankee catcher, Yogi Berra, the archbishop of New York said that Yogi and Pope Francis had three outstanding qualities that they shared. They both smiled a lot. They both liked to talk to real people. They both were humble.
But they differed in their communication skills. Pope Francis is a theological leader who has to address his flock and the leaders of the world in words that need to be studied and pondered. Thus his letter on the care of the earth and the care of the poor has to be studied and dialogued upon with reverence and with openness.
Yogi Berra was a communicator also, but his words were brief and to the point. They, however, are also profound in their implications for the way we lead our lives. Since these words were framed in the context of Yogi’s baseball career, we need to assess them in the light of the recent happenings on the Texas Rangers’ baseball diamond.
Ranger fans were delighted to find their team ahead by four runs as their rivals, the Angels, came to bat in the ninth inning. All was looking up in Ranger-land, but Yogi once said, “It ain’t over till it’s over!” and the Angels scored five runs to win, 11-10. Gloom and doom settled over North Texas (and the angels rejoiced in heaven?)
The next day was the final game of the season. That Sunday neither the Angels on the field nor the angels in heaven had anything to be joyous about as the Texas Rangers won with good pitching and good hitting. Yogi had a saying for this also: “You wouldn’t have won if we’d beaten you!”
Now baseball is just a game. We can learn a lesson for life. There is no reason to pout and to fret over any situation as long as we have breath and God and the angels are in charge of our journey. “It ain’t over till it’s over!”
Father Timothy Gollob is the pastor of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Oak Cliff.
