Author: Harvey Araton

Publisher: HMH

Published: 2012-04-03

Total Pages: 253

ISBN-13: 0547746717

“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