O wise Master Yogi: The top ten quotes from Yogi Berra

​Yogi Berra: the man, the baseball legend and the quote machine. Over the course of his life, Berra -- born Lawrence Peter Berra on this very day in 1925 -- has come up with countless expressions and sayings, golden nuggets in the English vernacular that are still quoted today in movies and even in Facebook status updates (because we all have that one friend who always posts quotes). Some of these "yogi-isms" showcase just how smart the guy really is; others prove that he may have missed his calling in life as a philosopher. So, to celebrate Berra's birthday today, here are the ten best "yogi-isms" guaranteed to brighten your rainy day.

10. "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there."

9. "It ain't the heat; it's the humility."

8. "You can observe a lot just by watching."

7. "I think Little League is wonderful. It keeps kids out of the house."

6. "The future ain't what it used to be."

5. "It ain't over til it's over."
If you haven't heard someone utter this quote during your lifetime, you truly are living under a rock. The most well-known of the Yogi-isms, Berra first said this about the 1973 National League pennant race -- during which time he was serving as the New York Mets' manager. The team went on to go 82-79 in the National League East but lose to the Oakland Athletics in the 1973 World Series, at which point it really was over.

4. "When you get to a fork in the road, take it."
Berra insists that this statement was part of the driving directions to his house. In his hometown of Montclair, New Jersey, there is a fork in the road, and whichever route you take, you will still end up at his house.

3. "It's like déjà vu all over again."
Berra insists he said this about Rogers Maris and Mickey Mantle, who played the majority and all of their careers with the New York Yankees, respectively. Maris and Mantle knocked balls out of the park on a regular basis.

2. "I want to thank you for making this day necessary."
Speculated to be the first Yogi-ism, Berra said this on Yogi Berra Day in St. Louis in 1947. Berra has said that originally this was part of a speech he had asked a teammate to write for the occasion, but Berra replaced the word "possible" with "necessary." We think the swap adds a whole new layer of meaning.

1. "I didn't really say everything I said."
The irony here is that this statement is also the name of Berra's book of quotes, which was released in 1998 -- six years after Berra retired from coaching the Houston Astros.

Now go, Berra fans, and celebrate the day. Remember, if you see a fork in the road, or a spoon or a knife, be sure to take it. Because Yogi Berra said so.

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