Wednesday, March 14, 1934

Walked to school with Pauline. Then we met Ruth Ray and us kids walked with her to school.

Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra
Born May 12, 1925 in St. Louis, Missouri
Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder and manager

Berra played almost his entire 19-year baseball career (1946–1965) for the
New York Yankees. He is one of only four players to be named the Most Valuable
Player of the American League three times and is one of only six managers to lead
both American and National League teams to the World Series. As a player,
coach, or manager, Berra appeared in 21 World Series. He was elected to the
Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 and is widely regarded as one of the best catchers
to ever play the game.

Of course, no summation would be complete without a few of the pithy comments
known as "Yogiisms." Some examples:

"It ain't over till it's over" - In July 1973, when Berra's Mets trailed the
Chicago Cubs by 9½ games in the National League East; the Mets rallied
to win the division title on the final day of the season.

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it" - Giving directions to his
home to his best boyhood friend, Joe Garagiola.

"It's deja vu all over again" - After watching Mickey Mantle and Roger
Maris repeatedly hit back-to-back home runs for the Yankees in the 1960s

Monday, January 15, 1934

Walked to school with Pauline. Ruth Ray and I waited for Nadine and Pauline and walked home with them.

George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948)
AKA "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat"
American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935
Elected to play in the first All Star Game and hit the first home run in the game's history
One of the first five players elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame

A mainstay in the New York Yankees' lineup that won seven pennants and four World Series
titles during his tenure with the team, Ruth had become noticeably overweight by the end of
the 1933 season. On January 15, 1934, he signed a one-year contract for $35,000, which meant
he took a $17,000 pay cut.  By the end of the 1934 season, Ruth had reached a personal milestone 
of 700 home runs and was about ready to retire. His heart was set on managing the Yankees, and
he made no secret of it. Instead, he played another year - this time for the Boston Braves. At the
end of the season he retired with 714 home runs to his credit.

Saturday, December 2, 1933

Went downtown today. I got a new hat and scarf set and a permanent. Got Christmas cards. Stayed the night with Mrs. Raifert.

Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel
July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975)
Nicknamed "The Old Perfessor" by sports writers for his sharp 
wit and his ability to talk at length on anything baseball-related.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Stengel was originally nicknamed "Dutch",
a common nickname at that time for Americans of German ancestry. When
he began playing professional baseball, his nickname changed to "Casey,"
which originally came from the initials of his hometown ("K. C."), which evolved
into "Casey", influenced by the wide popularity of the poem "Casey at the Bat."

Although his baseball career spanned a number of teams and cities, he is
primarily associated with clubs in New York City. Between playing and managing,
he is the only man to have worn four of New York's major league clubs' uniforms.
He was the first of four men (through the 2010 season) to manage both the
New York Yankees and New York Mets; Yogi Berra, Dallas Green, and Joe Torre
 are the others. Like Torre, he also managed the Braves and the Dodgers. He ended his
baseball career as the beloved manager for the then expansion New York Mets, which
won over the hearts of New York partly due to the unique character of their veteran leader.

His uniform number, 37, was retired by both the Yankees and the Mets, and in 1966
Casey Stengel was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Thursday, August 17, 1933

Stayed all night last nite at Ruby's. Went up to Emmett's for dinner. Stayed all night up to Gladys's.

Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig (June 19, 1903 – June 2, 1941)
Nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability

On August 17, 1933, New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig
plays in his 1,308th consecutive game, breaking former Yankee
Everett Scott's record for consecutive games played. Gehrig would
go on to play in 2,130 games in a row, setting a record that would
stand for over half a century.