NY Yankee legend and Jersey’s own Yogi Berra gets his own Stamp

New York Yankee, and Hall of Fame baseball legend, Yogi Berra adds one more accolade to his overwhelming successful career and life. The United States Post office this week announced and unveiled the Yogi Berra Stamp which is the forever stamp that costs.55 cents.

Yogi had an amazing baseball career playing in the major leagues for 19 seasons all but the last year with the New York Yankees .

He played in 14 World Series winning 10 World Championships, more then any other player in Major League Baseball history. In the 19 seasons that he played he was named to the All Star team 18 out of those 19 seasons.

He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 and that year his number was retired and his monument was dedicated at Yankee Stadium.

Although he grew up and was raised in St. Louis, while playing for the Yankees, he married his wife Carmen in 1949 and moved into a home in Montclair, New Jersey where he lived until his wife passed away in 2014. Yogi's declining health moved Yogi into an assisted living facility where he finished his days and passed away on Sept. 22,2015.

He was inducted into The New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2008. Montclair State University awarded Yogi with a doctrine in 1996 and named their baseball stadium after him. He was also awarded the highest civilian award, The Presidential Medal of Freedom just two months after his death by President Obama in November of 2015.

I met Yogi twice, once at the famed Gallagher's Steak House in New York City during a very private New York Giants Football luncheon. I got the chance to chat with Yogi and enjoyed every minute of it. He is more than just humble; I asked him if all the accolades, championships and awards that he received changed him. . He told me "I hope not". He said he enjoyed the game and played it the best he could, he also said he knew, every day, that he had to do the right thing .

After the luncheon we were about to go down the steep narrow staircase of the upstairs dining room and I said'' You go first Yogi" he said; "No way, I don't want you behind me when you fall, that'll be the end of me!" I laughed, my friends laughed and off I went.

I saw him again when he got inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. He was such a great upbeat positive influence not only in baseball but in life. I'm going out and getting my Yogi stamps!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.