That Yogi Berra, he sure was somethin’, huh? Heard folks talkin’ ’bout his stance the other day. Reminded me of my old man, bless his soul, always tellin’ us young’uns, “Stand up straight!” Yogi, he had his own way of standin’, that’s for sure. They say it was a “square stance”. Sounds funny, don’t it? Like a box or somethin’.
But that’s how he did it, that Yogi Berra stance. Feet all lined up, like two soldiers standin’ at attention. Not fancy, but it worked for him. He was one of the best, that Yogi. Hit that ball like nobody’s business. They say he had a high…what was it… batting average. .285, I heard someone say. That’s a lot of hits! Means he didn’t miss much. My old man woulda liked that. He always said, “If you’re gonna do somethin’, do it right!”
Yogi, he did it right. He was good in them… them “clutch situations”. Sounds like somethin’ out of a movie, don’t it? But it just means he was good when it really counted. Like when the bases were loaded and everyone was holdin’ their breath. Yogi, he’d just step up and whack that ball. Nothin’ fancy, just good old-fashioned hittin’.
Kinda like that yoga everyone’s doin’ these days. I see them folks on the TV, all twisted up like pretzels. Don’t look comfortable to me! But they say it’s good for ya. Helps with the… the stretching and the… mindfulness. Sounds like a lot of fancy words for just breathin’ and movin’. But hey, if it works, it works. Just like Yogi’s stance.
- Yoga-Go, they call it.
- For beginners, they say.
- Helps with the fat burn, too, I hear.
- Good for stress relief. Lord knows we all need that!
My granddaughter, she tried to show me some of them yoga moves. I told her, “Honey, I’m too old for that! My bones ain’t as bendy as they used to be.” But she kept on about it. Said it was good for muscle tone. Don’t know what that means, but it sounds important. Maybe I should give it a try. But I ain’t gettin’ all twisted up like them folks on TV. No sir.
They say no success comes overnight. That’s what Yogi said. And he was right. You gotta work at it. Day in and day out. Like plantin’ a garden. You don’t just throw some seeds in the ground and expect to have a harvest the next day. You gotta water it, weed it, take care of it. Then, maybe, you’ll get somethin’ good.
Yogi, he worked at his baseball. He was a successful ballplayer. Practiced that stance, I reckon. Over and over again. Till he got it just right. And it paid off. He was a winner. They say he was good at teamwork, too. Helped his team win. That’s important. Can’t do it all by yourself. Need a good team around ya.
And sportsmanship, that’s another thing they talked about. Bein’ a good sport. Winnin’ and losin’ with grace, they say. That’s important, too. Life ain’t always about winnin’. Sometimes you lose. But you gotta keep your head up and keep goin’. Just like Yogi.
That Yogi Berra stance, it weren’t pretty, maybe. But it was his. And it worked. He made it work. He was a good hitter because of that, maybe. He could hit that ball far and long. And he knew how to play the game. That square stance, feet all lined up even. It was the best stance for him. He knew what he was doin’.
So maybe there’s somethin’ to this yoga thing after all. Findin’ what works for you. Your own stance, so to speak. Whether it’s baseball or yoga or just plain old livin’. Gotta find what works and stick with it. Just like Yogi Berra. He sure was somethin’, that one. A real good ball player and a good man. A legend, they say. Yup, a real legend.
He was good at hittin’, that’s for sure. Made it look easy. But I bet he worked hard at it. Just like anything else worth doin’. You gotta put in the time. Just like that yoga, I guess. Gotta keep at it if you want to see results. Ain’t nothin’ in this life comes easy. Except maybe trouble. That seems to find you no matter what. But the good stuff, you gotta work for it. Just like Yogi worked for his success on the baseball field.
