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Driving Mr. Yogi: Yogi Berra, Ron Guidry, and Baseball's Greatest Gift Audiobook
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(3.06) - 305 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
It happens every spring. Yankees pitching great Ron Guidry arrives at the Tampa airport to pick up Hall of Fame catcher and national treasure Yogi Berra. Guidry drives him to the ballpark. They watch the young players. They talk shop. They eat dinner together and tease each other mercilessly. They trade stories about the greats they have met along the way. And the next day they do the same thing all over again.
As every former ballplayer can appreciate, in that routine, every spring, there emerges a certain magic.
Driving Mr. Yogi is the story of how a unique friendship between a pitcher and catcher is renewed every year. It began in 1999, when Berra was reunited with the Yankees after a long self-exile, the result of being unceremoniously fired by George Steinbrenner fourteen years before. A reconciliation between Berra and the Boss meant that Berra would attend spring training again. Guidry befriended “Mr. Yogi” instantly. After all, Berra had been a mentor in the clubhouse back when Guidry was pitching for the Yankees. Guidry knew the young players would benefit greatly from Mr. Yogi’s encyclopedic knowledge of the game, just as Guidry had during his playing days. So he encouraged him to share his insights. Soon, an offhand batting tip from Mr. Yogi turned Nick Swisher’s season around. Stories about handling a hitter like Ted Williams or catching Don Larsen’s perfect game captured the players’ imagination. And in Yogi, Guidry found not just an elder companion or source of amusement—he found a best friend.
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"This was wonderful. Yogi Berra is my favorite Yankee of all time. The stories in this book demonstrate the pride of the pinstripes; the times when men played for the love of the game and not million dollar paychecks. The book made me laugh at times, of course, for the Yogi-isms, but it also brought tears to my eyes on several occasions. Ron Guidry, I admire and envy you. That bond of friendship, the great stories from a living legend and a life well lived with appreciation for the simple good things!"
— Michele (5 out of 5 stars)
Driving Mr. Yogi Listener Reviews
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" A great baseball book. The story of a great friendship.Plus the tale of bossy George Steinbrenner admitting he was wrong. "
— Danielle, 2/8/2014 -
" Both Yogi and Ron Guidry come across as down to earth, good guys. I'm sure Yankee fans will love every word, but to my mind there were perhaps too many words. Cross-generational friendship, love of baseball, Yankee pride and tradition. Nothing particularly new, but a decent summer book. "
— carl, 2/5/2014 -
" An absolute delight for any NY Yankee fan! "
— Anne, 2/5/2014 -
" Cute book about the relationship between Ron Guidry and Yogi Berra. Yankee fans will love it. "
— Melissa, 1/21/2014 -
" Not bad. Very rah-rah Yankees. "
— Joseph, 1/21/2014 -
" I liked it alot. Yes, it was sentimental, but I'm a big Yankee and baseball fan and who can resist Yogi? A quick, light, summertime read. "
— Melanie, 1/19/2014 -
" A sweet, sentimental gem of a book on baseball and friendship. "
— Carolyn, 1/3/2014 -
" A unique journey, a common bond, and the meaning behind friendship. This is a breezy read that offers some thoughtful anecdotes and explores the bond of friendship. "
— Daniel, 12/27/2013 -
" A very sweet bromance. Didn't know much about Berra or Guidry -- now I love them both. "
— Nancy, 12/17/2013 -
" Enjoyable read about an interesting hall of famer. "
— Craig, 12/8/2013 -
" A quick read - and a delightful walk down memory lane for any baseball fan, but especially for Yankee fans. "
— Piepie, 11/28/2013 -
" A touching basebal read... 4 stars for Yankee fans.. "
— Niko05, 11/27/2013 -
" For long-time Yankee fans only! It's like a trip down memory lane for fans of Yankee baseball. Lots of funny stories, baseball history and player's appreciations of the great Yogi Berra. "
— Betsyw, 11/26/2013 -
" I picked up this book expecting to read lots of "Yogi-isms"--there were a few scattered among the pages but this book showed the other side of Yogi Berra. Mr. Berra is all about baseball--and he will always be a Yankee. His relationship with Ron Guidry was worth reading about. "
— Marilyn, 11/6/2013 -
" Really enjoyed this book even though I am not a Yankees fan. Learned some about Yogi Berra. Really a book about friendship set against a backdrop of baseball. "
— Mark, 8/11/2013 -
" A great baseball story about great baseball players. We always hear about spoiled millionaires whose egos bounce off each other. Here are two Yankee greats who build an astounding friendship. "
— Old_airman, 7/20/2013 -
" Sweet telling of the relationship between the 1970s Yankee pitcher Ron Guidry and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra. "
— Kristin, 4/24/2013 -
" Fun, touching, sweet book about baseball, bonds between men and ok, the Yankees. I enjoyed it, in spite of my devotion to the Boston Red Sox. "
— Al, 2/14/2013 -
" I think if you are baseball fan you will like this book. Being a yankee fan it was a great read. Reminded me when my father and I. Talked about the yankees. The ones like Yogi I never saw play but Guidry I remember I was in high school. A very good and funny book. "
— P.e.lolo, 1/7/2013 -
" If you're a Yankee fan, how can you not want to read this story? "
— Alison, 1/6/2013 -
" Two of my favorite Yankees--I absolutely loved this book!! Such a fun read. It's perfect for any Yankee fan, young or old. "
— Erica, 12/27/2012 -
" A nice little feel-good book about a baseball legend. No surprises, but a pleasant way to while away an idle day. "
— David, 10/3/2012 -
" This was a nice book about the later years of Yogi Berra and how Yankee players, particularly Ron Guidry look after him. "
— Jim, 9/9/2012 -
" Ok, but as I'm reading it I think it could have been a long newspaper article. There was only so much to say and after a while it just dragged. "
— John, 6/28/2012 -
" Nice book for Yankee and/or Yogi fans. "
— Ellen, 5/31/2012
About Harvey Araton
Harvey Araton joined the New York Times as a sports reporter and national basketball columnist in 1991 and became a “Sports of the Times” columnist in 1994. He is the author of numerous books and his work has also appeared in the New York Times Magazine, GQ, ESPN The Magazine, Sport, Tennis, and Basketball Weekly. Born in New York City in 1952, he is a 1975 graduate of the City University of New York. Araton lives in Montclair, New Jersey.
About Peter Berkrot
Peter Berkrot, winner of Audie and Earphones Awards for narration, is a stage, screen, and television actor and acting coach. He has narrated over 450 works that span a range of genres, including fiction, nonfiction, thriller, and children’s titles. His audiobook credits include works of Alan Glynn, Eric Van Lustbader, Nora Roberts and Dean Koontz. In film and television, he appeared in Caddyshack, America’s Most Wanted, and Unsolved Mysteries. He performs in regional and New York theaters and directs the New Voices acting school.