Though I enjoyed Kevin Paul DuPont’s column on Yogi Berra (“Putting a stamp on Berra’s fabled career,” Sports, June 27), I wish that he had discussed the 1950 season in pointing out Berra’s bona fides as a once-in-a-lifetime player.
In 1950, Berra played in 151 of 154 games (the season was shorter then). He batted .322, with 28 home runs and 124 RBI. But most remarkably, he walked 55 times and struck out only 12 times. Yes, in 1970 Johnny Bench hit .293, with 45 home runs and 145 RBI, but he struck out 102 times in 158 games. In 1950, Berra had 192 hits to Bench’s 177 in 1970.
I doubt there is a catcher, current, past, or future, who could match Berra’s ability to put the ball in play. In our era, when strikeouts bring no shame, is it possible to even imagine a player who will make 656 plate appearances in a season and strike out so infrequently?
But, as Berra himself observed, “The future ain’t what it used to be.”
Joseph Levendusky
Watertown
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Yogi Berra’s impact was beyond words, as the numbers will tell you - The Boston Globe
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