Yogi’s Rings Presumed Melted
Hall of Famer’s Jewels Stolen… and Destroyed?
SAY IT AIN’T SO!😲
Gary Roskin
Roskin Gem News Report
After almost 2 decades of searching for stolen artwork, jewelry, and other museum items, 9 thieves have been caught, according to the Associated Press.
Stolen Jewels
What caught our attention to this story were the World Series and Most Valuable Player rings stolen, and presumably melted down for the gold value. These rings were more than just gold and diamonds. They were presented to Hall of Fame New York Yankees baseball catcher, Yankees manager, and New York Mets coach and manager, Yogi Berra. These rings have value not just from the gold and diamonds, but for their provenance. They belonged to Yogi Berra, a baseball icon, and an American icon.
Who Is Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra was born on May 12, 1925. He was an American professional baseball player, a coach, and a manager. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Berra spent the majority of his career with the New York Yankees from 1946 to 1963, and later played for the New York Mets in 1965. He was known for his exceptional defensive skills as a catcher, his ability to hit for both power and average, and his unique and often humorous way of speaking, which led to the creation of the term “Yogi-isms.”
by New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra as he tries to score from third
in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the World Series, at Yankee Stadium in New York.
The Yankees won 3-2.
Yogi Berra: ‘It Ain’t Over’ documentary reassesses baseball great’s remarkable career and life | CNN
MLB Career
During his career, Yogi Berra won an impressive total of 10 World Series championships as a player, more than any other player in MLB history. He was named to the All-Star team 18 times and was awarded the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award three times. Berra was also a solid contributor with his bat, finishing his career with 358 home runs and a lifetime batting average of .285.
After retiring as a player, Berra had a successful managerial career, including leading the Yankees to the World Series in 1964. He was later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
After his playing career with the New York Yankees, Berra joined the Mets as a coach. In 1969, Berra served as a coach under manager Gil Hodges (former player for the Brooklyn Dodgers) during the Mets’ historic season.
That year, the Mets, who had previously been a struggling franchise, experienced a remarkable turnaround. They clinched the National League East division title, then went on to defeat the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series (NLCS).
The 1969 World Series was where the team would be tagged, the Miracle Mets, facing the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles, and beating the Orioles in five games to win their first ever World Series.
Yogi Berra’s contributions to both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets have cemented his status as a legendary figure in New York baseball history.
Yogi-isms
Most of us are probably not old enough to remember having seen Yogi play (mainly with the New York Yankees from 1946 to 1963), or even coach or manage (1964-1985), but you have no doubt heard or even repeated some of Yogi’s famous “yogi-isms.”
And there are dozens of Yogi-isms. They’re funny. They’re sincere. And they are classic Yogi Berra. But Yogi denied saying most of them with yet another Yogi-ism – “I never said most of the things I said.”
and now, according to ESPN, the Top 10 Yogi-isms:
#10 – “It’s like deja vu all over again.”
#9 – “You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.”
#8 – “The future ain’t what it used to be.”
#7 – “We made too many wrong mistakes.”
#6 – “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”
#5 – “You can observe a lot just by watching.”
#4 – “You should always go to other people’s funerals; otherwise, they won’t come to yours.”
#3 – “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
#2 – “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.”
and the #1 Yogi-ism is:
#1 – “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”
… and if the rings have truly been melted, well, then it is over for the hardware.
But the man, the legend, lives on.
At Auction – Comparable
At a Heritage auction for sports memorabilia, a 1977 New York Yankees World Series Championship Ring presented to Yogi Berra (I think we can assume that this is NOT one of the stolen artifacts) came up for sale ….
This ring was sold on May 12, 2017 for $31,200.00 (includes buyer’s premium) – Heritage Auction House
Made by Balfour in 14 Karat yellow gold with diamonds.
“Since 1913, Balfour has been the leading designer of championship rings at the professional, collegiate, and high school levels.”
Caption (image up top) Stolen and possibly melted — Nine World Series rings, seven other rings and two MVP plaques belonging to Yogi Berra, including the rings believed to be melted down and destroyed.
Steve Crandall/Getty
