16 Yogi Berra Quotes That Will Make You a Better Parent

Hall of Fame baseball legend and famous wordsmith Yogi Berra turns 90 years old today. The birthday boy’s roster of Major League accomplishments—three MVP awards,15 All-Star game appearances and a dozen World Series home runs, to name just a few—pale, however, when compared with his legacy of pithy one-liners, endearingly referred to as Yogi-isms.

Witticisms like “it ain’t over ’til it’s over” helped catapult the catcher, manager and coach to icon status. As the world celebrates the beloved nonagenarian today, Berra’s Yogi-isms are once again held high on the pedestal of American culture. And rightfully so. Here, then, is a look at some Yogi-isms that, when viewed through the right (sticky, smudged, stepped-on) lenses, helped shape a generation of parents.

‘You can observe a lot by just watching.’

‘You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.’

‘Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.’

‘If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.’

‘Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.’

‘I never said most of the things I said.’

‘I wish I had an answer to that because I’m tired of answering that question.’

‘I’m not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did.’

‘It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much.’

‘I usually take a two-hour nap from one to four.’

‘Pair up in threes.’

‘I tell the kids, somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose. Just don’t fight about it. Just try to get better.’

‘A nickel isn’t worth a dime today.’

‘It ain’t the heat; it’s the humility.’

‘Take it with a grin of salt.’

‘I didn’t really say everything I said.’