Driving Mr. Yogi

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. Yogia 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 14 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. Yogis 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 Swishers season around. Stories about handling a hitter like Ted Williams or catching Don Larsens 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.By turns tender and laugh-out-loud funny and teeming with unforgettable baseball yarns that span more than 50 years Driving Mr. Yogi is a universal story about the importance of wisdom being passed from one generation to the next as well as a reminder that time is what we make of it and compassion never gets old.