This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 5/11/2001.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." So said Lawrence Peter Berra, whose uniquely-stated observations about life and baseball aptly earned him the nickname of "Yogi." Sports' foremost
guru did much observing through the bars of a catcher's mask as he squatted behind home plate awaiting pitches thrown to him for 18 big league seasons from 1946-65. From behind the mask, Yogi's friendly conversations with batters would so distract them that they'd lose their concentration and become easy meat for New York Yankee pitchers. Which is why the sight of this wonderfully gnarled, battle-scarred mask worn by Yogi might still send a few shivers down the backs of many of the men who carried their bats back to the dugout. Yogi surely coveted the mask, apparently unwilling to use a new one as long as the wins kept coming, and the mask stayed in one piece. And while the straps are loose and fraying, the brown padding stained and a little cracked, and the bars pocked from more foul tips than Yogi might want to remember, the piece is a sturdy little gem and a stark reminder of the rugged men who used to play the game. Indeed, you can almost swear that Yogi's eyes are peering back at you between the bars. Berra's name is stamped in the strap and the mask comes with a cover of Sports Illustrated depicting Berra in a mask very similar to this one.