Yogi Berra, dead at 90, will be remembered for his paradoxical Yogiisms

Hall-of-Famer Yogi Berra, a legendary New York Yankee and one of the best catchers in baseball, died Tuesday at his New Jersey home at the age of 90.

Born Lawrence Peter Berra in St. Louis in 1925, he played ball on American Legion teams in his youth, and served in the U.S. Navy during World War Two, taking part in the D-Day landings. After being mustered out, he went on to play for the Yankees for 18 seasons and racked up an amazing series of accomplishments, including 14 World Series appearances, 15 All-Star games, and 3 MVP awards.

While his skill on the field was unmatched (Berra led the American League multiple years in a dizzying number of catching statistics), he will undoubtedly be forever remembered—and beloved—for his charmingly paradoxical syntax and folksy malapropisms.

Here are ten of his best “Yogiisms”:

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

“It’s like déjà vu all over again.”

“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”

“You can observe a lot just by watching.”

“The future ain’t what it used to be.”

“I never said most of the things I said.”

“Baseball is 90 percent mental, the other half is physical.”

“Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.”

“Slump? I ain’t in no slump, I just ain’t hitting.”

And, of course:

“It ain’t over until it’s over.”