Lorenzo Pietro “Yogi” Berra was born on May 12, 1925, in St. Louis, Missouri. He is widely considered to be one of baseball’s greatest catchers and best clutch hitters of all time. The son of Italian immigrants, Berra grew up on the same block as fellow catcher Joe Garagiola Sr. Later. sportscaster Jack Buck would also live there, leading the street to be nicknamed “Hall of Fame Place.” Berra began playing baseball with local American Legion leagues, playing both infield and outfield positions. It was during this time that he received his nickname from friend Jack Maguire. After watching a newsreel about India, he said that Berra reminded him a yogi (one who practices yoga) because of the way he would sit with his arms and legs crossed while waiting to bat.