In The Wit and Wisdom of Yogi Berra, author Phil Pepe takes Yogi from St. Louis to New York's Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium, including all the stops along the way--from the days he put soles on women's shoes to his induction into the Baseball's Hall of Fame, when he coined one of his most remembered phrases: "I thank everybody for making this day necessary."

Phil Pepe explores Yogi Berra as a boy, player, hero, coach, manager, husband, and father, a buffoon and a human being. He relates all of the Berraisms in an absorbing treatment that is simultaneously comical, thoughtful, and biographical. Who can forget what Yogi said about a popular restaurant: "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." Or Yogi's take on Little League Baseball? "I think it's wonderful. It keeps the kids out of the house."...

No team has quite the same legend as the New York Yankees. They're the celebrated overachievers--setting records that have redefined baseball; recruiting players whose names are synonymous worldwide with our national pastime--Ruth, DiMaggio, Mantle, Maris, Gehrig, Jeter. In nearly every decade, there have been moments and players to celebrate. Discover the magic and relieve the memories in this commemorative look back at the Yankees of yesteryear....

As a catcher, Gary "the Kid" Carter's quiet, focused nature kept him out of the glare of the media's spotlight. Now Carter, with sportswriter Phil Pepe, talks about the ups and downs of his Hall of Fame career. Carter opens up about life after the majors and how retirement has provided some of his biggest challenges.

A grounded, sincere man, Carter has gone on to help kids through the Gary Carter Foundation and worked as a broadcaster and a coach. Now, Carter is the manager for the minor-league Orange County Flyers. Reflecting on life before and after his 19-year career in Major League Baseball, Carter reveals how his hard work, dedication, and love of the game, as well as the love and support of his family, have helped him maintain his legendary youthful attitude....

In the middle of the 1983 season, I got traded to the Mets. That was a tumultuous year for me, getting uprooted in the middle of the year from St. Louis, where I had spent almost 10 years and was comfortable, going from a first-place team to a last-place team, not being where I wanted to be. It was not a very good time for me. Rusty asked me where I was going to live that season, and said, "If you're unattached, you need to get an apartment in the city. I'll show you around. I know you're going to love it." That's when our relationship started to develop, and it became the great friendship that it is today. The thing that impressed me about him as a player was that he was always focused on the game and focused on the pitchers. As a teammate, I would take advantage of Rusty's experience and, because we both hit left-handed, we would often talk hitting. You can learn things from other hitters, and I always wanted to get Rusty's take. I'm deeply honored that Rusty has chosen me as the No. 1 first baseman in Mets history--especially coming from him because I have always respected his opinion. I always made a point over the years to ask Rusty who were the greatest players whom he played against, who were the greatest pitchers, the toughest left-handers he faced, the best right-handers. Those were all the guys who were on the bubble gum cards I collected when I was a kid. After all, Rusty is 10 years older than I am, so he saw players I never did. ...