Baseball lost one of its finest alumni this week. On Tuesday, September 2nd, Yogi Berra died at the age of 90. I remember the glory days – the Yogi days – when Berra was a star player, manager, and coach. He was an 18-time All Star, a 10-time World Series champion, and one of only five players in history named Most Valuable Player three times.

But instead of running down his batting averages and super stats, I’d like to take a minute to remember some of our favorite “Yogi-isms” – the things he said that made us scratch our heads, or think a little bit, or just laugh out loud.

• "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
• "Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded."
• "Ninety percent of the game is half mental."
• "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore."
• "We made too many wrong mistakes."
• "If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be." 
• "The future ain't what it used to be."
• And of course… "It ain't over till it's over."

But my favorite Yogi Berra quote of all time? “I never said most of the things I said.”

Who knows if he did or if he didn’t say all those crazy, funny, memorable things? What we do know is what Yogi Berra was to baseball and America: priceless in every way.

From his famous leather-clad TV special to his Vegas days, I can’t think of any other pop star who enjoyed the enormous popularity and longevity of Elvis Presley. Even today, people still listen to his music and collect t-shirts, calendars, clocks and anything else that reminds them of the days when Elvis ruled the radio waves.

I remember sitting by the radio with my friends, waiting impatiently for the DJ to play our requests and breaking into wild dances when “Teddy Bear” or “Jailhouse Rock” finally came blaring out of the speakers. I'll never forget how Elvis made us dance and sing. And how my mom used to shout at us to “turn down that radio right now!”

Though they don’t play his music on popular radio anymore, I still have all my original Elvis records. I still dance around when I play them, though maybe a little less wildly. And I still play them really, really loud. The only thing that’s really changed is no one can make me turn it down when I’m rocking out to The King!

Most of us remember exactly where we were and what we were doing at the moment of certain defining events in our shared history. The day JFK was assassinated. Or John Lennon was killed. Or the morning 14 years ago when two planes intentionally crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City.

I was driving to work. When I arrived, I saw on the faces of my coworkers the same look I imagined I was wearing. I don’t remember much about the workday after that. Somehow we all got through it. Together.

But I – we – will never forget that day. Or where we were when we heard. Or about all the people who worked at WTC and all the people who charged into those doomed buildings.

Today — above all days — we remember. We think about all those who were lost. We honor the brave first responders. And we salute the American spirit of strength and perseverance that saw us through it all.

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Do you remember your favorite teddy bears from childhood? Maybe you still have one or two of them up in the attic? September 9th is the day to bring them out, show them off and give them a great big hug — it's National Teddy Bear Day!

Stuffed bears appeared on the toy scene in the early 1900s, but did you know the toy got its name from US President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt?

Here's what happened: the president was on a hunting expedition, but he wasn't able to bring down any game. Then someone brought out a baby bear and suggested that Roosevelt shoot it. Roosevelt, a sporting man, refused. The incident generated a lot of press, which inspired a New York toy maker to create a new stuffed animal, "Teddy's Bear."

And the rest is history.

So on September 9th we can celebrate all the joy we get from our stuffed, plush, furry friends. And we can celebrate Theodore Roosevelt, whose refusal to shoot a helpless little baby bear inspired a toy that's given us smiles, comfort, and cuddles for more than a hundred years!