Petition Started To Get Legend Yogi Berra Awarded The Presidential Medal Of Freedom
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Yogi Berra has done it all, literally.
While he is known first as a Hall of Fame baseball player who has enough World Series rings to fill up all his fingers and then some, and enough great sayings to keep historians and pop culture buffs busy for generations, some of Berra's greatest accomplishments off the field are just now being showcased for the whole country to see.
A petition has been created on the White House's official website asking the Obama Administration to award Berra the Presidential Medal of Freedom "for his military service and civil rights and educational activism."
If you look at Berra's civic resume, it reads like his baseball statistics -- exceptional.
Among his accomplishments, Berra, who will turn 90 on Tuesday, is a veteran, having enlisted in the Navy during World War II and served during the D-Day invasion. He is "a man of unimpeachable integrity and respect," the petition reads, and "continues to be an avid supporter of our armed forces."
Berra has also been a staunch advocate of education, setting up a scholarship 50 years ago at Columbia University that is still awarded today, and his museum in New Jersey "serves 20,000 students annually with character education programs and teaches the values of respect, sportsmanship and inclusion that Berra has demonstrated throughout his life and career," the petition reads.
Considered one of the greatest catchers to ever play the game, Berra was a three-time AL MVP during his 19-year playing career, all but one with the Yankees. He was an 18-time All-Star and is a member of the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
The goal of the petition is to have 100,000 signatures by June 8. If you would like to sign, please check out the White House's official website.
