White House Responds To Yogi Berra Petition: 'It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The White House has a message for Yogi Berra and those who petitioned for the New York Yankees legend to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom: "it ain't over 'til it's over."
The petition, backed by granddaughter Lindsay Berra and several high-profile names, warranted a reply after reaching its goal of 100,000 signatures just ahead of last month's deadline.
"The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded at the President's sole discretion, and therefore our response to this petition cannot comment on whether any individual will receive the award in the future," the White House said in a statement. "We can, however, say that throughout his career as a Hall-of-Fame catcher for the New York Yankees and beyond, Yogi Berra has done a lot more than hit and think at the same time. He demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship and character on his way to winning 13 World Series championships as a player and manager, with each new title feeling like déjà vu all over again."
Established in 1960, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the country, given to people who make outstanding contributions to the world. Among his accomplishments, the 90-year-old Berra is a veteran, having enlisted in the Navy during World War II and served during the D-Day invasion. Berra has also been a staunch advocate of education, setting up a scholarship 50 years ago at Columbia University that is still awarded today.
"He served our country in the U.S. Navy during World War II -- including the D-Day invasion, and has established himself as an advocate for civil rights, education, and inclusion of the LGBT community in sports," the White House said. "He's demonstrated many of the qualities of past Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, so -- as he might say -- it ain't over 'til it's over."
President Barack Obama has awarded the Medal of Freedom to two former ballplayers: Stan Musial in 2011 and Ernie Banks two years ago.
