en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogi_Berra
4 corrections found
His military records were burned in the St. Louis Archives fire in 1973.
This is incorrect because the 1973 National Personnel Records Center fire destroyed Army and Air Force personnel files, not Navy files. Berra served in the U.S. Navy.
Full reasoning
The National Archives' page on the 1973 National Personnel Records Center fire says the destroyed personnel files were from Army personnel discharged between 1912 and 1960 and Air Force personnel discharged between 1947 and 1964. It does not list Navy personnel files among the affected records.
Yogi Berra served in the U.S. Navy, so this blanket claim that his military records were burned in that fire is contradicted by the official scope of the fire.
In other words: the 1973 St. Louis fire was devastating, but the official records loss described by the National Archives does not include Navy service records like Berra's.
2 sources
- The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center | National Archives
The records affected: Army Personnel discharged November 1, 1912 to January 1, 1960 ... Air Force Personnel discharged September 25, 1947 to January 1, 1964 ...
- Yogi Berra's U. S. Navy Service Came before Baseball Fame | Naval History and Heritage Command
Like many men of that era, Berra put his life on hold to serve in WWII... Berra decided to fight for his country as a Sailor. He joined the Navy as a gunner's mate...
Service years 1943–1945
The service years are off by one year. Official sources say Berra was discharged in May 1946, so his Navy service extended into 1946, not just 1945.
Full reasoning
This infobox entry says Berra's military service years were 1943–1945, but official government sources say he was discharged in May 1946 as a seaman second class.
Because his discharge date was in 1946, listing his service as ending in 1945 is inaccurate. A correct year range would extend through 1946.
1 source
- Lawrence "Yogi" Berra: All-Time Great | VA News
He was discharged in May 1946 as a seaman second class.
firing machine guns and launching rockets at the German defenses on Omaha Beach.
Official U.S. defense sources place Berra off Utah Beach, not Omaha Beach, during the Normandy invasion.
Full reasoning
This sentence places Berra's D-Day combat service at Omaha Beach, but official U.S. Navy and Defense Department sources place him with the Utah Beach assault force.
A Naval History and Heritage Command article says USS Bayfield served as headquarters for planning the landings on "Utah" beach and identifies Berra as part of that crew. A Defense Department history is even more explicit: during the first wave of the Normandy invasion, Berra was 300 feet from Utah Beach's shore.
Because these are official military histories describing Berra's own unit and position during D-Day, the claim that he was firing at defenses on Omaha Beach is incorrect.
2 sources
- Yogi Berra's U. S. Navy Service Came before Baseball Fame | Naval History and Heritage Command
Bayfield's crew, including Berra, broke the flag of Commander, Force "U" ... and served as headquarters for planning the landings on "Utah" beach.
- For Love of the Game: Baseball's Impact on the Navy | U.S. Department of Defense
During the first wave of the invasion of Normandy, he was 300 feet from Utah Beach's shore.
He is one of only six players to win the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award three times.
This count is outdated. After Aaron Judge won his third AL MVP in 2025, there are seven AL players—not six—with three MVP awards.
Full reasoning
This sentence is now outdated. Official MLB materials for the 2025 American League MVP Award state that Aaron Judge's second consecutive victory is also his third overall and then list the other AL three-time winners: Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Alex Rodriguez, and Mike Trout.
That means there are now seven American League players with three MVP awards, not six. Berra is still one of that group, but the number given here is no longer correct.
1 source
- 2025 American League Most Valuable Player Award | MLB
Judge’s second consecutive victory is also his third overall... Other three-time winners in the AL: Jimmie Foxx ... Joe DiMaggio ... Yogi Berra ... Mickey Mantle ... Alex Rodriguez ... Mike Trout ...