THE BRONX, NY — The roar of a stadium of memories rose to its feet, only to turn into tears, on a night when history stood still: the final, emotional farewell to Yogi Berra at Yankee Stadium. It was a goodbye that felt like the end of an era, a single moment when the shadow of the beloved icon fell across the ballpark one last time.
While Yogi Berra passed away in September 2015, the Yankees held a powerful tribute ceremony at the Stadium shortly after, but it was his appearance at the final game of the Old Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2008, that served as his profound “One Last Roar.”
The Farewell of the Old Stadium (2008)
The closing ceremonies for the original Yankee Stadium were designed to honor the greats who built the franchise, and Yogi Berra—who had famously feuded with George Steinbrenner for years before their emotional reconciliation in 1999—was prominently featured.
- The Emotional Return: The ceremony brought back dozens of Yankees legends. Berra, who had won 10 World Series titles with the club, stood tall among them, representing the glory years of the 1950s dynasty.
- The Moment of Tears: As the legends gathered, the cameras fixed on Berra, his face a mix of melancholy and pride. The stadium lights dimmed, and the collective cheers and applause for the legends turned into a unified, raw wave of emotion. For many, seeing Berra—the embodiment of the stadium’s greatest history—say goodbye was overwhelming.
- The Final Words: The voice of Yogi Berra was used to encapsulate the feeling of the stadium closing, famously declaring, “Only this time when it’s over, it’s over.” That final, perfect Yogi-ism cemented the emotional weight of the night.
The Post-Mortem Tribute (2015)
After his death on September 22, 2015, the Yankees honored their three-time MVP with a moving tribute during their first home game back in the Bronx:
- Silent Respect: Both the Yankees and the visiting Chicago White Sox stood outside their dugouts.
- The Symbolism: Manager Joe Girardi, flanked by fellow catchers Brian McCann, Austin Romine, and Gary Sanchez, placed a flower arrangement in the shape of his iconic No. 8 behind home plate—the spot where Berra called games for over a decade.
- A Military Honor: A Navy bugler played “Taps,” recognizing Berra’s courageous service in the Navy during World War II and the D-Day invasion.
The night served as a powerful reminder that Berra was not just a baseball player, but an American hero whose quiet greatness and humble humor defined an entire era of the New York Yankees.
