Seeing Tim brings a tear to my eye… we use to have newsmen and women that tried to unite us as a people not tear us apart tim. He was one of the best… he’s very missed
Tim Russert was a democrat operative--he'd been an aide to senator Pat Moynihan--and yet, I wonder if he would have gone along or defied the party's turn to the White Genocide Project.
Wow, what a great job Tim Russert did and these guys bringing up the reality of how the game should be played! I miss the honor of going deep inside after a guy crushes a home run. I grew up when baseball was great.
This has to be the best baseball interview I have ever seen. Those 4 Hall of Fame Catchers have encyclopedic knowledge of baseball history. This interview should be in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Great inverview.
As a catcher myself I’m happy as hell to see tim(RIP) interview 4 of the best ever….I’ve seen them all play and they all had different styles but they all worked…they took command….🔥⚾⚾⚾⚾
Love all four of these guys. Yogi, was always my favorite catcher growing up...but the other three were playing at that time. I watched the other three guys as I grew up...and they are now on the same level in my mind...as Yogi was. Johnny Bench...was the greatest catcher I ever saw. An Astros fan here...and my dad made sure, when the Astros played the Reds at the Astrodome...we were there. Johnny Bench was my hero. Then Yogi became a coach for the Astros...and I remember seeing him in the dugout. It thrilled me. Today...I have a Berra Astros replica uniform. It is one of my favorite to wear. These guys were bigger than life to me. Also remember watching the Red Sox/Reds World Series on TV with my dad in 1975, when Carlton Fisk hit that home run. I was 9 years old...and it was like a fairy tale. I wanted to be Carlton Fisk at that moment. Catchers...are the heart of a team. And these four guys...were the Generals on the field.
When you watch Fisk and Bench, you have to wonder about the controversy of Thurmon Munson and Johnny Bench in the 1976 World Series, both Johnny Bench and Thurman Munson had great performances that year, with Sparky Anderson commenting that comparing Munson to Johnny Bench was not being fair to Munson.
So amazing seeing 4 hall of famer catcher together. Gary Carter was my idol as a kid growing up in Quebec state in the 70's. He was so passionate playing baseball. What an inspiration for me.
Absolutely the best. RIP Tim, Yogi, and Gary. This must have been taped after the 2003 season since Tim eluded to the Boone home run on game 7 of the ALCS.
Johnny Bench is my favorite ballplayer of all time. Yogi was the same for my Dad. It was great to see those two together like this. I loved hearing Fisk’s story about that one clown’s antics at Yankee Stadium. All four of these men exhibited a true love of the game. I admired them all.
I feel sorry for kids. I grew up listening to baseball on the radio mostly. I lived in East Texas and only got to see a few Astros games at the Astrodome but maybe a half frozen as a kid. But todays kids get to mostly watch a bunch of spoiled overgrown children. A few still have it. I moved to Maryland later and got to watch Cal Ripken Jr play in a great ball park. Then a real asshole bought the team and ruined them. That was when I really stopped following baseball on a daily basis.
God bess Carter. On the other side of the fence, I grew up in Montreal and we all wanted to crouch like him behind the plate or lift our sleeves at bat like him. He was our hero. A killer smile on Chrysler ads and such a beautiful wife. I clearly remember the night he was traded to the Mets, crying like a baby. I still hate their jersey to this day ;). With the Expos gone, I've slowly become a Red Sox fan but forgive Gary for killing us in '86.... What a wonderful gathering of these 4 greatests catchers. Thanks for posting it.
One of the best baseball interviews of all Time. The iron men of the game. Fisk & Yogi are my favorites. Loved the story of Fisk confronting Sanders about playing the game right.
Speaking of the "war". Yogi was at Normandy. He actually did get wounded, but never submitted the Purple Heart paperwork because he didn't want his mother to worry upon her getting the notification telegram.
This was in 2003? Its amazing it's in such an intimate venue. I would think it would have been in an auditorium, getting 4 Hall of Famers (especially of This magnitude) together is very rare. Great moments in time. 🧡
I can watch this every year and grin all the way through the show! Great guys and great interviewer in Tim. Gone too soon! This is May 2022 and I'll be back again, Lord Willing.
This interview proves that baseball is a game of life. The players speak very frankly about themselves, each other and the game. Being from Detroit, I liked hearing Frank Tanana. Great Interview.
Aging Baby Boomer here and lifelong Bronx Bomber fan. Watching and listening to these truly great ballplayers and the also great Tim Russert brought tears to my eyes. All 4 of these men represented an era of baseball play that is sorely missed and needed today. And how very lucky I feel to have been a fan since 1960. In closing, not one Deion Sanders on that stage. 🇺🇸⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️🇺🇸
Missed the "Boomer" cut-off by six years, but still a lifelong Yankees fan. I grew up watching the late, great Thurman Munson as he captained The Bronx Zoo. I always wonder if the Yankees would have had another dynasty had Thurman not been killed in that plane crash.
Weird knowing 60% of that panel are no longer with us. 5 great men and 4 of the best catchers that will ever live. What a unique and special 45 minutes.
Thanks for your comment, Matt; and, get well soon! In the meantime, you might enjoy some of the other interviews I posted. Jackie Gleason: ruclips.net/video/kGW9DuXDE28/видео.html Phil Silvers: ruclips.net/video/eg5_zgHtXVc/видео.html Peanuts" creator, Charles Schulz: ruclips.net/video/T3eJ6WUVMFc/видео.html Jack Paar: ruclips.net/video/2qwK08oWbrs/видео.html Jackie Robinson: ruclips.net/video/YCr0RAzf8ds/видео.html Vince Scully: ruclips.net/video/Lo29DoqcoGo/видео.html
A member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, right Andy? I remember "the Kid" better in the 1980's when I was a resident of the Garden State and he was with the Mets. I can still see in my mind's-eye the TV-replay closeups where we could see his eyes open wide to almost twice their size, when he saw a fat pitch on its way that he was going to clobber. Thanks for your comment.
@@pianopappy the Expos would send Gary across country in the dead of winter....Saskatchewan, Manitoba...etc....to run baseball clinics and pump up interest in the team...Gary did it with a smile...he visited sick kids in hospital....any way he could help the team....he was a southern Cal boy...yes in the Hall of Fame....a rare guy indeed....ironic to me such a great guy got brain cancer....RIP Kid!...he is in God's Hall of Fame NOW!!!!!!!
@@Andy-ty2ni Great story about a great guy, Andy! Yes, I wonder why someone like him would get hit with such an aggressive and inoperable cancer. Thanks for the information about how he gave of himself in the off-seasons. I wasn't aware of it.
@@pianopappy , the NY sportswriters had a poll going about which of the '86 Mets would be the first to die because several of them were repeatedly engaging in high-risk behaviours. They all lost their bets because Gary went first and no one saw that coming. One of, if not the cleanest guy on that team and he goes first at 57? Things don't always make sense, do they?
Love all four but Yogi has to be my all time favorite even though I'm a St. Louis Cardinal fan and love Yadier Molina devotedly. In time I believe Yadi will also be in the Hall of Fame. As this post is written it's 2022 in August and Yadi is playing in his announced final year of baseball. Thanks for this video. OH and as an admirer of catchers, the amount they are paid could never be enough compared to the beating they take back there.
It is such a delight to see these five great men on the same stage. Each one represents intelligence, class, and the cream of their profession. To Gary, Yogi, and Tim, you are loved and missed. To Pudge and Johnny, many more happy and healthy years.
A great interview! If there were two questions he should have asked it was: who were the catchers they respected that they played against and who were the catchers they admired in today’s game. Tim Russert was a journalist and a fan and I don’t think anyone else could have done a better job of striking the right balance between the two. R.I.P. Thank-you for posting this video!
Whoever gave this great interview a thumbs down should be keelhauled. And here's my shameful story. In 67 ( I was 13 and a Yankees fan) my father met a Mets VP and my brother and I got box seats and a tour of the dugout with Ed Kranepool as our host. So there we are in the Shea Stadium dugout before the game and Yogi was there about 10 ft away. I look at him absolutely gobsmacked...... Yogi looks at me for a few seconds with what I now know was a look saying "ok, kid, if you're going to get my autograph, now is the time to do it"........ and the few seconds went by and Yogi walked away. I kick myself today. What was going through my mind? To be honest?.... "wow, that's Yogi Berra"..... and also "wow, I'm taller than he is, I bet I could play as well as he can. After all, I was pretty good in Little League..... maybe?". Wow.... the idiocy of youth. After the game I did get Tommy Davis' autograph.
I suppose everyone has a favorite "yogiism", mine is the teacher who gave him an F on something and said "Berra, you don't know anything" and he reportedly replied "don't know anything?? I don't even SUSPECT anything"
That was really interesting to just see them interact-big personalities with a little bit of competitive ego. As great as Carter was, you could tell that he wasn’t always a player favorite. You could kind of feel that JB considers himself the goat (resents the lung surgery changing the course) where as yogi feels very secure with his rings as his legacy. The commander was still as brash/fiery as ever.
@@shadoworksphilosophy120 Love it, though I gained respect for Bench in this. Another great Yankee catcher I put in the discussion of GOAT catchers is Bill Dickey. And of course Josh Gibson.
Yes, but Berra's 14 World Series Championship rings makes you evaluate his career when compared to Bill Russell, and Michael Jordan. Berra was the ultimate winner.
Yogi was playing left field when Bill Mazeroski hit his homerun in the 9th inning of the 7th game of the 1960 World Series. Mickey was in Centerfield that day too
That was cool. Yogi as a player was just a bit before my time but I saw the other three play and of that group, Johnny Bench was the gold standard. I always admired catchers because it takes more guts to play that position than any other on the diamond. I was the teams utility guy because I was fast, smart, and most importantly, could not hit breaking balls worth a hoot. That meant I had four jobs, defensive replacement, pinch runner, BP pitcher, and insulting the opposing pitchers mother. I played every position but I only caught one inning. Our starter was late getting to the park and our regular backup was out sick. The manager told me to suit up. I said "I've never played catcher before." He said "Neither has anyone else so don't f**k it up." The worst inning of my life. Fortunately only one guy got on but he stole second then third because I would stick out the glove, turn my head, and hope like hell the batter either hit the ball or the pitcher hit my mitt. I cursed out the catcher when he finally did show up and that was it as far as me and that position went. I will say hearing Pudge talk about putting that showboat Deion in his place raises my esteem for him. I could not stand that guy when he played whether it was baseball or football. Can you imagine him pulling a stunt like drawing a dollar sign in the dirt with a pitcher like Gibson on the mound? Neon Deion would have earned a trip to the dentist if he acted like that back in the day against a guy like Gibson. Seeing Yogi was great. So many Yogi-ism's. One of my favorites was "Nobody goes there anymore because it's too crowded." RIP Yogi. I never saw you play but you remain a legend. And this is coming from someone who hates the Yankees.
Thanks, "Itinerant'', for your remembrance of what it was like to wear "the tools of ignorance" for one inning. I noticed that you did not say you had any passed balls, which means you fulfilled the primary responsibility of a catcher; namely, to CATCH THE F**KIN'' BALL! Which reminds me of what manager Casey Stengel said after he drafted catcher Hobie Landrith to be the first player to join the New York Mets before their first season. Casey explained, "You have to have a catcher or you'll have a lot of passed balls". By the way, it's comments like yours that make me glad I recorded the program and that it survived long enough to share.
Great interview! As a Yankees Fan, as much as I hated Fisk and the Red Sox, I truly admire his greatness in his career, errr, especially as a Yankee killer, and the physical sufferings that he as well as all the other catchers had to endure throughout their careers. I put them right up there, just behind Policemen, Military Men and Firemen. Also, the sadness that sunk in when they felt they were no longer able to play the game. It wasn't all about the money. It was about the love of the game for all of these guys!
@@Juscz Thanks, I appreciate that! Then, speaking of Yankee killer, there was Pete Rose, who is one I despised the most in the National League. The day came, several years after I saw him in person but didn't approach him as he was standing in front of the big screen TV at the back of the Sports book at Mandalay Bay for the start of the 2000 World Series. Then when I was working in an Irish Pub on a very slow night. One sole customer was waiving his hands in the air, as I didn't spot him right away. I walked up to the T-bar where he was sitting, and I said, sorry, I didn't see you behind the pole.......Mr ROSE? I am sure he was thankful I knew who he was. When I took his order, I straight out said to him, "I HATED you guys in 1976!". I was at that last game of the World Series when you and your team swept us 4-0. He didn't say much and I thought I blew a tip for the 2 drinks he had. He drank 2 Vodka Cranberries and tipped me accordingly but nothing really special. I didn't even ask for his autograph. I was tempted to pay the bill and save the credit card receipt but I didn't.
I didn't realize Gary Carter passed away and it was ten years ago! Here it is August 14, 2022. Wow... rest in peace, Gary. I loved watching you play. btw, one of his nicknames was "lights", because he loved the camera.
Fiske had to catch two of the most interesting characters in pro baseball (besides Dizzy Dean and Yogi)- Bill "Spaceman" Lee and Luis Tiant. I'm not sure how he dealt with those personalities, much less controlled them! Ooops, I forgot about Mark "The Bird" Fidrych!
Great watch. Like Pudge said, it is tough to take when you know you can't play the game anymore. Old man now, I still miss it and dream of squaring up a baseball with a Louisville Slugger.
I had such respect for him was the day he got into it with Deion Sanders. There is a respect for the game & the correct way to play it like Pete Rose you play hard all the time.
@@oldtimer794 With all the respect that Paul O'Neill deserves, I once saw him do the same thing. In the Kingdome, he hit a high pop to shallow right, slammed his bat into the ground and didn't run it out. The fielder dropped the ball, but threw out O'Neill at first. The fans were merciless for the rest of the game. Pauly was a great player and a champion, but he was a hothead, and sometimes had trouble controlling his temper. I am in no way comparing him to Deon Sanders. Pudge was the only catcher here that I saw play, when he was with the WhiteSox at the Kingdome, beating up on the M's.
Dad took me to a night game in 1949 at Comiskey Park. Yankees were in town. I saw Joe D and Tommy Henrich and a fellow with the funniest name ... Yogi Berra.
I’m a Yankees fan, and I agree with you 100%. Johnny Bench is the best catcher I ever saw hands down. The others on this panel are certainly no slouches. However as great as Bench was, I wouldn’t trade Thurman for him.
I was at my Uncle's house and heard the adults talking in shock the day he died. I'm an Ohioan and was 10 and had just begun collecting cards, and I remember my Munson card from a season he never got to play. Standing, mask off, big guy with a big mustache, standing on home plate.Sure HOFer
Look at Russert’s face as he’s talking to these 4 legends is he having a good time? You better believe it and so was I watching! Loved Russert miss him and Yogi and Carter outstanding interview it was great!
As a Big Red Machine fan, JB is my vote for greatest ever! I think most fans of the game agree. These 4 are tremendous. Yadi is a stud as well. I met Fisk while doing play by play on a broadcast of minor league game featuring his son Casey. A really great guy!
If you just accept Bill James and the writers' opinion that Bench is the best, who else would you have on your 25-man roster as his back-up? These three: Carter, Yogi and Fisk certainly figure in the conversation. Others under consideration might be Josh Gibson for his power, Roy Camp with several MVPs, Thurman Munson, Bill Dickey, Eddie Cochranne, Freehan, Lance Parrish... Ivan Rodriguez' arm, Salvador Perez' leadership, Yadier Molina's clutch, Piazza's batting average... It's a tough call for #2. I would probably go with Yogi for his left hitting power, funny clubhouse demeanor, and 10 WS. Gotta keep it a little lighter with the pitching staff seeing how intense Johnny really is.
Pudge talking about the Neon Deion incident kept referencing the Red Sox/Yankee rivalry but when that actually happened he was no longer playing for Boston, he was with the White Sox at that time.
OK everybody you should watch the 'after Jackie' movie released in mid 2022 the full movie is available on the Internet with some very nagging long 2 1/2 minute advertising time -- focuses on the next generation after Jackie Robinson Willie Mays and Hank Aaron Roberto Clemente and highlights especially with Curt flood did, but no mention of that by Carlton Fisk in the interview about the reason Everybody's getting paid what they're worth nowadays. I don't know what that means relative to that incident between Fisk and neon Dion about the numbers in the dirt & the slavery comment by neon Dion timewise in history. Sometimes people do things like recite mantras and important words to focus themselves just like they have certain gestures and movements they make in the batters box before they get ready to hit.
Thanks for your remembrance, C DUB. When Berra went back to the wall, and when he saw that he wouldn't be able to catch Maz's drive, he turned to be in position to play the ball off the wall. But, we both know what happened to it. I was in college at the time; and, a schoolmate of mine, a freshman from Pittsburgh, bet heavily at the beginning of the Series that the Pirates would win it. Because the Yankees' three wins were by such lop-sided scores, this poor guy was on a emotional roller coaster as the series wore on. Did I say "poor" guy? Mazeroski (and catcher Hal Smith, who also hit a late-inning key home run) made him a lot of $$$.
I was serving in the Canadian army as part of the UN Force in Egypt in 1960. I could only receive that Game via short wave radio in one particular spot, at night, in the middle of a sand field. When the home run was hit by Mazeroski I jumped up and did a war dance. Great memory & a great interview.
A fan since 1949...these men represent the wonderful game and the American spirit. Bless and Thank them all...
AMEN!!!
A fan since '52 here - I agree 100% !!
Seeing Tim brings a tear to my eye… we use to have newsmen and women that tried to unite us as a people not tear us apart tim. He was one of the best… he’s very missed
couldn't agree more, Blu
You said it pal!
Tim Russert was a democrat operative--he'd been an aide to senator Pat Moynihan--and yet, I wonder if he would have gone along or defied the party's turn to the White Genocide Project.
He was the best!
He wouldn’t have tolerated the MAGA cult!
Wow, what a great job Tim Russert did and these guys bringing up the reality of how the game should be played! I miss the honor of going deep inside after a guy crushes a home run. I grew up when baseball was great.
Loved Tim Russet for his passion and respect of organized sport... Also a quality political journalist. Sorely missed.
One of the best baseball interviews ever. Tremendous stories!
and Tim Russert was a news man
This has to be the best baseball interview I have ever seen. Those 4 Hall of Fame Catchers have encyclopedic knowledge of baseball history. This interview should be in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Great inverview.
Absolutely! This is a classic piece of broadcasting and an exceptional moment of sports history. Tim Russert at his best, and that's saying something.
And your comment included
As a catcher myself I’m happy as hell to see tim(RIP) interview 4 of the best ever….I’ve seen them all play and they all had different styles but they all worked…they took command….🔥⚾⚾⚾⚾
Wow, this is so precious! Missing, RIP, Thurman Munson.
Love all four of these guys. Yogi, was always my favorite catcher growing up...but the other three were playing at that time. I watched the other three guys as I grew up...and they are now on the same level in my mind...as Yogi was. Johnny Bench...was the greatest catcher I ever saw. An Astros fan here...and my dad made sure, when the Astros played the Reds at the Astrodome...we were there. Johnny Bench was my hero. Then Yogi became a coach for the Astros...and I remember seeing him in the dugout. It thrilled me. Today...I have a Berra Astros replica uniform. It is one of my favorite to wear. These guys were bigger than life to me. Also remember watching the Red Sox/Reds World Series on TV with my dad in 1975, when Carlton Fisk hit that home run. I was 9 years old...and it was like a fairy tale. I wanted to be Carlton Fisk at that moment. Catchers...are the heart of a team. And these four guys...were the Generals on the field.
Thanks, Babe, for sharing your memories of some great players and some great moments in baseball.
When you watch Fisk and Bench, you have to wonder about the controversy of Thurmon Munson and Johnny Bench in the 1976 World Series, both Johnny Bench and Thurman Munson had great performances that year, with Sparky Anderson commenting that comparing Munson to Johnny Bench was not being fair to Munson.
Gary Carter was so great. He played the game like it should be played.
I loved watchng him play for the Expos and seing his youthful enthusiasm for the game and his home runs!
There is nothing better, than watching a true baseball fan interview some of the best in the game. Heroes one and all....
Yogi Berra had a Superior mind. Every team needs a Yogi Berra ! The game would be more fun. Thanks.
Be Blessed
So amazing seeing 4 hall of famer catcher together. Gary Carter was my idol as a kid growing up in Quebec state in the 70's. He was so passionate playing baseball. What an inspiration for me.
He was an idol in Quebec!
A great moment with Russert in company with these outstanding players...Pudge Fisk-Deon Sanders story finally described in vivid detail.
Absolutely the best. RIP Tim, Yogi, and Gary. This must have been taped after the 2003 season since Tim eluded to the Boone home run on game 7 of the ALCS.
Johnny Bench is my favorite ballplayer of all time. Yogi was the same for my Dad. It was great to see those two together like this. I loved hearing Fisk’s story about that one clown’s antics at Yankee Stadium. All four of these men exhibited a true love of the game. I admired them all.
Bench is a cheap show.
How's that?@@hughdismuke4703
As a lifelong (since 1958) fan of MLB, this was an awesome presentation.
what a nice pleasure to watch!!! Really great interview!!! Those 4 were untouchable !!!
Such absolute genius of baseball on one stage. Goodness.
I was a catcher growing up with Bench and Pudge as my heros . This was such a treat for me to watch!!
Any interview including Berra is a treat. In his prime in today's salaries? Forget about it !
Tim Russert was an awesome man in every regard, miss him a lot...
My half brother Jim was his main camera man on Sundays Meet the Press. He really loved working for Tim.
Funny, I read the thumbnail...I click because I want to see Russurt. Hey Tim? What's the best Football team in NY?
Now we have Chuck Todd. Life is NOT fair.
He was a huge Bills fan…wish they could’ve brought one home for him in the 90s…Sabres too, if I remember correctly.
I agree , I always watched him on Sunday , you knew you’d always get a fair unbiased interview… I never knew his politics
Wonderful interview by Tim of the Titans of Baseball They were the best of the game and leaders of every game
Loved this. Takes me back to when baseball was honorable and played by real men.
Still a few left, but admittedly not as many as there used to be.
I feel sorry for kids. I grew up listening to baseball on the radio mostly. I lived in East Texas and only got to see a few Astros games at the Astrodome but maybe a half frozen as a kid. But todays kids get to mostly watch a bunch of spoiled overgrown children. A few still have it. I moved to
Maryland later and got to watch Cal Ripken Jr play in a great ball park. Then a real asshole bought the team and ruined them. That was when I really stopped following baseball on a daily basis.
Tim Russert was the last great newsman. He had a fairness and toughness that is long gone in network news.
Rest in Peace to Gary Carter. I hated that man as a kid. I was a Sox fan and 1986 broke my heart for real.
God bess Carter. On the other side of the fence, I grew up in Montreal and we all wanted to crouch like him behind the plate or lift our sleeves at bat like him. He was our hero. A killer smile on Chrysler ads and such a beautiful wife. I clearly remember the night he was traded to the Mets, crying like a baby. I still hate their jersey to this day ;). With the Expos gone, I've slowly become a Red Sox fan but forgive Gary for killing us in '86....
What a wonderful gathering of these 4 greatests catchers. Thanks for posting it.
One of the best baseball interviews of all Time. The iron men of the game. Fisk & Yogi are my favorites. Loved the story of Fisk confronting Sanders about playing the game right.
Followed baseball all my life, yet learned so much I didn't know.
I always had major respect for Carlton Fisk confronting Deion Sanders for that BS Deion did.
Speaking of the "war". Yogi was at Normandy. He actually did get wounded, but never submitted the Purple Heart paperwork because he didn't want his mother to worry upon her getting the notification telegram.
This was in 2003? Its amazing it's in such an intimate venue. I would think it would have been in an auditorium, getting 4 Hall of Famers (especially of This magnitude) together is very rare. Great moments in time. 🧡
You can’t watch this without smiling. Legends of catching. RIP Tim, Yogi, and Gary.
I can watch this every year and grin all the way through the show! Great guys and great interviewer in Tim.
Gone too soon! This is May 2022 and I'll be back again, Lord Willing.
This interview proves that baseball is a game of life. The players speak very frankly about themselves, each other and the game. Being from Detroit, I liked hearing Frank Tanana. Great Interview.
Aging Baby Boomer here and lifelong Bronx Bomber fan. Watching and listening to these truly great ballplayers and the also great Tim Russert brought tears to my eyes. All 4 of these men represented an era of baseball play that is sorely missed and needed today. And how very lucky I feel to have been a fan since 1960. In closing, not one Deion Sanders on that stage. 🇺🇸⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️🇺🇸
Ditto here. Fan since '64. I grew up in the Bronx and Elston Howard was my man behind the plate back then.
@@bman342a .... # 32, Elston Howard was a great Yankee and an even better man. A true gentleman. Ahhhhhh, the good ol' days.
Missed the "Boomer" cut-off by six years, but still a lifelong Yankees fan. I grew up watching the late, great Thurman Munson as he captained The Bronx Zoo. I always wonder if the Yankees would have had another dynasty had Thurman not been killed in that plane crash.
Love this interview. Tim was a good interviewer and those four great players were fun to listen to.
I wore #5 for Johnny Bench from age of 6 to senior year of high school. I was a catcher and my knees show it.
RIP Yogi and Gary two truly a gentlemen.
and Tim Russert
I had totally forgot that Gary Cafter passed away :(
Weird knowing 60% of that panel are no longer with us. 5 great men and 4 of the best catchers that will ever live. What a unique and special 45 minutes.
Terrific comment, Dane
Yeah, but that was 19 years ago. Yogi was already about 77. The Kid and Tim Russert were different stories (the big C and a heart attack).
This is pure gold, thanks for posting.
Great show from a great news person. RIP Tim Russett
After Tim Russert died on Friday June 13th, 2008 Meet The Press on Sundays hasn’t been the same without him.
Recovering from surgery and have found some great old interviews. Great time watching these legendary players sharing so many stories.
Thanks for your comment, Matt; and, get well soon! In the meantime, you might enjoy some of the other interviews I posted.
Jackie Gleason: ruclips.net/video/kGW9DuXDE28/видео.html
Phil Silvers: ruclips.net/video/eg5_zgHtXVc/видео.html
Peanuts" creator, Charles Schulz: ruclips.net/video/T3eJ6WUVMFc/видео.html
Jack Paar: ruclips.net/video/2qwK08oWbrs/видео.html
Jackie Robinson: ruclips.net/video/YCr0RAzf8ds/видео.html
Vince Scully: ruclips.net/video/Lo29DoqcoGo/видео.html
@@pianopappy I'll be looking into for sure.
i wish baseball and news crews would do more of this with pro players with all sports players
speaking as a Montrealer...i can tell you Gary Carter was such a class act!!!
A member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, right Andy? I remember "the Kid" better in the 1980's when I was a resident of the Garden State and he was with the Mets. I can still see in my mind's-eye the TV-replay closeups where we could see his eyes open wide to almost twice their size, when he saw a fat pitch on its way that he was going to clobber. Thanks for your comment.
@@pianopappy the Expos would send Gary across country in the dead of winter....Saskatchewan, Manitoba...etc....to run baseball clinics and pump up interest in the team...Gary did it with a smile...he visited sick kids in hospital....any way he could help the team....he was a southern Cal boy...yes in the Hall of Fame....a rare guy indeed....ironic to me such a great guy got brain cancer....RIP Kid!...he is in God's Hall of Fame NOW!!!!!!!
@@Andy-ty2ni Great story about a great guy, Andy! Yes, I wonder why someone like him would get hit with such an aggressive and inoperable cancer. Thanks for the information about how he gave of himself in the off-seasons. I wasn't aware of it.
@@pianopappy , the NY sportswriters had a poll going about which of the '86 Mets would be the first to die because several of them were repeatedly engaging in high-risk behaviours. They all lost their bets because Gary went first and no one saw that coming. One of, if not the cleanest guy on that team and he goes first at 57? Things don't always make sense, do they?
Love all four but Yogi has to be my all time favorite even though I'm a St. Louis Cardinal fan and love Yadier Molina devotedly. In time I believe Yadi will also be in the Hall of Fame. As this post is written it's 2022 in August and Yadi is playing in his announced final year of baseball. Thanks for this video. OH and as an admirer of catchers, the amount they are paid could never be enough compared to the beating they take back there.
Yadi should make the HOF. One of the best...a beast behind the Plate
It is such a delight to see these five great men on the same stage. Each one represents intelligence, class, and the cream of their profession. To Gary, Yogi, and Tim, you are loved and missed. To Pudge and Johnny, many more happy and healthy years.
A great interview! If there were two questions he should have asked it was: who were the catchers they respected that they played against and who were the catchers they admired in today’s game. Tim Russert was a journalist and a fan and I don’t think anyone else could have done a better job of striking the right balance between the two. R.I.P. Thank-you for posting this video!
Great interview! I really got a kick out of Bench…not just an all-time great catcher, but just a super funny guy…
a real comic…
What a treasure of a video!
Thank you!
Not only great players,These are Role Models..big difference. 👍🏻
👎
And amazing raising 2 young sons at his age...catch that clip
How can a kids have role model when they wont pull his pants up over his thinkn cap?
Whoever gave this great interview a thumbs down should be keelhauled.
And here's my shameful story. In 67 ( I was 13 and a Yankees fan) my father met a Mets VP and my brother and I got box seats and a tour of the dugout with Ed Kranepool as our host. So there we are in the Shea Stadium dugout before the game and Yogi was there about 10 ft away. I look at him absolutely gobsmacked...... Yogi looks at me for a few seconds with what I now know was a look saying "ok, kid, if you're going to get my autograph, now is the time to do it"........ and the few seconds went by and Yogi walked away. I kick myself today. What was going through my mind? To be honest?.... "wow, that's Yogi Berra"..... and also "wow, I'm taller than he is, I bet I could play as well as he can. After all, I was pretty good in Little League..... maybe?".
Wow.... the idiocy of youth. After the game I did get Tommy Davis' autograph.
whoever gave this great interview a thumbs down should be introduced to Carlton Fisk.
Very Awesome show Loved every minute of it
Tim Russert was a pro. He was fair to both sides of the aisle.
He loved sports and especially his Bills.
Good man, Tim Russert. Gone way too soon.
This is wondrous. Amazing to have RUclips.
As a Republican. I miss Tim. A Great Jounalist. And a true American. Very fair and saw both sides of the aisle. Wasn't afraid to call out his party.
what a wonderful segment. Thank you!
4 of the greatest, blessed to have grew up watching 3 of them and wishing I had watched the 4th.
I needed that - thanks.
Tim did great interviews. This one, and another he did with Yogi, Whitey F, and Rizzuto was another good one. RIP
I enjoyed this when it first aired; it's nice to finally see it on RUclips.
Gotta love Carlton Fisk!!
I suppose everyone has a favorite "yogiism", mine is the teacher who gave him an F on something and said "Berra, you don't know anything" and he reportedly replied "don't know anything?? I don't even SUSPECT anything"
I'm a bit late watching this but.....BEST45 minutes I have had in quite a while. TYVM
A golden moment in time.
That was really interesting to just see them interact-big personalities with a little bit of competitive ego. As great as Carter was, you could tell that he wasn’t always a player favorite. You could kind of feel that JB considers himself the goat (resents the lung surgery changing the course) where as yogi feels very secure with his rings as his legacy. The commander was still as brash/fiery as ever.
Ten rings. Ten.
@@shadoworksphilosophy120 Love it, though I gained respect for Bench in this. Another great Yankee catcher I put in the discussion of GOAT catchers is Bill Dickey. And of course Josh Gibson.
@@shadoworksphilosophy120 one more than Joe DiMaggio, his teammate.
Yes, but Berra's 14 World Series Championship rings makes you evaluate his career when compared to Bill Russell, and Michael Jordan. Berra was the ultimate winner.
@@HigherPowerWorldWide I would put Russell in the same category as Berra and DiMaggio. Also, maybe Gretzky too.
These guys are the best
One of the great interviews of all time.
Yogi was playing left field when Bill Mazeroski hit his homerun in the 9th inning of the 7th game of the 1960 World Series. Mickey was in Centerfield that day too
That was cool. Yogi as a player was just a bit before my time but I saw the other three play and of that group, Johnny Bench was the gold standard. I always admired catchers because it takes more guts to play that position than any other on the diamond.
I was the teams utility guy because I was fast, smart, and most importantly, could not hit breaking balls worth a hoot. That meant I had four jobs, defensive replacement, pinch runner, BP pitcher, and insulting the opposing pitchers mother. I played every position but I only caught one inning. Our starter was late getting to the park and our regular backup was out sick. The manager told me to suit up. I said "I've never played catcher before." He said "Neither has anyone else so don't f**k it up." The worst inning of my life. Fortunately only one guy got on but he stole second then third because I would stick out the glove, turn my head, and hope like hell the batter either hit the ball or the pitcher hit my mitt. I cursed out the catcher when he finally did show up and that was it as far as me and that position went.
I will say hearing Pudge talk about putting that showboat Deion in his place raises my esteem for him. I could not stand that guy when he played whether it was baseball or football. Can you imagine him pulling a stunt like drawing a dollar sign in the dirt with a pitcher like Gibson on the mound? Neon Deion would have earned a trip to the dentist if he acted like that back in the day against a guy like Gibson.
Seeing Yogi was great. So many Yogi-ism's. One of my favorites was "Nobody goes there anymore because it's too crowded." RIP Yogi. I never saw you play but you remain a legend. And this is coming from someone who hates the Yankees.
Thanks, "Itinerant'', for your remembrance of what it was like to wear "the tools of ignorance" for one inning. I noticed that you did not say you had any passed balls, which means you fulfilled the primary responsibility of a catcher; namely, to CATCH THE F**KIN'' BALL! Which reminds me of what manager Casey Stengel said after he drafted catcher Hobie Landrith to be the first player to join the New York Mets before their first season. Casey explained, "You have to have a catcher or you'll have a lot of passed balls". By the way, it's comments like yours that make me glad I recorded the program and that it survived long enough to share.
Great interview! As a Yankees Fan, as much as I hated Fisk and the Red Sox, I truly admire his greatness in his career, errr, especially as a Yankee killer, and the physical sufferings that he as well as all the other catchers had to endure throughout their careers. I put them right up there, just behind Policemen, Military Men and Firemen. Also, the sadness that sunk in when they felt they were no longer able to play the game. It wasn't all about the money. It was about the love of the game for all of these guys!
A class comment, RayRay 2021 (and I'm not even too much of a Red Sox fan).
@@Juscz Thanks, I appreciate that! Then, speaking of Yankee killer, there was Pete Rose, who is one I despised the most in the National League. The day came, several years after I saw him in person but didn't approach him as he was standing in front of the big screen TV at the back of the Sports book at Mandalay Bay for the start of the 2000 World Series. Then when I was working in an Irish Pub on a very slow night. One sole customer was waiving his hands in the air, as I didn't spot him right away. I walked up to the T-bar where he was sitting, and I said, sorry, I didn't see you behind the pole.......Mr ROSE? I am sure he was thankful I knew who he was. When I took his order, I straight out said to him, "I HATED you guys in 1976!". I was at that last game of the World Series when you and your team swept us 4-0. He didn't say much and I thought I blew a tip for the 2 drinks he had. He drank 2 Vodka Cranberries and tipped me accordingly but nothing really special. I didn't even ask for his autograph. I was tempted to pay the bill and save the credit card receipt but I didn't.
My dad saw all these greats, he also saw Josh Gibson and called Josh the GOAT by far!
absolutely. the goat catcher by far.
My dad saw Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio on the same day. He thought Gehrig was the GOAT, with DiMaggio a close second.
Great insight into the game of baseball from a catcher's perspective!
37:30 It’s so strange to me to see that Carlton Fisk, a life long Red Sox, had more respect for Yankee Stadium than Dion did as a Yankee...
Fisk got dumped by the Red Sox in 1980 and played for the White Sox for 14 seasons. Fisk HATED the Red Sox for offering him a cheap contract.
This was outstanding. It shows why you would want to be a catcher.
Tim Russert knew Baseball, 1-derful interview, and those four guys were great !!!
Kudos to a great video I had not seen. As a former Catcher of 28 years I could have sat with them and engaged with every one of them...
I didn't realize Gary Carter passed away and it was ten years ago! Here it is August 14, 2022. Wow... rest in peace, Gary. I loved watching you play.
btw, one of his nicknames was "lights", because he loved the camera.
And yet, in this interview, it seems it was Bench who was loving the camera and trying to dominate.
Yogi in the 50s was my most feared Yankee (I was a Detroit Tigers fan)
All great catchers to me Johnny Bench was the greatest catcher of all time.
Be careful..in this "Woke" generation its Josh Gibson..they goingvto add his stats to MLB stats and he will have close to 850 HR's
@@brianjschumer I don’t deny that but nobody saw him play.
@@brianjschumer I can understand recognizing Negro League statistics and players, but how are the statistics validated?
JB, the General... the way baseball should be. Be where you’re supposed to be at the time you’re supposed be there. My vote for GOAT.
@@brianjschumer my father saw Gibson play winter ball in PR and told me there was never a better Catcher, and he saw Bench.
I love listening to these guys tell baseball stories!
I was a catcher from little league through college. Wore Yogi’s number throughout
I just saw the name Tim Russert and I was immediately was transported to a more civil and rational time.
Fiske had to catch two of the most interesting characters in pro baseball (besides Dizzy Dean and Yogi)- Bill "Spaceman" Lee and Luis Tiant. I'm not sure how he dealt with those personalities, much less controlled them! Ooops, I forgot about Mark "The Bird" Fidrych!
Great watch. Like Pudge said, it is tough to take when you know you can't play the game anymore. Old man now, I still miss it and dream of squaring up a baseball with a Louisville Slugger.
I had such respect for him was the day he got into it with Deion Sanders. There is a respect for the game & the correct way to play it like Pete Rose you play hard all the time.
@@patrickgray5633 You bet! Sanders had no business being in MLB, let alone a Yankee.
@@oldtimer794 With all the respect that Paul O'Neill deserves, I once saw him do the same thing. In the Kingdome, he hit a high pop to shallow right, slammed his bat into the ground and didn't run it out. The fielder dropped the ball, but threw out O'Neill at first. The fans were merciless for the rest of the game. Pauly was a great player and a champion, but he was a hothead, and sometimes had trouble controlling his temper. I am in no way comparing him to Deon Sanders. Pudge was the only catcher here that I saw play, when he was with the WhiteSox at the Kingdome, beating up on the M's.
What a great night, indeed. Thank you, Tim Russert.
Dad took me to a night game in 1949 at Comiskey Park. Yankees were in town. I saw Joe D and Tommy Henrich and a fellow with the funniest name ... Yogi Berra.
Awesome memory. My first major league game was at Comiskey versus the Yankees in 1969. I was 7 at the time.
I'm a Reds fan, but I wish someone had mentioned something about Thurman Munson.
I’m a Yankees fan, and I agree with you 100%. Johnny Bench is the best catcher I ever saw hands down. The others on this panel are certainly no slouches. However as great as Bench was, I wouldn’t trade Thurman for him.
One of the great catchers...Thurman/Yanks
I was at my Uncle's house and heard the adults talking in shock the day he died. I'm an Ohioan and was 10 and had just begun collecting cards, and I remember my Munson card from a season he never got to play. Standing, mask off, big guy with a big mustache, standing on home plate.Sure HOFer
Look at Russert’s face as he’s talking to these 4 legends is he having a good time? You better believe it and so was I watching! Loved Russert miss him and Yogi and Carter outstanding interview it was great!
I used to follow the NFL & NHL. These days, its MLB, some rugby, some boxing, sometimes NBA. Baseball is a fascinating game. Ace interview.
As a Big Red Machine fan, JB is my vote for greatest ever! I think most fans of the game agree. These 4 are tremendous. Yadi is a stud as well. I met Fisk while doing play by play on a broadcast of minor league game featuring his son Casey. A really great guy!
If you just accept Bill James and the writers' opinion that Bench is the best, who else would you have on your 25-man roster as his back-up? These three: Carter, Yogi and Fisk certainly figure in the conversation. Others under consideration might be Josh Gibson for his power, Roy Camp with several MVPs, Thurman Munson, Bill Dickey, Eddie Cochranne, Freehan, Lance Parrish... Ivan Rodriguez' arm, Salvador Perez' leadership, Yadier Molina's clutch, Piazza's batting average... It's a tough call for #2. I would probably go with Yogi for his left hitting power, funny clubhouse demeanor, and 10 WS. Gotta keep it a little lighter with the pitching staff seeing how intense Johnny really is.
First time seeing this interview 20 years later. Very special RIP Yogi, Gary and Tim
Great catchers all of them. Baseball's different today reason not having players like this on the field anymore with respect for the game.
Greatest interview ever
This is fantastic, thanks so much for posting
Pudge talking about the Neon Deion incident kept referencing the Red Sox/Yankee rivalry but when that actually happened he was no longer playing for Boston, he was with the White Sox at that time.
Being a White Sox fan, I sure noticed that myself.
But, Deion WAS a Yankee, and Fisk respected that rivalry, even though he was with the White Sox at the time.
Whatever Pudge said to Deion’s slavery dig, imagine what Jackie Robinson would have said.
OK everybody you should watch the 'after Jackie' movie released in mid 2022 the full movie is available on the Internet with some very nagging long 2 1/2 minute advertising time -- focuses on the next generation after Jackie Robinson Willie Mays and Hank Aaron Roberto Clemente and highlights especially with Curt flood did, but no mention of that by Carlton Fisk in the interview about the reason Everybody's getting paid what they're worth nowadays. I don't know what that means relative to that incident between Fisk and neon Dion about the numbers in the dirt & the slavery comment by neon Dion timewise in history. Sometimes people do things like recite mantras and important words to focus themselves just like they have certain gestures and movements they make in the batters box before they get ready to hit.
And Buck Owens, Josh Gibson and many others.......
I loved this !!! Absolutely love it.
Tim would of been beside himself with the 2020 Buffalo Bills. He loved his Bills something fierce.
As I recall, during football season, he usually cheered the Bills on, just before he signed off from "Meet the Press".
Great interview!
For years, Yogi hit .400 after the 7th inning.
Yogi was playing left field when Mazeroski hit 1960 home run to win the World Series.
Thanks for your remembrance, C DUB. When Berra went back to the wall, and when he saw that he wouldn't be able to catch Maz's drive, he turned to be in position to play the ball off the wall. But, we both know what happened to it. I was in college at the time; and, a schoolmate of mine, a freshman from Pittsburgh, bet heavily at the beginning of the Series that the Pirates would win it. Because the Yankees' three wins were by such lop-sided scores, this poor guy was on a emotional roller coaster as the series wore on. Did I say "poor" guy? Mazeroski (and catcher Hal Smith, who also hit a late-inning key home run) made him a lot of $$$.
@@pianopappy thanks I’ll correct that .
@@cdub531 And I rewrote my comment.
He sure was. A friend of mine got a Mazerowski autographed baseball for me when he saw him at a card show.
I was serving in the Canadian army as part of the UN Force in Egypt in 1960. I could only receive that Game via short wave radio in one particular spot, at night, in the middle of a sand field. When the home run was hit by Mazeroski I jumped up and did a war dance. Great memory & a great interview.
Anyone else catch the Yogi-ism at 8:56? “I think pitchers are the dumbest guys on the mound!”
Great “ catch “
They’re endless! 16:55. Q: “Yoges…tell what happened when you got hit I the nose.” A: “i got a broken nose.”