"President Obama gets a gift from Yogi Berra" - update to earlier post on a great story/photo

[Pirate Smile]

The earlier post:

Martha's Vineyard man hopes to thank Obama with Jackie Robinson photo



OAK BLUFFS — During last year’s Obama family vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, part-time island resident Tom Murro and his daughter, Lauren, got to meet the president at Farm Neck Golf Club.

This year, Murro and his daughter are coming back to the Vineyard, to try to complete a long effort to present the president with a gift, to thank him for making the time to pose with them for photographs last year.

“Gifting Obama isn’t easy” said Murro, who doesn’t want to chance damaging the gift—a photograph—by mailing it, and can’t figure out how to get it to the president.

The gift is a photograph of Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers sliding safe into home plate in the 1955 World Series, ahead of the tag from New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra. Murro had the picture autographed by Berra, who wrote: “Dear Mr. President. He was out.”

Murro, of New Jersey, is arriving on the island with the photo on Sunday, and is hoping to raise some attention to his plight so that some intermediary will volunteer to get the picture to the president.

The president is scheduled to arrive on Martha's Vineyard with his family this afternoon and plans to stay for 10 days. The trip marks the second year in a row the first family has vacationed on the island retreat.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2010/08/marthas_vineyar_1.html?camp=localsearch <img src=

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x416522

New post:

President Obama gets a gift from Yogi


After lunch at Nancy's, President Obama receives a signed photograph (right). | Composite image by POLITICO

On Wednesday afternoon, a pool report from the President’s vacation in Martha’s Vineyard contained a line about POTUS taking an envelope from an unidentified man.
“One man, standing at the edge of the yellow police tape, handed POTUS something (it looked like a maroon 8.5x11 folder but pool was too far away to tell.) POTUS looked at it, then handed it to Nicholson ,” read the report.

So who was the man, and what was in the envelope? Turns out it was Tom Murro (a.k.a. the “Celebrity Magnet” from New Jersey) who had a gift for Obama from baseball legend Yogi Berra: a photo of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson coming in safe after stealing home during a 1955 World Series game against Berra and the Yankees. Berra wrote “Dear Mr. President, He was out!” and signed his name in blue pen.

Murro had reason to believe he’d be able to get the gift to the president. He’d met Obama before, at the Farm Neck Country Club on Martha’s Vineyard, when both were vacationing a year ago. Murro had first stopped to chat with film director Spike Lee, who was also playing golf that day, and when Obama eventually passed the two on the course, he also stopped to talk, and pose for photos.

The picture of Murro with Obama from that day became highly publicized following the encounter, given that the public is typically not allowed near the president on the golf course (it was thanks to Lee, who vouched for him). A bit later, back home in New Jersey, Murro ran into Berra (who lives near him in Montclair) who, having seen the shot of Murro with Obama, asked if he might give Murro a gift to pass on to POTUS. Murro accepted. But until yesterday, the photo had remained undelivered.


Murro told POLITICO about his successful pass off shortly just after leaving the waterfront restaurant Nancy’s, where the Obamas had lunch on Wednesday.
“I said to him, ‘I met you last year on the golf course with my daughter and Spike Lee,’” Murro explained. He seized on a moment when the president was stopping to shake hands after lunch. “Obama then said, ‘Oh yeah, how you doing?”

Murro said the president then began to walk away until Murro told him that he had a gift for him from Yogi Berra. This prompted Obama to “perk-up” and turn around in curiosity and ask, “What do we have?,” according to Murro.
Murro opened the envelope. Upon seeing what was inside, Murro said Obama smiled and said, “That’s fantastic,” just before handing off the gift (as the pool report states) to Obama’s trip director Marvin Nicholson.

“I can’t believe it finally happened, I am in shock to have gotten into the inner sanctum twice now,” Murro said. He should feel a little lighter today: Murro’s been carrying the envelope with him everywhere while vacationing this week in the slim chance he may have run into Obama again.

http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1008/potus_gets_gift_from_berra.html#comments

[givemebackmycountry]

1. 1955-The year I was born...

NOTE:

That's the Brooklyn Dodgers.
"Dem Bums"...

When baseball ruled.

edited to add: That's a great picture. And a grand gesture from Yogi Berra.
He's the last great Yankee left from those days.
The President is lucky to have friends like Yogi.

[Pirate Smile]

2. kick

[wookie72]

3. Greatest catcher to play the game

My favourite story is that Yogi grew up in St. Louis and his best buddy was Joe Garagiola, which prompted this line from Garagiola:

"Most guys who make it to the major leagues were the best player in their hometown. I wasn't even the best player on my block."