Yogi Berra and the Daily Improviser - Part Two

In a recent article, I focused on the baseball great Yogi Berra and described some of the bits of native wisdom (or “Yogiisms”) for which he is well known. I recently ran across a Yogiism that serves as succinct advice for those trying to develop their proficiency in a task.

While serving as a hitting instructor for the New York Mets in the late 60s, Yogi worked with Mets player Ron Swoboda, who was trying to alter his batting stance in emulation of his idol, the feared slugger Frank Robinson. Yogi gave this memorable piece of advice to Swoboda:

“If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him.”

This may seem like another tautological Yogiism – but again, typically, Yogi was touching on an essential truth. I think Yogi was saying to Swoboda: Don’t try to be Frank Robinson! Robinson had rare natural talents and a style that worked for him. You can try to achieve his results, but do it by being Ron Swoboda. Or better yet, figure out your own talents and make the most of them.

I think this particular Yogiism relates to the individual-development philosophy of UCLA’s legendary basketball coach John Wooden - a philosophy I described in a previous article. Wooden advised his players not to benchmark themselves against anyone else but to first identify their own unique abilities and then strive to develop those abilities to the fullest. And, like Yogi, Wooden boiled down his thoughts to just a few concise words:

“Do your best – that is success!”