A left-handed hitter with power, Berra liked to swing at bad pitches, but it worked for him. He batted over .300 three times, hit 20 or more home runs nine times, and had 30 or more home runs twice. A fine clutch hitter, he had the first pinch-hit home run in World Series history, in 1947, and he hit a grand slam home run in the 1956 series. Five times he drove in more than 100 runs.

Berra also became an outstanding defensive catcher. He once went a record 148 consecutive games without an error. His offensive and defensive skills combined to make him a three-time most valuable player, in 1951, 1954, and 1955.

During his 18 seasons with the Yankees, Berra played in a record 14 World Series, setting records for games played, 75; times at bat, 259; and hits, 71.

Immediately after retiring as a player, Berra became manager of the Yankees in 1964. He took them to a pennant that season, but was replaced after they lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals. He joined the New York Mets as a coach in 1965 and became manager in 1972. The following year the Mets won the NL pennant, making Berra only the third manager in history to win pennants in both leagues.

Because of a dispute with the front office, Berra was fired during the 1975 season. He later coached with the Yankees and the Houston Astros. His son, Dale, was a major league infielder for 11 seasons.