The Gift of the Yogi
“Mr. President, I have a gift for you…”
The scene is Nancy’s Restaurant in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Press Corps is gathered outside as Tom Murro has just shaken hands with President Obama, hoping to deliver a gift from the 85-year-old American sports hero, Yogi Berra.
Tom Murro, known as the “Celebrity Magnet,” knows he only has a few seconds — two seconds in most cases – to greet the President and deliver the gift from the American sports hero.
He grasps the President’s hand for that an extra three seconds just as the president is approaching the next person in line.
“From Yogi Berra,” Murro says, offering a framed photo.
The president’s ears perk up when he hears Yogi’s name. As he looks down at the photo, he smiles to see two American legends in action — Yogi Berra tagging Jackie Robinson at home plate. On the photo, Yogi has penned: “Dear Mr. President– He was out.”
Mr. Murro , having planned for weeks to present the gift on Thursday (tomorrow) at a golf course on Martha’s Vineyard, is pleased that today (Wednesday), the delivery is complete.
For even though he had made arrangements and discussed the delivery of the gift with members of president’s staff, the possibility of delivering a gift during a golf outing remained chancy.
Weather, national emergency, any number of reasons can make delivering a gift to any sitting president nearly a logistical impossibility, much less doing so during an official vacation.
Murro says to the president: “I met you last year when you were playing golf with Spike Lee.” The president says he remembers. And then asks, “Your contact information is here, with this gift?”
“Yes, Mr. President,” replied Tom the “Celebrity Magnet.”
This is a follow-up to a story written August 23rd when we reported of Murro’s desire to deliver Yogi’s gift. In that story found here, we emphasize the “Magnet’s” Kismetic good fortune in being at the right place at precisely the right time to meet certain celebrities.
Is it really just luck? Or is something beyond human understanding at play here?
We’re not the only ones marveling at the surprising events. For right after the president asks Murro about his contact information, a member of the press corps says to Tom Murro: “Some people have a horseshoe up their butt…. You seem to have a whole case of them.”
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