It came as a great shock to many, but Yankee great, Yogi Berra, stated that he too used something probably illegal to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
"Back then, we didn't have no steroids because nobody had found any, even though I guess they were out there somewhere. So we shouldn't be too strict on Mark McGwire for using those steroids in his bat, even though they caused the balls to shrink until he hit them a mile."
Yogi did say that some people corked the bats, but the bats would dent and they'd have the bat boy grab it real quick and run off.
"What I did was get the pitcher tickled. I'd say 'nobody goes there any more, it's too crowded' and 'when you come to the fork in the road, take it."
Yogi said that he sat up at night inventing such sayings so that as soon as he got into the batter's box, the pitcher would think of one of his classic spoonerisms and start chuckling.
"He'd quit when I knocked it over that little fence down the line there at Yankee Stadium. Then get tickled again as I pretended to stumble over a base or use a quote on the umpire at third."
"So, I guess I cheated. They all knew it on the Yankees as we'd sit and laugh in the hotel rooms. Roger Maris especially liked the one about 'If people don't want to come to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them?' That was his favorite even though I still can't see why it wasn't funny."
"And hotels back then were really something. Their towels were so thick you could hardly close your suitcase."
