October 28, 2014


The Yogi Berra Museum at Montclair State University will be getting “exact replicas” of the stolen items that were taken from the museum earlier this month.

In a blog that was posted on the museum’s website, its Board of Trustees said the exact replicas were being donated by Major League Baseball, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, the New York Yankees and Mets.

MLB and the two teams “are also donating several new items to our existing collection, ensuring that the Museum will be an even better place for fans to visit in honor of Yogi’s legacy,” according to a message from chairman of the board Mark Markowitz.

“Our heartfelt thanks go out to Commissioner Selig and Major League Baseball, the Yankees and the Mets for their generosity, as well as to all of the fans and friends of the Museum for their concern and support during this difficult time,” the trustees wrote on their blog.

Markowitz said the donated items will include exact replicas of all 27 New York Yankees World Series rings; the three MVP plaques won by Berra; rings from the 1974 and 1982 All-Star Games; the 1969 Mets World Series ring and the Mets 1973 National League Championship ring.

“It’s been an extremely unfortunate situation and it was great to see everybody pulling together,” Markowitz said.

Montclair State police previously reported that the items taken during the Oct. 8th, 2014 robbery included multiple World Series rings and two MVP plaques.

The museum, which opened 16 years ago, highlights many items from the Hall of Fame catcher’s career and his personal life, as well as priceless baseball memorabilia. While Berra spent most of his career with the Yankees, he also won championships with and managed the Mets.

Essex County Sheriff, Armando Fontoura said there’s a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the museum break-in. The reward started at $5,000, but was increased through the support of anonymous donors.

As a side note, Berra has been awarded more championship world series ring than anyone else in baseball history.

Besides the 10 World Series rings won as a player with the Yankees, he won 4 American League championship rings (awarded when an American league team loses in the World Series) and 7 more rings after retiring as a player.

Here’s a breakdown of those 7 championship World Series Rings: As a coach and manager, he won 3 World Series champion rings with the Yankees and Mets and 4 League Championship rings. That brings him to 21 championship rings.

Wait, there’s more! As a Yankee legend and part of the Yankee family, he probably received 5 winning rings and possibly 2 American League rings from the Yankees since 1996. If he did receive these rings, that would bring his championship ring total to 28!

Tags: American League Championship rings, championship ring, championship rings, Mets, new york, New York Mets, New York Yankees, world series rings, yankees, yogi Berra