TWO FOR TUESDAY - THE TWO LAWRENCE BERRAS

A guy named Roger Cormier wrote up a list of interesting cameos over the years and it's what made me decide I could get a month's worth of material out of the genre.  But I think it'll be a one-time thing.

Anyway, I'm going to quote Mr. Cormier again (first did it on Saturday re: the B-52s) in this Two for Tuesday story about Yogi Berra on 'General Hospital'.

YOGI BERRA
'GENERAL HOSPITAL'
(AUGUST 16, 1963)
As his All-Star playing days were winding down, Berra was already well known for his affable public persona and his tendency to utter malapropisms. In 1963, the Yankee - and Yogi - supporting 'General Hospital' producers approached the catcher about making a cameo appearance as a brain surgeon. Despite the paltry $150 paycheck, Berra agreed, because he liked the idea of his family seeing him act.

The producers helped convince him to take the trip to Los Angeles by insisting it was easy and that he wouldn't have to say anything. Once Yogi arrived, though, he was given some lines to read. Berra had no trouble with them and got a speaking part as Dr. Lawrence P. Berra. 

Recounting the experience in his book, "When You Come To The Fork In The Road, Take It!", Berra was typically self-effacing: 

"And I once was a brain surgeon—no kidding—in a 'General Hospital' episode, in the early '60s. Those were the days before the soaps got sexy."

United Press International observed that the catcher handled his three lines without a hitch.

"Lawrence" is Yogi Berra's actual first name, and he is not a brain surgeon in the real world, O'Bviously.  It was established on the 'The Phil Silvers Show' that his televersion was exactly as he was in the Trueniverse - a catcher for the New York Yankees:

So how do we reconcile this?

There are two Lawrence Berras in Toobworld.

Okay, fine.  Yogi was christened Lorenzo Berra.  But even so, both Lawrence and Lorenzo were identical cousins who were named after the same ancestor - at least in Toobworld.

Toobworld has seen fictional characters being related to real celebrities in the past.  Here's my usual list of examples:

• Sammy - Bryant Gumbel ('The Nanny')
• Dina - Joan Rivers ('Z Rock')
• Vera Louise Gorman - Art Carney ('Alice')
• Detective Megan Russert - NBC reporter Tim Russert ('Homicide: Life On The Street')  

So this would be no different.

I think with cousin Lawrence, who became a brain surgeon, his family came over from Italy several generations earlier than Yogi's.  Yet the DNA strand that they share remained strong enough to repeat at the same time.

So while Lorenzo "Yogi" Berra was on the road playing baseball, Dr. Lawrence Berra was visiting the hospital in Port Charles, New York.  Two Larry Berras for Two for Tuesday.

He was only seen that one time, so I have no idea whether or not Dr. Berra is still alive.....

Until next time......