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Yogi Berra to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

Yogi Berra will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House announced Monday.

It is the highest honor a U.S. civilian can receive.

Berra, a Hall of Fame baseball player with 10 World Series titles, is one of 17 people to be honored at a Nov. 24 ceremony, along with Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg and Stephen Sondheim.

Earlier this summer, an online petition was posted to the White House’s site asking for Berra to receive the honor. The petition cited Berra’s “unimpeachable integrity and respect”, his service to his country as a member of the U.S. Navy in addition to other charitable works.

That petition reached the requisite 100,000 signatures to automatically receive a response from the White House. That response was issued in July and said the award is at the discretion of the president of the United States.

On Monday, President Barack Obama exercised his discretion — Berra, who died in September at age 90, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Berra, one of the most accomplished baseball players and colorful personalities in sports history, played 18 years with the Yankees and is baseball’s all-time leader in World Series games, at-bats and hits.

He batted .285 over 18 seasons with 358 home runs, plus another 12 in World Series play, was voted to 15 All-Star teams and was named most valuable player of the American League three times.