Was Yogi Berra being funny or stupid?

Question

When Yogi Berra said self-refuting things like "Nobody goes to that restaurant anymore because it's too crowded," was he being absurd on purpose? Is he a comedian or an idiot? I don't know, because I'm not a student of baseball and its personalities.

Answer 1

He was being funny. That was his trademark. He always made comments that seemed stupid on the surface, but really had a ring of truth in them. He's a very intelligent man.

Answer 2

He was just being funny.  No one would have quoted him if he just said it stupidly.

Answer 3

He always acted like he said these things on accident, but I'm convinced he was really clever.  Here are some other classics:

"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future."

"Always go to other peoples' funerals otherwise they won't go to yours."

"90% of baseball is mental.  The other half is physical."

"If you don't know where you're going, you'll wind up somewhere else."

Answer 4

He was an athelete, not a genius. Those were his thoughts and that is the way he spoke. There are many similar quotes that he left behind.

Answer 5

Maybe neither...

Could be that Yogi just had a unique perception of the English language.