Online Petition Calls On White House To Award Yogi Berra Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Updated Monday, June 8 5:20 p.m.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Since "it ain't over 'til it's over," Yogi Berra's granddaughter is among those stepping up the effort to get the baseball great a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Lindsay Berra wants Yankee fans to sign the online petition. The petition needs 100,000 signatures by midnight Monday. To sign the petition, click here.

"We need to get 100,000 signatures... so come on Yankee fans, get out there and sign the petition," she told 1010 WINS.

Established in 1960, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the country, given to people who make outstanding contributions to the world, CBS2's Elise Finch reported.

Lindsay Berra said her 90-year-old grandfather deserves the White House honor because he not only helped integrate baseball, but also served his country in World War II.

On her grandfather's 90th birthday, she told WCBS 880's Peter Haskell, "I think he thinks it's pretty cool. I'm not so sure he understands the magnitude of it."

"He enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a teenager. He was on a 'LCSS,' which stands for Landing Craft Support Small. He calls it a rocket boat that came off the USS Mayfield. He was a gunner's mate providing machine gun fire for our troops landing on Omaha beach during the D-Day invasion," Berra told WINS.

He is "a man of unimpeachable integrity and respect," the petition reads, and "continues to be an avid supporter of our armed forces."

Berra has also been a staunch advocate of education, setting up a scholarship 50 years ago at Columbia University that is still awarded today, and his museum in New Jersey "serves 20,000 students annually with character education programs and teaches the values of respect, sportsmanship and inclusion that Berra has demonstrated throughout his life and career," the petition reads.

Considered one of the greatest catchers to ever play the game, Berra was a three-time AL MVP during his 19-year playing career, all but one with the Yankees. He was an 18-time All-Star and is a member of the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

And he treats everyone like a friend, his granddaughter told WCBS 880's Peter Haskell.

"Despite how famous he is, he is the most humble, kind, compassionate, caring person you're ever going to meet," Lindsay Berra said.

But on the eve of the petition's expiration, fans were shocked to see Berra was still short more than 20,000 signatures, Finch reported.

"That's very surprising. I thought they would make it on the first hour or so," said Yankee fan Alli Safi.

Lindsay Berra said she, too, was surprised that after a month there still aren't enough signatures.

"I am a little surprised and maybe this was naive of me but I thought it would happen within a few days because there's 56,000 seats in Yankees Stadium," she said. "I was like 'Oh two stadium fulls, we'll get that no problem.' But it's been hard."

Her efforts are also getting a high-profile push. Publisher and sports enthusiast Steve Forbes recently lobbied for Berra on the CBS2 Sports Update.

"He was in favor of diversity when that was not always a popular thing in the major leagues. And so wherever you look, a good man always doing good things," Forbes said.

Fans are split on why it's taken so long.

"I just think our generation doesn't know who he is," said Eddie Bermudez.

Lindsay Berra said the family is counting on it.

"He's been signing autographs for the whole Tri-State Area for the last 60 years. Go sign one autograph for him," she said.

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• Peter Haskell