Lindsay Berra, Yogi Berra's granddaughter, back to work at World Series a month after his death

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Lindsay Berra did not travel for the first two rounds of the baseball postseason, still dealing with the aftermath of the death of her grandfather, Yogi Berra.

But there she was in the Kauffman Stadium press box Tuesday night into Wednesday morning at Game 1 of the World Series, just another journalist on a long, busy night for the men and women who write about baseball.

What made her presence noteworthy was that Berra was transitioning back to her role as a media member after more than a month in the media spotlight herself.

Since the death of Yogi Berra on Sept. 22, Lindsay often has been the public face and voice of the family, answering questions from fellow reporters on behalf of her father and two uncles.

She also has spoken on behalf of the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, where she is a board member.

"The whole month was very strange, because no matter how much you think you know about how much people like your grandpa, I never could have prepared for that," said Berra, who wrote for 13 years for ESPN and since 2013 has been at MLB.com.

"It's definitely a bizarre way to mourn for someone, by going on TV and doing press conferences. It was very strange. And I don't think that that has changed. MLB kind of let me be for the first couple of rounds of the playoffs. This is the first round that I'm covering.

SEE PHOTOSYogi Berra, a life in photos

"When I got here [Monday] I saw all these people that I hadn't seen yet. And it was sort of like our museum memorial all over again; everybody was hugging me and offering condolences. I think I cried three times.

"I think after the World Series it will be, 'OK, now I can be sad.' I've been sort of sad but I've been trying to hold it all together doing all this press stuff. I still have a bunch of other things lined up for after the World Series. PBS is doing a big special that I have to go talk for. We have a million events at the museum in November.

"It's cool that it's been keeping me busy and it's certainly warmed my heart to know how many people loved him and will continue to love him. So that part of it is great."

Berra said her late grandmother, Carmen, decided to put her on the museum board when she was in her early 20s, knowing she could handle a public role. That came in handy late last month, including advocating for the museum.

"As hard as all of that was, that's what I kept telling myself, that Grandpa loved this place, Grandma loved this place, and they'd want me to keep doing this," she said. "It's something I've tried to embrace doing ... I have definitely kind of taken that as my responsibility to keep the museum going without Grandpa.

"I keep telling people Grandpa really loved that place. He loved to hang out there. He loved the work that it did and there's no reason that work has to stop in his absence. I feel like that's part of his legacy. If we keep teaching kids and that place goes on, Grandpa's spirit goes on."

What might Yogi have made of the Mets being in the World Series -- and his granddaughter covering it -- having been their manager when they made it in 1973?

"It is sort of cool," she said. "It's definitely bizarre. Grandpa would be excited. He loved a good underdog story. And he certainly enjoyed his time with the Mets.

"My grandfather and grandmother both used to talk about how much fun they had when they were with the Mets. So, yeah, I'm sure he's watching it and rather excited about this matchup."

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.