Yogi Berra Calls Foul Over TV Show Ad

NEW YORK — New York Yankees great Yogi Berra has filed a $10-million lawsuit against TBS, claiming that the cable television network sullied his name by using it in a racy advertisement for its “Sex and the City” reruns.

Berra’s lawsuit, filed in Manhattan’s state Supreme Court, said the ad caused “severe damage to his reputation” with its reference to Kim Cattrall’s sexually promiscuous character, Samantha.

The offending ad, the baseball legend’s attorneys said, queried readers about the definition of “yogasm.” Possible definitions: (a) a type of yo-yo trick, (b) sex with Yogi Berra or (c) what Samantha has with a guy from yoga class. The answer is (c).

The reference to sex made in connection with the 79-year-old Berra “engenders a moral taint that has damaged his otherwise spotless reputation,” according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks $10 million for use of Berra’s name without permission.

A spokeswoman for TBS, based in Atlanta, declined to comment Tuesday.

Berra, a Hall of Fame catcher for the Yankees from 1946 to 1963, learned about the ad when his granddaughter saw it in a magazine, said his lawyer, Lewis Smoley.

Smoley said he was told TBS stopped running the television ad in August. Nevertheless, he said, he wanted the court to order the network never to run the ad again.