Phil Rizzuto
Phil Rizzuto | |
---|---|
Shortstop | |
Born: Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | September 25, 1917|
Died: August 13, 2007 West Orange, New Jersey, U.S. | (aged 89)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 14, 1941, for the New York Yankees | |
Last MLB appearance | |
August 16, 1956, for the New York Yankees | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .273 |
Home runs | 38 |
Runs batted in | 563 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Member of the National | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 1994 |
Election method | Veterans Committee |
Philip Francis Rizzuto (September 25, 1917 – August 13, 2007), nicknamed "the Scooter", was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He spent his entire 13-year baseball career with the New York Yankees (1941–1956), and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.
A popular figure on a team dynasty that captured 10 AL titles and seven World Championships in his 13 seasons, Rizzuto holds numerous World Series records for shortstops. His best statistical season was 1950, when he was named the
After his playing career, Rizzuto had a 40-year career as a
Early years
Rizzuto was born on September 25, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, the son of a streetcar motorman and his wife, both of whom were originally from Calabria, Italy.[2] There has been confusion about his year of birth, stemming from Rizzuto's "shaving a year off" the date at the beginning of his pro career, on the advice of teammates. Throughout his career, his birth year was reported as 1918 in The Sporting News, the Baseball Register, and the American League Red Book; later reference sources revised the year to 1917, indicating his age at the time of his death to be 89. After Rizzuto's death, the New York Post broke a story reporting Rizzuto's actual year of birth as 1916.[3] However, it was subsequently reported that the New York City Department of Health said Rizzuto's official birth certificate is, in fact, dated 1917.[3]
Rizzuto grew up in Glendale, Queens. Despite his modest size — usually listed during his playing career as five feet, six inches tall and either 150 or 160 pounds, though he rarely reached even the lower figure
Playing career
Rizzuto signed with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1937. His nickname, at times attributed to Yankees broadcaster Mel Allen, was actually bestowed on Rizzuto (according to him) by minor league teammate Billy Hitchcock because of the way Rizzuto ran the bases.
After receiving
Rizzuto's rookie season ended in the World Series, and though he hit poorly, the Yankees beat the Dodgers. The following year, Rizzuto led all hitters, for both the Yankees and the opposing St. Louis Cardinals, with 8 hits and a .381 average in the 1942 World Series; the light-hitting shortstop even added a home run after hitting just 4 in the regular season.
Like many players of the era, he found his career interrupted by a stint in the military, serving in the United States Navy during World War II. From 1943 through 1945, he played on a Navy baseball team alongside Dodgers shortstop Reese; the team was managed by Yankees catcher Bill Dickey.
Shortly after Rizzuto's return to the Yankees for the 1946 season, he attracted the ire of new Yankees general manager, president, and co-owner
The
Rizzuto's peak as a player was 1949–50, when he was moved into the leadoff spot. In 1950, his MVP season, he hit .324 with 200 hits and 92 walks, and scored 125 runs. While leading the league in fielding percentage, Rizzuto handled 238 consecutive chances without an error, setting the single-season record for shortstops.[16]
From September 18, 1949, through June 7, 1950, he played 58 games at shortstop without an error, breaking the AL record of 46 set by Eddie Joost in 1947–48; the record stood until Ed Brinkman played error-free for 72 games in 1972. Rizzuto recorded 123 double plays in 1950, three more than Crosetti's total from 1938; it remains the Yankee record. Rizzuto's 1950 fielding percentage of .9817 led the league, and came within less than a point of Lou Boudreau's league record of .9824, set in 1947. Rizzuto's mark was a franchise record until 1976,[17] when Yankees shortstop Fred Stanley posted a mark of .983.[18]
Rizzuto was voted the American League's
Rizzuto batted .320 in the
Rizzuto was noted for "small ball", strong defense, and clutch hitting, which helped the Yankees win seven
In Rizzuto's obituary, The New York Times recalled a play that had occurred on September 17, 1951, with the Yankees and
- Rizzuto was at bat (he was righthanded) against Bob Lemon of the Cleveland Indians. It was the bottom of the ninth inning, in the middle of a pennant chase. The score was tied at 1. DiMaggio was on third base. Rizzuto took Lemon's first pitch, a called strike, and argued the call with the umpire. That gave him time to grab his bat from both ends, the sign to DiMaggio that a squeeze play was on for the next pitch. But DiMaggio broke early, surprising Rizzuto. Lemon, seeing what was happening, threw high, to avoid a bunt, aiming behind Rizzuto. But with Joltin' Joe bearing down on him, Rizzuto got his bat up in time to lay down a bunt. "If I didn't bunt, the pitch would've hit me right in the head", Rizzuto said. "I bunted it with both feet off the ground, but I got it off toward first base." DiMaggio scored the winning run. Stengel called it "the greatest play I ever saw."[1]
As the winning run scored, Lemon angrily threw both the ball and his pitching glove into the stands.
Rizzuto was released by the Yankees on August 25, 1956. Rizzuto often talked about the unusual circumstances of his release. Late in the 1956 season, the Yankees re-acquired Enos Slaughter, who had been with the team in 1954–55, and asked Rizzuto to meet with the front office to discuss adjustments to the upcoming postseason roster. They then asked Rizzuto to look over the list of Yankee players and suggest which ones might be cut to make room for Slaughter. For each name Rizzuto mentioned, a reason was given as to why that player needed to be kept. Finally, Rizzuto realized that the expendable name was his own. He called former teammate George Stirnweiss, who told him to refrain from "blasting" the Yankees because it might cost him a non-playing job later. Rizzuto said many times that following Stirnweiss' advice was probably the best move he ever made.[21]
When he retired, his 1,217 career double plays ranked second in major league history, trailing only Luke Appling's total of 1,424, and his .968 career fielding average trailed only Lou Boudreau's mark of .973 among AL shortstops. He also ranked fifth in AL history in games at shortstop (1,647), eighth in putouts (3,219) and total chances (8,148), and ninth in assists (4,666).
At the time of his last game, he had also appeared in the most World Series games ever (52), a record soon surpassed by five of his Yankees teammates. Rizzuto still holds numerous World Series records for shortstops, including the most career games played, singles, walks, times on base, stolen bases, at-bats, putouts, assists and double plays.
Personal life
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2022) |
Rizzuto married Cora Anne Ellenborn on June 23, 1943; the two first met the previous year when Rizzuto substituted for
At a charity event in New Jersey in 1951, Rizzuto met a young boy named Ed Lucas, who had lost his sight when he was struck by a baseball between the eyes on the same day as Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World."[22][23] Rizzuto took an interest in the boy and his school, St. Joseph's School for the Blind. Until his death, Rizzuto raised millions for St. Joseph's by donating profits from his commercials and books, and also by hosting the Annual Phil Rizzuto Celebrity Golf Classic and "Scooter" Awards. Rizzuto and Lucas remained friendly, and it was through the Yankee broadcaster's influence that Lucas's 2006 wedding was the only one ever conducted at Yankee Stadium. Lucas was one of Rizzuto's last visitors at his nursing home, days before his death.[citation needed]
Rizzuto was terrified of snakes. Knowing this, opposing players would sometimes play practical jokes on him by inserting rubber snakes into his baseball glove. Whenever this happened, Rizzuto refused to go near the glove until someone assured him the snake was artificial.[24]
Broadcasting career
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2022) |
Rizzuto had options following his release by the Yankees, including a player contract from the Cardinals and a minor league offer from the Dodgers. Rizzuto instead decided to pursue broadcasting after receiving good reviews when he filled in for the
Rizzuto broadcast Yankee games on radio and television for the next 40 years. His popular catchphrase was "Holy cow." Rizzuto also became known for saying "Unbelievable!" or "Did you see that?" to describe a great play, and would call somebody a "huckleberry" if he did something Rizzuto did not like. During game broadcasts, he would frequently wish listeners a happy birthday or anniversary, send get-well wishes to fans in hospitals, and speak well of restaurants he liked, or of the cannoli he ate between innings. This chatter sometimes distracted the speaker himself; Rizzuto devised the unique scoring notation "WW" for his scorecard; it stood for "Wasn't Watching."[citation needed]
He also joked about leaving the game early, saying to his wife, "I'll be home soon, Cora!" and "I gotta get over that bridge", referring to the nearby and often-congested George Washington Bridge, which he would use to get back to his home in Hillside. In later years, Rizzuto would announce the first six innings of Yankee games; the TV director would sometimes puckishly show a shot of the bridge (which can be seen from the top of Yankee Stadium) after Rizzuto had departed. Rizzuto was also very phobic about lightning, and sometimes left the booth following violent thunderclaps.
Rizzuto started his broadcasting career working alongside Mel Allen and Red Barber in 1957. Among a number of announcers that Rizzuto worked with over the course of his career, Frank Messer (1968–1985) and Bill White (1971–1988) were the two most memorable. Rizzuto, Messer, and White were the main broadcast trio that presided over an important time period for the Yankees, which spanned from the non-winning CBS years through the championship seasons and other years of struggle during the Steinbrenner era. On television, for example, the Yankees broadcast team went unchanged from 1972 to 1982.
Rizzuto was twice assigned to broadcast the World Series while with the Yankees. He worked the
Rizzuto would typically refer to his broadcast partners by their last names, calling them "White", "Murcer" and "Seaver" instead of "Bill", "Bobby" or "Tom." Reportedly, he did the same with teammates during his playing days. Rizzuto developed a reputation as a "homer", an announcer who would sometimes lapse into openly rooting for the home team. In 1978, on the televised postgame show, the news arrived that Pope Paul VI had just died. "Well," said Rizzuto, "that kind of puts the damper on even a Yankee win." Esquire magazine called that the "Holiest Cow of 1978."[25]
Rizzuto's most significant moments as a broadcaster included the new single-season home run record set by Roger Maris on October 1, 1961, which he called on WCBS radio:
Here's the windup, fastball, hit deep to right, this could be it! Way back there! Holy cow, he did it! Sixty-one for Maris! And look at the fight for that ball out there! Holy cow, what a shot! Another standing ovation for Maris, and they're still fighting for that ball out there, climbing over each other's backs. One of the greatest sights I've ever seen here at Yankee Stadium![26]
Rizzuto also called the pennant-winning home run hit by Chris Chambliss in the American League Championship Series on October 14, 1976, on WPIX-TV:
He hits one deep to right-center! That ball is out of here! The Yankees win the pennant! Holy cow, Chris Chambliss on one swing! And the Yankees win the American League pennant. Unbelievable, what a finish! As dramatic a finish as you'd ever want to see! With all that delay, we told you Littell had to be a little upset. And holy cow, Chambliss hits one over the fence, he is being mobbed by the fans, and this field will never be the same, but the Yankees have won it in the bottom of the 9th, 7 to 6!
Rizzuto was also on the mic for the one-game playoff that decided the dramatic 1978 AL East race between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, the Pine Tar game involving George Brett in 1983, and Phil Niekro's 300th career win in 1985.
On August 15, 1995, the evening of the funeral of former teammate Mickey Mantle, the Yankees were set to play a road game against the Boston Red Sox. Announcing partner Bobby Murcer had already left to attend the funeral. Rizzuto was not permitted to leave, as the team needed someone to do the color commentary. Rizzuto abruptly left the booth after five innings, saying he could not go on. Rizzuto announced his retirement from announcing soon afterwards, which was attributed to the incident.[27]
He was eventually persuaded to return for one more season in 1996,[28] where he called another Yankee shortstop protégé, Derek Jeter's first home run. He retired for good at the end of the season. Apart from military service, he had spent the first 70 years of his adult life in the Yankee organization as a minor league player (1937–1940), major league player (1941–1942, 1946–1956) and broadcaster (1957–1996). Although Allen has long been known as the "Voice of the Yankees," Rizzuto is the longest serving broadcaster in Yankees history, serving 40 years to Allen's 30 years over two stints.
Other media appearances
On February 2, 1950, Rizzuto was the first mystery guest on the 1950–67
Alongside his broadcasts for the Yankees, Rizzuto hosted It's Sports Time with Phil Rizzuto, a 5-minute weekday evening sports show, on the CBS Radio Network from 1957 to 1977.[citation needed]
Rizzuto was the longtime celebrity spokesman in TV ads for The Money Store. He was well known as their spokesman for nearly 20 years, from the 1970s into the 1990s.[29]
Rizzuto provides
Honors
The Yankees retired Rizzuto's number 10 in a ceremony at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 1985. During this ceremony, he was also given a plaque to be placed in the stadium's Monument Park. The plaque makes reference to the fact that he "has enjoyed two outstanding careers, all-time Yankee shortstop, one of the great Yankee broadcasters." Humorously, Rizzuto was accidentally bumped to the ground during his own ceremony, by a live cow wearing a halo (that is, a "holy cow"); both honoree and cow were unhurt. Rizzuto later described the encounter: "That big thing stepped right on my shoe and pushed me backwards, like a karate move." In that day's game, future broadcast partner Tom Seaver recorded his 300th career victory.
Most baseball observers, including Rizzuto himself, came to believe that Derek Jeter had surpassed him as the greatest shortstop in Yankees history. The Scooter paid tribute to his heir apparent during the 2001 postseason at Yankee Stadium; jogging back to the Yankee dugout, he flipped the ceremonial baseball backhand, imitating Jeter's celebrated game-saving throw to home plate that had just occurred during the Yankees' 2001 American League Division Series triumph. ESPN reported that the photo of Jeter and Rizzuto taken that evening is one of Jeter's most prized possessions.
In the spring of 1957, following Rizzuto's release, Baltimore Orioles manager Paul Richards said, "Among those shortstops whom I have had the good fortune to see in action, it's got to be Rizzuto on top for career achievement. For a five-year period, I would have to take Lou Boudreau. ... But, year after year, season after season, Rizzuto was a standout." Sportswriter Dan Daniel wrote at the time, "It seems to me that Rizzuto must be included among the few players of the past five years who may look forward to ultimate election to the Hall of Fame."[4] However, Daniel's assessment did not come to pass for over 35 years.
Rizzuto was elected to the Hall of Fame along with Leo Durocher (who was selected posthumously), in 1994 by the Veterans Committee, following a long campaign for Rizzuto's election by Yankee fans who were frustrated that he had not received the honor. Some of Rizzuto's peers supported his candidacy, including Boston's Ted Williams. Williams once claimed that his Red Sox would have won most of the Yankees' 1940s and 1950s pennants if they had had Rizzuto at shortstop,[31] but Rizzuto himself was more modest: "My stats don't shout. They kind of whisper."[32] The push for Rizzuto became especially acute after 1984, when the committee elected Pee Wee Reese, the similarly regarded shortstop of the crosstown Brooklyn Dodgers.
Bill James later used Rizzuto's long candidacy as a recurring focus in his book Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame?, devoting several chapters to the shortstop's career and comparisons with similar players. James assessed Rizzuto's career statistics as historically substandard by Hall of Fame standards, although he acknowledged that credit must be given for the years he missed in World War II, and criticized many of the public arguments both for and against his selection; but despite noting that Rizzuto was a great defensive player and a good hitter he stated that he could not endorse his candidacy, as there were too many similar players with virtually identical accomplishments.[33] The book's final paragraph noted Rizzuto's election to the Hall in February 1994. James, however, did point out that there were numerous players in the Hall who were inferior to Rizzuto, and in 2001 he selected Rizzuto as the 16th greatest shortstop of all time,[34] ahead of eight other Hall of Famers.
Rizzuto was modest about his achievements, saying, "I never thought I deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is for the big guys, pitchers with 100 mph fastballs and hitters who sock homers and drive in a lot of runs. That's the way it always has been, and the way it should be."[35]
Rizzuto gave a memorably discombobulated induction speech at Cooperstown, in which he repeatedly complained about the buzzing flies that were pestering him. Rizzuto's "inimitable and wondrous digressions and ramblings" were mimicked by New York Times columnist Ira Berkow:
Anyway, somewhere in the speech (Rizzuto) told about leaving home in Brooklyn for the first time when he was 19 years old and going to play shortstop in the minor league town of Bassett, Virginia, and he was on a train with no sleeper and when he got his first taste of Southern fried chicken and it was great and it was also the first time that he ever ate -- "Hey, White, what's that stuff that looks like oatmeal?"—and Bill White, his onetime announcing partner on Yankee broadcasts, and, like all his partners, never seemed to learn their first names, though he knew the first and last names of a lot of the birthdays he forever is announcing and the owners of his favorite restaurants even though as he admits he often talks about the score or the game, but after 38 years of announcing games and after a 13-year playing career with championship Yankee teams few seem to care about this either, well, White was in the audience and stood up and said "Grits".[citation needed]
In 1999, the minor league Staten Island Yankees named their mascot "Scooter the Holy Cow", after Rizzuto.[36] He was inducted in 2009 into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.[37] There is a park named after him in Elizabeth, New Jersey, directly across from Kean University.
In 2013, the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award honored Rizzuto as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the United States Navy during World War II.[38]
Death
When Rizzuto did not attend the annual Cooperstown reunion in 2005 and the annual New York Yankees
On September 12, 2006, the New York Post revealed that Rizzuto was currently in a "private rehab facility, trying to overcome muscle atrophy and problems with his esophagus."[39] During his last extensive interview, on WFAN radio in late 2005, Rizzuto revealed that he had an operation where much of his stomach was removed and that he was being treated with medical steroids, a subject he joked about in light of baseball's performance-enhancing drugs scandal.[40]
Rizzuto died in his sleep on August 13, 2007, three days short of the 51st anniversary of his last game as a Yankee, exactly twelve years after the death of Mickey Mantle, and just over a month shy of his 90th birthday. He had been in declining health for several years and was living at a nursing home in West Orange, New Jersey for the last months of his life.[41][42] At the time of his death, at age 89, Rizzuto was the oldest living member of Baseball's Hall of Fame.[43]
Rizzuto was survived by his wife, Cora (who died in 2010), daughters Cindy Rizzuto, Patricia Rizzuto and Penny Rizzuto Yetto, son Phil Rizzuto Jr., and two granddaughters.[44]
See also
References
- ^ a b Sandomir, Richard (August 14, 2007). "Phil Rizzuto, Yankees Shortstop, Dies at 89". The New York Times. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ISBN 978-1634132305.
- ^ a b Rizzuto's Secret of Youth Lasted for Years
- ^ a b Daniel, Dan (March 6, 1957). "How Good Was Scooter? No. 1 Shortstop". The Sporting News. p. 3.
- ^ Bodley, Hal. "N.Y. Yankees Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto dies", USA Today, August 14, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2007. "Rizzuto was still in Richmond Hill High School in 1935 when he said in a New York Times interview he was driven to Ebbets Field in 'Uncle Mike's car — one of those old cars, with the balloon tires' — for a tryout with his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers."
- ISBN 0-02-510774-7.
- ^ "Larry MacPhail Was Wacky Genius". The Washington Times. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ISBN 9780786425631. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ^ "The Stars & Stripes". U.S. Department of Defense. The Associated Press. May 8, 1946.
- ^ Reichler, Joe (May 6, 1946). "Mexican, Major League Mixup Goes to Court". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
- ^ Shumach, Murray (August 17, 1948). "Babe Ruth, Baseball's Great Star and Idol of Children, Had a Career Both Dramatic and Bizarre". The New York Times.
- ^ "Rennie is Exonerated". The New York Times. No. pg. 53. May 19, 1946.
- ^ Kahn, Roger (1993). The Era, 1947-1957: When the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers Ruled the World (First ed.). New York: Ticknor & Fields. pp. 141–147.
- ^ Badassaro, Lawrence. "Phil Rizzuto". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ISBN 0313322686. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ISBN 978-0810861305.
- ^ McPartlin, Shaun. "New York Yankees: The 15 greatest defensive players in team history". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ "Fred Stanley Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ "Hall of Fame New York Yankees shortstop and broadcaster dead at 89". Fox News. August 14, 2007. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ Lupica, Mike. "Brooklyn kid turned Bronx icon made us feel like part of family". Daily News Sports. NY Daily News.com. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ^ Friend, Harold (May 4, 2010). "Phil Rizzuto figured it out and listened". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- Today.
- ^ Coyne, Kevin (March 18, 2007). "Baseball Stole His Eyes, but Not His Passion". The New York Times.
- ASIN B00B6JBVV6.
- ^ McPartlin, Shaun (May 12, 2011). "Reggie Jackson and the 15 Wildest Personalities in New York Yankees History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ Phil Rizzuto calls Roger Maris' 61st home run, Star Tribune. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
- ^ "RIZZUTO QUITS POSITION AS YANKEES' BROADCASTER DISPUTE OVER MANTLE FUNERAL LED TO RIFT". Buffalo News. August 19, 1995. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ Richard Sandomir (September 14, 2006). "50 Years in Game Is Enough for Kaat". The New York Times. p. D-3.
- ^ Piskora, Beth (June 27, 2000). "Money Store Strikes Out". New York Post. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ Pearlman, Jeff (August 29, 2007). "Phil and Meat Loaf will always have "Paradise"". ESPN. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
- ^ [1] Archived November 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, sabr.org. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
- ^ Bernstein, Adam (August 15, 2007). "Yankees Hall of Famer, Broadcaster Phil Rizzuto". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
- ^ James, pp. 433–434.
- ISBN 0-684-80697-5.
- ^ Profile Archived September 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Star Tribune. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
- ^ Scooter the Holy Cow, newviewgraphics.com. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
- ^ New Jersey to Bon Jovi: You Give Us a Good Name Yahoo! News, February 2, 2009
- ^ "WWII HOF Players – Act of Valor Award". Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- ^ a b Kernan, Kevin (September 12, 2006). "Rizzuto fights on in latest battle". New York Post.
- ^ Preisler, Jerome (August 15, 2007). "News you wish you hadn't heard". YES Network. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017.
- ^ Statements on the passing of Phil Rizzuto, Major League Baseball
- ^ "Yankees Hall Of Famer Phil Rizzuto Dies", wnbc.com; retrieved May 9, 2014.
- ^ ESPN.com News Services (August 14, 2007). "Rizzuto, Yankee Hall of Famer, dies at age 89". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ^ "Yankees Great Phil Rizzuto Dies at 89" Archived August 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, 1010wins.com; retrieved May 9, 2014.
External links
- Phil Rizzuto at the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Full Hall of Fame video of Rizzuto's induction speech
- Edited excerpts of Phil Rizzuto's broadcasting style
- Phil Rizzuto at IMDb