dreamsfloatjoe
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2005
- Messages
- 819
- Reaction score
- 0
Yankees Hall Of Fame Shortstop Phil Rizzuto Dies
NEW YORK -- Phil Rizzuto, the Hall of Fame shortstop during the Yankees' dynasty years and beloved by a generation of fans for exclaiming "Holy cow!" as a broadcaster, died Tuesday. He was 89.
His death was confirmed by the Yankees. Rizzuto had been in declining health for several years and was living at a nursing home in West Orange, N.J.
"Phil was a gem, one of the greatest people I ever knew. A dear friend and great teammate," said Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, who frequently visited Rizzuto in his later years.
"He was a heck of a player, too. When I first came up to the Yankees, he was like a big -- actually, small -- brother to me. He's meant an awful lot to baseball and the Yankees and has left us with a lot of wonderful memories," he said.
Rizzuto, nicknamed "Scooter," played 13 seasons with the Yankees. He went to the playoffs in 10 of them and won seven World Series titles.
Rizzuto came to the Yankees in 1941 and batted .307 as a rookie, and his career was interrupted by a stint in the Navy during World War II. He returned in 1946 and four years later became the American League MVP. He batted .324 that season with a slugging percentage of .439 and 200 hits, second most in the league. He also went 58 games without an error, making 288 straight plays.
"He was a Yankee all the way," said Indians great Bob Feller, who at 88 became the oldest living Hall of Famer.
"Phil could hit, he could run, he was good on the basepaths and he was a great shortstop. He knew the fundamentals of the game and he got 100 percent out of his ability. He played it hard and he played it fair," he said.
Rizzuto spent 40 years as a broadcaster for the Yankees and entered the Hall of Fame in 1994.
Rizzuto is survived by his wife, the former Cora Anne Esselborn, whom he married in 1943; daughters Cindy Rizzuto, Patricia Rizzuto and Penny Rizzuto Yetto; son Phil Rizzuto Jr.; and two granddaughters.
More bio info & pics, reference: WNBC NY Sports News Story
NEW YORK -- Phil Rizzuto, the Hall of Fame shortstop during the Yankees' dynasty years and beloved by a generation of fans for exclaiming "Holy cow!" as a broadcaster, died Tuesday. He was 89.
His death was confirmed by the Yankees. Rizzuto had been in declining health for several years and was living at a nursing home in West Orange, N.J.
"Phil was a gem, one of the greatest people I ever knew. A dear friend and great teammate," said Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, who frequently visited Rizzuto in his later years.
"He was a heck of a player, too. When I first came up to the Yankees, he was like a big -- actually, small -- brother to me. He's meant an awful lot to baseball and the Yankees and has left us with a lot of wonderful memories," he said.
Rizzuto, nicknamed "Scooter," played 13 seasons with the Yankees. He went to the playoffs in 10 of them and won seven World Series titles.
Rizzuto came to the Yankees in 1941 and batted .307 as a rookie, and his career was interrupted by a stint in the Navy during World War II. He returned in 1946 and four years later became the American League MVP. He batted .324 that season with a slugging percentage of .439 and 200 hits, second most in the league. He also went 58 games without an error, making 288 straight plays.
"He was a Yankee all the way," said Indians great Bob Feller, who at 88 became the oldest living Hall of Famer.
"Phil could hit, he could run, he was good on the basepaths and he was a great shortstop. He knew the fundamentals of the game and he got 100 percent out of his ability. He played it hard and he played it fair," he said.
Rizzuto spent 40 years as a broadcaster for the Yankees and entered the Hall of Fame in 1994.
Rizzuto is survived by his wife, the former Cora Anne Esselborn, whom he married in 1943; daughters Cindy Rizzuto, Patricia Rizzuto and Penny Rizzuto Yetto; son Phil Rizzuto Jr.; and two granddaughters.
More bio info & pics, reference: WNBC NY Sports News Story
Last edited: