In the New York area, Rizzutos antics became a staple for TV ads.Despite his qualifications, Rizzuto was passed over for the Hall of Fame 15 times by the writers and 11 times by the old-timers committee. That, he said, meant wasnt watching.His popularity was such that at a recent auction a Rizzuto cap embedded with a wad of chewing gum sold for more than $8,000. And if he missed a play, he would scribble ww in his scorecard box score. That big thing stepped right on my shoe and pushed me backwards, like a karate move.Yankee fans also loved his unusual commentary, often punctuated with the phrase, What a huckleberry!In an age of broadcasters who spout statistics and repeat the obvious, Rizzuto loved to talk about things like his fear of lightning, the style of an umpires shoes or even the prospect of outfielder Dave Winfield as a candidate for president.He liked to acknowledge birthdays and anniversaries, read notes from fans, praised the baked delicacies at his favorite restaurant and send messages to old cronies. The cow knocked Rizzuto over and, of course, he shouted, Holy cow!That thing really hurt, he said. His voice dripped with his native Brooklyn.In his decades on the radio and TV, Rizzutos favorite phrase was Holy cow! He trotted it out when calling Roger Maris record-breaking 61st home run in 1961 and the saying became so much a part of him, the team presented him with a cow wearing a halo when they held a day in his honor in 1985. 25, 1956, as a day he thought was the end of the world, the day Stengel released him to make room for clutch-hitting Enos Slaughter in the pennant drive.Rizzuto then began a second career as a broadcaster, one for which he became at least equally well known. He played in five All-Star games.Rizzuto remembered Aug. He also went 58 games without an error, making 288 straight plays.He led all AL shortstops in double plays three times and had a career batting average of. 439 and 200 hits, second most in the league. 324 that season with a slugging percentage of. After the war, he returned in 1946 and became the American League MVP in 1950. DiMaggio said the shortstop held the team together.Rizzuto came to the Yankees in 1941 and batted. He went on to become one of Stengels most dependable players.A Rizzuto bunt, a steal and a DiMaggio hit made up the scoring trademark of the Yankees golden era, and he played errorless ball in 21 consecutive World Series games. He played it hard and he played it fair, he said.Born in Brooklyn, Rizzuto tried out with the Dodgers and New York Giants when he was 16, but because of his size was dismissed by Dodgers manager Casey Stengel, who told him to Go get a shoeshine box. He knew the fundamentals of the game and he got 100 percent out of his ability. A leadoff man, he was a superb bunter, used to good advantage by the Yankee teams that won 11 pennants and nine World Series between 19.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. Hes meant an awful lot to baseball and the Yankees and has left us with a lot of wonderful memories, he said.Rizzuto was equipped with a productive bat, sure hands and quick feet that earned him his nickname. ![]() ![]() He played 13 seasons alongside the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle in a career interrupted by Navy service in World War II.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.When I first came up to the Yankees, he was like a big actually, small brother to me. He epitomized the Yankee spirit gritty and hard charging and he wore the pinstripes proudly.At 5-foot-6, Rizzuto was a flashy player who could always be counted on for a perfect bunt, a nice slide or a diving catch in a lineup better known for its cornerstone sluggers. 10 was retired by baseballs most storied team.I guess heaven must have needed a shortstop, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. He played for the Yankees throughout the 1940s and 50s, won seven World Series titles, was an AL MVP and played in five All-Star games.Rizzuto later announced Yankees games for four decades and his No. Rizzuto had been in declining health for several years and was living at a nursing home in West Orange, N.J.Rizzuto, known as The Scooter, was the oldest living Hall of Famer. He was 89.His death was confirmed by the Yankees. NEW YORK (AP) Phil Rizzuto, the Hall of Fame shortstop during the Yankees dynasty years and beloved by a generation of fans who delighted in hearing him exclaim Holy cow! as a broadcaster, died Tuesday.
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