Just saw it on CNN

R.I.P.

Sad day in Yankeeville

Wow

 

R.I.P. Scooter

RIP.

 

Enjoy your time in the sky.

Phil Rizzuto, the Hall of Fame shortstop who went on to fame for his unique broadcasting style, died late Monday night. 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.

 

Rizzuto, nicknamed "The Scooter," was the oldest living member of the Baseball Hall of Fame prior to his death. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1994 by the Veterans Committee.

 

Rizzuto, noted as one of the best defensive shortstops in the history of the game, was the American League Most Valuable Player in 1950 and played in five All-Star games. In his MVP season, Rizzuto hit .324 and scored 125 runs.

 

He played for the New York Yankees from 1941 to 1956 (missing three years because of World War II, when he was in the U.S. Navy). The Yankees won seven World Series titles during Rizzuto's career.

 

Rizzuto's lifetime batting average was .273. He was second to Boston's Ted Williams in the 1949 MVP balloting.

 

He went on to be a Yankees broadcaster for more than 40 seasons. His unique style was accented with his famous phrase, "Holy Cow!" when a great play was made.

 

Rizzuto was on the call when Roger Maris hit his 61st career home run to eclipse the single-season home run record previously held by Babe Ruth.

 

Rizzuto was a flashy, diminutive 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. He played alongside the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.

 

He stood just 5-foot-6 but was equipped with a productive bat, sure hands and quick feet that earned him his nickname. A leadoff man, Rizzuto was a superb bunter, used to good advantage by the Yankee teams that won 11 pennants and nine World Series between 1941 and 1956.

 

Rizzuto tried out with the Brooklyn 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 went on to become one of Stengel's 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. DiMaggio said the shortstop "held the team together."

 

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 led all AL shortstops in double plays three times and had a career batting average of .273 with at least a .930 fielding percentage.

My grandfather actually had the opportunity to play baseball with him many years ago. Even though he was a big Brooklyn Dodgers fan, I'm pretty sure Phil was one of his all-time favorite players.

 

R.I.P. to a great man.

RIP Phil, you'll be missed. Wow.

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[speachless]

"I never thought I deserved to be in the Hall of Fame," Rizzuto would say. "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."

 

[Ted] Williams, a member of the committee, argued that Rizzuto was the man who made the difference between the Yankees and his Red Sox. He was fond of saying, "If we'd had Rizzuto in Boston, we'd have won all those pennants instead of New York."

holy cow!

 

 

rip.

holy cow. what a great baseball guy.

RIP

Man.

 

The Scooter. Talk about a legend.

He was supposed to move into my district, but his health started deteriorating too quickly so he stayed down in Jersey. I grew up watching Yankees baseball with my gradfather, listening to the Scooter talk about Mrs. Rabissi's canollies... Great memories. Great guys.

RIP to a legend

The way he called the game always entertained me. I remember back in the day when the Yanks would do Spring Training in Lauderdale, they would somehow show Yankee regular season games down here with Rizzuto calling. I'm glad I got to hear him call games.

Great player, great broadcaster. Made one of the greatest calls in history.

 

RIP.

RIP Phil.

RIP

Today is truly a sad day for me and all Yankees fans. Scooter always made the games from his birthday wishes, to him leaving in the middle of a game if he saw lightning. That was classic! Those were the good old days of watching Yankees games. Now I am stuck listening to lame a** Michael Kay!

RIP is correct, holy cow will he be missed by me........

the cannolis, the spagetti works in ft lauderdale, White you huckleberry, was that lightning white Im outta here, paradise by the dashboard light.......the man was a true classic.......watched his highights today on MLB.com and laughed my )) off.........

 

Scooter god bless.....call some games with Bob Murphy in the sky..........

Holy cow... :confused

rip scooter

In like 2 weeks, can somebody randomly make a thread about Phil so I can say he doesn't belong in the HoF without seeming like I'm pissing on his grave?

In like 2 weeks, can somebody randomly make a thread about Phil so I can say he doesn't belong in the HoF without seeming like I'm pissing on his grave?

there should be alot more players in hall like scooter...offense isnt everything