"Scooter" Rizzuto dies at 89

NY Yankees website ^ | 8/14/2007 | By Jack O'Connell

[JohnLongIsland]

Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto, who overcame his diminutive size to become a key contributor to numerous New York Yankees championships and followed his playing career with a lengthy and entertaining stint in the team's broadcast booth, died Tuesday. He was 89.

[JohnLongIsland]

"Holy Cow", munching on big cannoli in the sky.

[So Cal Rocket]

[raptor29]

I wonder how many of todays’s juicehead players will live to 89?

[Clemenza]

Scooter will always be in my list of “cool old guys” for his willingness to do a cameo on Meatloaf’s “Bat out of Hell.”

[gate2wire]

“Holy cow, I think he’s gonna make it...”

[WrightWings]

Ok, here we go, we got a real pressure cooker going here, two down, nobody on, no score, bottom of the ninth, there's the wind-up and there it is, a line shot up the middle, look at him go. This boy can really fly! He's rounding first and really turning it on now, he's not letting up at all, he's gonna try for second; the ball is bobbled out in center, and here comes the throw, and what a throw! He's gonna slide in head first, here he comes, he's out! No, wait, safe--safe at second base, this kid really makes things happen out there. Batter steps up to the plate, here's the pitch-- he's going, and what a jump he's got, he's trying for third, here's the throw, it's in the dirt-- safe at third! Holy cow, stolen base! He's taking a pretty big lead out there, almost daring him to try and pick him off. The pitcher glance over, winds up, and it's bunted, bunted down the third base line, the suicide squeeze in on! Here he comes, squeeze play, it's gonna be close, here's the throw, there's the play at the plate, holy cow, I think he's gonna make it!

Rizzuto was the voice of the baseball announcer in Meatlof's Paradise by the Dashboard Light. Oh yeah, and a Hall-of-Famer as well.

RIP Scooter...

[Mr. Mojo]

9 World Series rings for Rizzuto in his 13 seasons in MLB in a Hall of Fame career. Not bad.

RIP, Scooter.

[MarDav]

Grew up listening to Rizzuto on the radio and television broadcasts of Yankees games. The conversations he used to get into with Bill White were classics—often ending up with White unable to control his laughter. Listening to Scooter made you feel like you were sitting back on a lazy (hazy, crazy) summer day with friends and, oh yeah, a ballgame was going on.
I also remember being at Phil Rizzuto day at the Stadium. Seaver pitched a no-hitter (I think) against the Yankees that day. But what made that day special was they honored Rizzuto by giving him a cow! And the darned cow knocked Phil right on his backside! Classic Rizzuto.
I’ve been missing listening to his voice for years now. He was a part of my childhood/young adulthood.

[rfp1234]

R.I.P.

[JohnLongIsland]

seaver got his 300th win that day with the reds.
can’t forget frank messer.

[Mr. Mojo]

Good post.

Do you have the YES Network? If so, Mike and the Mad Dog are doing a Rizzuto retrospective right now..

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Hope they have a tribute at Fenway tonight. [And then kill the Yankees on the playoffs.] Scooter was one class guy.

[JohnLongIsland]

...Among the highest compliments paid Rizzuto came from [Ted] Williams, who frequently said the Boston Red Sox might have been in all those World Series had Rizzuto been on their side. As a member of the Hall's Veterans Committee, Williams lobbied hard for Rizzuto's enshrinement in Cooperstown, N.Y., which became reality in 1994. Rizzuto had been the oldest living Hall of Famer. That distinction now belongs to former American League president Lee MacPhail, with former second baseman Bobby Doerr the oldest living Hall of Fame player...
there's no better baseball than a yankees - red sox series

[Syberyenta]

RIP Scooter. Thanks for the laughs and the thrills

[Dilbert56]

Ok, here we go, we got a real pressure cooker going here, two down, nobody on, no score, bottom of the ninth, there's the

OK, how could you put on a suicide squeeze with two out? They can just throw to first and the third out is a force so the run doesn't score. Can't believe Scooter let those lyrics stand.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Phil Rizzuto SS

	Hitting Stats:																		Next Stats >>
	SEASON		TEAM		G		AB		R		H		2B		3B		HR		RBI		TB		BB		SO		SB		CS		OBP		SLG		AVG
	1941		New York Yankees		133		515		65		158		20		9		3		46		205		27		36		14		5		.339		.398		.307
	1942		New York Yankees		144		553		79		157		24		7		4		68		207		44		40		22		6		.338		.374		.284
	1946		New York Yankees		126		471		53		121		17		1		2		38		146		34		39		14		7		.311		.310		.257
	1947		New York Yankees		153		549		78		150		26		9		2		60		200		57		31		11		6		.345		.364		.273
	1948		New York Yankees		128		464		65		117		13		2		6		50		152		60		24		6		5		.332		.328		.252
	1949		New York Yankees		153		614		110		169		22		7		5		65		220		72		34		18		6		.340		.358		.275
	1950		New York Yankees		155		617		125		200		36		7		7		66		271		92		39		12		8		.407		.439		.324
	1951		New York Yankees		144		540		87		148		21		6		2		43		187		58		27		18		3		.335		.346		.274
	1952		New York Yankees		152		578		89		147		24		10		2		43		197		67		42		17		6		.325		.341		.254
	1953		New York Yankees		134		413		54		112		21		3		2		54		145		71		39		4		3		.370		.351		.271
	1954		New York Yankees		127		307		47		60		11		0		2		15		77		41		23		3		2		.291		.251		.195
	1955		New York Yankees		81		143		19		37		4		1		1		9		46		22		18		7		1		.369		.322		.259
	1956		New York Yankees		31		52		6		12		0		0		0		6		12		6		6		3		0		.310		.231		.231
	Career Totals				1661	5816	877	1588	239	62	38	563	2065	651	398	149	58	.341	.355	.273		Fielding Stats:
		SEASON		TEAM		POS		G		GS		INN		TC		PO		A		E		DP		PB		SB		CS		RF		FPCT
		1941		New York Yankees		SS		128		---		---		680		252		399		29		109		---		---		---		---		.957
		1942		New York Yankees		SS		144		---		---		799		324		445		30		114		---		---		---		---		.962
		1946		New York Yankees		SS		125		---		---		671		267		378		26		97		---		---		---		---		.961
		1947		New York Yankees		SS		151		---		---		815		340		450		25		111		---		---		---		---		.969
		1948		New York Yankees		SS		128		---		---		624		259		348		17		85		---		---		---		---		.973
		1949		New York Yankees		SS		152		---		---		792		329		440		23		118		---		---		---		---		.971
		1950		New York Yankees		SS		155		---		---		767		301		452		14		123		---		---		---		---		.982
		1951		New York Yankees		SS		144		---		---		748		317		407		24		113		---		---		---		---		.968
		1952		New York Yankees		SS		152		---		---		785		308		458		19		116		---		---		---		---		.976
		1953		New York Yankees		SS		133		---		---		647		214		409		24		100		---		---		---		---		.963
		1954		New York Yankees		2B		1		---		---		1		1		0		0		0		---		---		---		---		1.000
		1954		New York Yankees		SS		126		---		---		494		184		294		16		84		---		---		---		---		.968
		1955		New York Yankees		2B		1		---		---		0		0		0		0		0		---		---		---		---		.000
		1955		New York Yankees		SS		79		---		---		235		93		132		10		30		---		---		---		---		.957
		1956		New York Yankees		SS		30		---		---		91		31		54		6		17		---		---		---		---		.934
		Career Totals						1649	---	---	8149	3220	4666	263	1217	---	---	---	---	.968

[syriacus]

Great info on Rizzuto's Brooklyn and Queens childhood at A Look Back At A Hall-Of-Fame Shortstop’s Youth In Our Neighborhood