R.I.P. Phil Rizzuto

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

The news just came in that "the Scooter" passed away. I met him many times and he was truly a great great great man. A very sad day.

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Posted By: Jimmy

I just picked up a few items of his this weekend. He had a great history, and was one of the most beloved Yankees. He will be missed

Jimmy

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Posted By: JimCrandell

Oh my gosh!

I played golf with Scooter about 3 years ago at Baltusrol. He was just like he was on TV. "Holy Cow, will you look at that guy hit that ball" he said repeatedly.

He also personally signed baseballs for each of my two kids...and I showed him all my Phil Rizzuto cards. He said he had never seen his 1949 TipTop and 1950 Royal Desserts cards which I showed him.

Very nice man.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

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Posted By: Chris Counts

Rest in peace, Scooter ...

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Posted By: J Levine

Very sad...Scooter was a great guy and I had the chance to meet him about five years ago and we talked baseball and middle infielders for about 20 minutes. He knew his stuff and was just a really good guy. Darn.

Joshua

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Posted By: barrysloate

I met Phil once, just briefly. My friend and I were leaving a Yankee game and Phil exited with us. He was very friendly, I remember that.

He was also the oldest living HOFer. I believe that honor now goes to Bob Feller.

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Posted By: Jay

I'd like to echo the feeling of the board--I met him when I was a youngster and he was as nice as they come. My dad used to get seats to Yankee games a few times a year right behind the announcer's booth. Phil would always sign autographs and was always extremely friendly. He will be missed by those in baseball and by all those who knew him. Heaven just picked up an awful good shortstop.

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Posted By: Joseph

I have despised the Yankees my entire life...except for listening to the Scooter (hopefully describing a Yankee loss)

His down home style was one of the most genuine things in broadcast history...so great it inspired a book of poems. You could look it up.

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Posted By: Bill Stone

And I am sure Mel Allen and Red Barber will welcome him into the broadcast booth. RIP

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

Everything I love about baseball came from listening to Phil Rizzuto.

-Al

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Posted By: MIke

The world of sports could sure use a few more like him. Desperately. (Vick, Bonds, Culpepper, Moss, Clemens, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.) RIP

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Posted By: Jim VB

I recall listening to a game years ago when he was working with Bill White. Bill had looked at the Scooter's score card and was wondering what the notations "WW" meant. They were listed for several batters spread over several innings.

Phil informed him, proudly, that "WW" stood for "wasn't watching".

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Posted By: Ralph

Sorry to hear of this,RIP Phil & you will be missed.I believe Bobby Doerr is the oldest living hall member as a player but Lee MacPhail the former American League President is older than Doerr I believe.Very sad news.

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Posted By: Joe Pelaez

Saw The Flea play many games ... great memories.

Mel - Red Barber and Rizzuto ... Together again. R.I.P.

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Posted By: peter chao

Scooter take care, another part of the Yankee dynasty has passed away. RIP.

Peter C.

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Posted By: Rob

I guess my story of meeting him wasn't as great as some of yours. I believe he was signing autographs around 15+ years ago at a show in White Plains NY. I was a young teenager, big into baseball, and just starting to learn about the 'ol timers. He didn't even LOOK UP when he signed a photo to see that I was standing there. Ignored me when I said "hi" and was complaining about something to one of the show workers. I must've gotten rid of the autograph shortly after.

Maybe he was just having a bad day.

Rob

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Posted By: Jason L

but does everyone agree that their favorite card of the Scooter is that 53 Bowman pictured ealier in this thread!?

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

As a neighbor to Phil, growing up in Hillside, NJ (only 2 blocks from his home), I have some very fond memories of
the Scooter.
A really good ball player that was the "spark" for many of the Yankee victories in the 1940's thru to the mid '50s.
And, a great person in real life.

TED Z

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Posted By: peter chao

I suppose Scooter was the neighborhood star athlete? Was he a lot older than you?

Peter C.

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

As a teenager, I was lucky enough to work with an agent/promoter that had many baseball players over the years appear at various shows and endorsements. My father also conducted private (and some public) signings for a while as a side hobby. During that time, I met Mr. Rizzuto probably 15-20 times. I have many many great memories of "working" with him but my all-time favorite comes from 1996 in Cooperstown. My father had a reunion of the 1956 Yankees and we had probably 15 or so former members of the team signing at the old J.J. Newberry's basement including Phil, Yogi and Whitey. I had this book in my collection written for kids in the early 1950's that contained an in-action drawing of an outstanding baseball star from each position, as well as keys to success. Both Yogi and Phil were in the book (Yogi for catching and Phil for bunting). Over the years, as I met one of the 25 or so players in the book, I had them sign their page in blue ballpoint pen. Well, Yogi was sitting next to me at the autograph table on one side, and Phil on my other side. I first asked Yogi to sign the book but I had a request for him that I was sure was going to go unanswered... in the book, his caption called him Larry 'Yogi" Berra so I asked Yogi if he would sign the page Larry "Yogi" Berra. Yogi, to my surprise, was very happy to sign the page as such (even though I had heard he does not ever like to sign Larry Berra and refuses it.) Well, after Berra signed the book, I turned to Phil and asked Phil to sign his page. Phil asked me how I would like him to sign it and I asked him to sign "Phil Rizzuto" as what was written on the page. Phil flatly refused to sign as such, telling me with a smile that it was unfair if Yogi got to write Larry "Yogi" Berra, he should be allowed to sign Phillip Francis Rizzuto. Needless to say, my book was signed Phillip Francis Rizzuto, both to my satisfaction, and Phil's. Truly a classy guy that I will remember.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

PETER

Phil moved to his long-time home near us in 1947. He was about 30 years old then....I was 8 years old.
He would drive down our street on his way to Yankee Stadium. My neighbor, Johnny, and I always knew
when he was approaching, as he was the only one in the neighborhood that would drive unusual cars.
We would alert each other...."here comes Phil"....when we saw this little, two-seater Nash Metropolitan
coming down our street, Concord Place.

I have many more stories about "the Scooter"....but, I'll save them for another time.

TED Z

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Posted By: Peter Thomas

My uncle lived in Woodcliff Lake NJ and in the mid 50's took me and a friend of mine who had just moved from Natick, Mass to Ridgewood to a afternoon party at Yogi's and I meet Phil there. 40 years later I was waiting to rent a car in Boston and Phil came in to do the same. They were servicing the cars and we had to wait about 20 minutes. I had a very nice chat and recounted my meeting him 40 years earlier. While he did not recall me he did recall the gathering and knew why my uncle was invited to the party. Uncle Bill was working on proof reading something for the Yankees involving Yogi. A very nice man. RIP

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Posted By: Ed Ivey

He had a voice that reminded you the world is a pretty good place. He will be missed.

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Posted By: Neal

Not a Yanks fan,but a BoSox fan! Still have the utmost respect for the great players of that team.

God Bless Mr.Rizzuto and may he rest in peace!

He was a legend in his own right!

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Posted By: dstudeba

Well said Ed. I feel the same way but couldn't put it so nicely, thanks.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Ted Williams once payed Phil Rizzuto the ultimate compliment.....

"That little guy (Rizzuto) was the spark of those Yankee teams in the 1940's and '50s.......
had he been a Red Sox, we would have won most of those years rather than the Yankees"

I paraphrased Ted.....but, that is essentially the gist of what he said to the sports media.

TED Z

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Posted By: peter chao

I'm sure the Dodgers pretty much felt the same way...if they didn't have Pee Wee Reese on their team...they would've wanted the Scooter.

Peter C.

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Posted By: John S

Phil and Joe D. were my Grandmother's favorites. She still talks about driving to Municipal stadium to see the Yanks play in the late 40's. She was so excited when I showed her my 1954 Topps Rizzuto...and she still apologizes for throwing away all my Dad's cards from the 50's.

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Posted By: Ralph

Say thank-you to the replies as I never knew much about Mr. Rizzuto I knew who he was but some of the posts really make one feel good & bad as it is sad losing a person of Phil's great character.I thank-you Ted Z. for the post you did as to living a few blocks away .Remembering the past & yet Phil may be gone from us but he leaves us with lots of great memories & that is something to cherish forever.

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

All you Yankee haters will love this, but from 1964 - 1975 and 1982 - 1994 the Yankees didn't have much of a powerhouse, but people (including me) continued to watch/listen to games not just to root for the team, but because of the on air personalities. It was great the way Phil played off against all of his partners, but especially Frank Messer and Bill White. You could count on a couple of "huckleberries" and "Holy Cows!" per game, not to mention a few birthday wishes and an occasional recipe for pesto sauce. And at the first crack of thunder, Phil was out of the booth like his pants were on fire. Everyone knew what was coming, but they loved it anyway, I think, because he came across as a genuinely likbale guy.

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Posted By: Ken W.

Posting in his honor:

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

OK, my last and best Scooter story....in April 1984, I'm at the check-in counter at Newark (NJ) airport and
in front of me is Phil Rizzuto. I first started our conversation, talking about our old neighborhood in Hillside.
We were both flying out to Chicago. Our flight was delayed an hour at the airport and Phil kept buying us
coffee and talking BB. We got on the plane, Phil was in 1st class and I was in coach. Phil came back to the
rear of the plane and invited me to sit with him in 1st class. During the 2 hour flight, Phil and I covered all
the bases, talking about his playing days and his great Yankee teamates....DiMaggio, Dickey, Mize, Mantle,
Berra, Henrich, Reynolds, Raschi, Ford, Lopat, Skowron, Bauer, Lindell, Stirnweiss, Billy Martin and Joe Page.
He was so enthusiastic as he talked about all his team mates, that I will never forget this experience.

There are some that question Phil's HOF credentials; but, to me he's a HOFer in all respects.

TED Z

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Posted By: Ralph

Ted Z I gotta tell you that the last story must of been one heck of a day.That is like winning a contest & spending some time with your favorite player.If you continue with great stories like that I may be asking you for your autograph.
Thanks for the great story & if you have others ,please share

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

RALPH

Thanks, but I cannot top that story, so I better stop.

However, here is some tougher Rizzuto cards.....

TED Z

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Posted By: Ralph

Yes I guess your right Ted & the scans are very nice as well,some tough cards there,Congrats.

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Posted By: Danny Grimes

His credentials shouldn't be questioned, look at the teams he was on. Second Base and Shortstops were known for defense and double play action, and maybe their .275 BA. RIP Phil. I did read somewhere if he had the choice "again" to either play with Joe D or the Mick he chose the Mick with out hesitation. Take that Joe D!