Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Phil Rizzuto Passes Away
From ESPN.com:
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 when he died. He was inducted 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. 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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Labels: death, Hall of Fame, Holy Cow, Phil Rizzuto, shortstpo, Yankees


Posted by Steve Kenul at 10:26 AM


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