Phil Rizzuto

Philip Francis Rizzuto (born September 25, 1917) is a former Major League Baseball player and radio/television sports announcer. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a streetcar motorman. Despite his diminutive size (usually listed during his player career as five feet, six inches tall and 160 pounds), he played both baseball and football at Richmond Hill High School in Queens, New York.

Related Topics:
September 25 - 1917 - Major League Baseball - Radio - Television - Brooklyn, New York - Streetcar - Queens, New York

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Rizzuto played his first major-league game on April 14, 1941. For his entire 13 year career in the major leagues, he played for the New York Yankees, almost exclusively as a shortstop. Like many baseball players, he left the game for a stint in the Navy during World War II, from 1943 through 1945, where he played on the Navy's baseball team. He was voted Most Valuable Player in the American League in 1950. He played in five All-Star Games, in 1942 and each year from 1950 to 1953. Also, in 1950, he won the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year. He was known as "the Scooter," a nickname given to him by a manager in the minor leagues in tribute to his fielding range.

Related Topics:
April 14 - 1941 - New York Yankees - Shortstop - Navy - World War II - 1943 - 1945 - Most Valuable Player - American League - 1950 - All-Star Game - 1942 - 1953 - Hickok Belt

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He was released by the Yankees on August 25, 1956. After retiring, he served for 40 years broadcasting Yankee games on radio and TV where, like Harry Caray, his popular catchphrase was "Holy Cow." Although Caray was using the phrase while Rizzuto was still playing, Rizzuto once claimed he'd been saying it earlier, as a suggestion of something to say instead of using profanity.

Related Topics:
August 25 - 1956 - Harry Caray

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His uniform number 10 (the only number he ever wore) is one of the 15 numbers which have been retired by the Yankees. It was retired in a ceremony at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 1985. During this ceremony, he was also given a plaque to be placed in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park.

Related Topics:
Yankee Stadium - August 4 - 1985

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He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994. Rizzuto was strong defensively and had a few strong seasons offensively and won seven World Series with the Yankees.

Related Topics:
Baseball Hall of Fame - 1994

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Rizzuto is also somewhat famous as the announcer who provides the play-by-play commentary during the bridge in Meat Loaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Light. He also served for a number of years as the television spokesperson for "The Money Store", a New Jersey based sub-prime lender.

Related Topics:
Play-by-play - Bridge - Meat Loaf - Paradise by the Dashboard Light

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