Holy Cow! Phil Rizzuto passes away at 89

[aricandover]

Former Yankees SS Phil Rizzuto dead at 89

 

August 14, 2007

BRONX, NEW YORK (TICKER) -- Former New York Yankees shortstop and renowned baseball broadcaster Phil Rizzuto died Tuesday. He was 89.

 

The Yankees confirmed Rizzuto's death to PA SportsTicker, although the team did not provide any further details. New York radio station WFAN reported that the Hall of Famer died early Tuesday morning.

 

Nicknamed "The Scooter," Rizzuto helped the Yankees win seven World Series titles from 1941-1953. The diminutive Brooklyn native was a career .273 hitter in parts of 13 seasons - all with the Yankees.

 

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A five-time All-Star, Rizzuto was regarded as one of the best defensive shortstops of his time. Standing at just 5-6, he also was renowned for his bunting ability and speed.

 

Like many players in the 1940s, Rizzuto served in the United States Navy during World War II, interrupting his career from 1943-1945.

 

Rizzuto enjoyed his finest season in 1950, when he was named American League MVP. In 155 games that year, he batted a career-best .324 with seven home runs, 66 RBI, 200 hits, 125 runs and 12 stolen bases for the Yankees, who rolled to a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.

 

After his retirement in 1956, Rizzuto began a 40-year career as a radio and television broadcaster for the Yankees. He became famous for his trademark catch phrase, "Holy Cow!"

 

Following a long campaign, Rizzuto was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1994 by the veterans committee.

 

as a kid I loved listening to, "Scooter", call Yankees' games on channel 11. WPIX also had those great Crazy Eddie commercials.

[tongue-tied lightning]

sad news. I grew up listening to the scooter & Bill White broadcasting Yankee games also, lots of great stories that had nothing to do with baseball.

 

RIP, you huckleberry.

[cryptique]

RIP, Scooter.

 

 

 

The stats cited in his obit just show how much the game has changed. What chance would someone have these days of being named MVP with only 7 homers and 66 RBI?

[Oil Can Boyd]

When I lived in NYC many years ago the Village Voice used to publish Phil Rizzuto "poetry" that was very funny. They collected these random statements that he would make during games.

 

THE PRINCE

 

I.

 

Last night I was watching TV.

I was watching Arsenio Hall.

And he had Prince on.

I wanna--

What a character he is!

Holy cow!

 

II.

 

Entertainer.

Singer.

And he can dance.

He's a little bitty guy.

He had a weird beard.

I tell ya it was--

I couldn't explain it.

 

III.

 

It was a real beard.

I mean,

You know how they do it now.

Some of them.

It doesn't come all the way

Up to the sideburns.

It starts,

Then it goes.

You gotta see it to believe it.

 

[sept. 10, 1991 / New York at Baltimore / Eric Plunk pitching to Bill Ripken / Second inning, one out, one base runner / Yankees lead 2-1]

[tongue-tied lightning]

classic. Have a canoli for Phil today.

[boywiththorninside]

as a kid I loved listening to, "Scooter", call Yankees' games on channel 11. WPIX also had those great Crazy Eddie commercials.

 

...also Phil's Money Store commercials.

 

RIP, Scooter.

[MattZ]

...also Phil's Money Store commercials.

 

He's at the Money Store in the sky.

 

RIP Phil. One of the true greats.

[tugmoose]

And don't forget his musical turn as the announcer on Meat Loaf's Paradise By The Dashboard Light.

[imdwalrus]

- Rirruto?

 

- Those are z's.......

[oatmealblizzard]

RIP, Phil.

[boywiththorninside]

Classic Money Store Commercial

[skyflynn]

Bye Phil.

[OOO]

I'm not very well versed in baseball broadcasters, so excuse me if this is a dumb question, but was "Holy Cow" "invented" by Harry or by Phil?

[Oil Can Boyd]

I'm not very well versed in baseball broadcasters, so excuse me if this is a dumb question, but was "Holy Cow" "invented" by Harry or by Phil?

 

Consider the source, but this is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

 

Rizzuto broadcast Yankee games on radio and television for the next 40 years. His popular catchphrase was "Holy cow." Although Harry Caray was punctuating his broadcasts with the phrase even while Rizzuto was still playing, Rizzuto once claimed he'd been saying it his whole life, instead of using profanity.

[MrRain422]

RIP, Scooter.

The stats cited in his obit just show how much the game has changed. What chance would someone have these days of being named MVP with only 7 homers and 66 RBI?

 

With all due respect to Rizzuto, Yogi Berra got ripped off that year. Rizzuto had an excellent year for sure (especially in an era where shortstops weren't expected to do much offensively), but Berra put up significantly better numbers than Rizzuto as a friggin' catcher.

[tongue-tied lightning]

I'm sure Phil would be the first to agree with ya.