Phil Rizzuto dead at 89

[Smooth Operator]

Source: CNN

Phil Rizzuto, the Hall of Fame shortstop during the Yankees' dynasty years and beloved by a generation of fans for exclaiming "Holy cow!" as a broadcaster, died Tuesday. He was 89.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/08/14/phil.rizzuto/index.html?cnn=yes

[Zenlitened]

1. Holy cow! The Scooter (the *original* and best!) was a true character of the game.

We were a Mets family growing in the NYC-area, but love the Yankees or hate 'em, you couldn't help but get a kick out of Rizzuto -- odd-ball humor, brazen rooting for his Yankees, and all.

And his appearance on the "Bat Out of Hell" album... an awesomely iconic 1970's moment!

RIP, Scooter. You were a heck of an entertainer, on the field and off. :)

[Teaser]

2. Anybody remember the money store?

Wasn't Phil in the commercials for them?

[lisa58]

3. Yes he was...

...it was so long ago.

Godspeed Phil

[mdmc]

4. Holy Cow!

Peace and low stress scooter!

[bluestateguy]

5. Rizzuto was the prototypical baseball announcer. They way they should be

Crusty, curmudgeonly, old and folksy. They way they should be.

[classysassy]

6. Pee Wee&Scooter

were the Jeter&Reyes of their day.Oh those were the days of my youth and my love for the game."When it was a game",before big money turned it into a freak show.

[GainesT1958]

10. Those guys set the standard..

For excellence at shortstop. A standard which has been passed down and refined over the years to guys like Rick Burleson, Mark Belanger, Cal Ripken, and Ozzie Smith. And yes, Derek Jeter.

We'll miss you, Scooter!

B-)

[msanthrope]

7. RIP #10......you will be missed. n/t

[Seabiscuit]

8. My first Yankee hero, and favorite all-time Yankee.

I was 6 when my father first bought me some Yankee baseball cards in 1951. Since I was small, I identified most with the smallest Yankee, Phil Rizzuto. The card I had of his was one where he's catching a ball at shortstop while in the air with his legs spread out at 45 degree angles from his torso and his glove hand reaching straight down between his knees with the ball in it. Whenever I've thought of him since, I remember that baseball card.

[WindRavenX]

9. Aw. How sad

He was quite overrated as a SS, but he was one of the true characters of the game :)

[sidwill]

11. RIP Scooter

This just in Phil Rizzuto has passed on at the age of 89, but before we get to that lets take time out to thank Mrs. Maria Pignetetti of Hoboken N.J. for the lovely canolis she sent us, mmmm they sure were tasty right Whitey, Thanks again Maria, now where were we, HOLY COW he really got a hold of that one!!!!!!........and Dent catches the pop up to retire the side.

[tilsammans]

15. LOL!

RIP, Scooter.

What an original you were!


:applause:

[Bo]

12. Bye Scooter.....say hello to the Babe for me

[cabbage08]

13. RIP Scooter

[BeyondGeography]

14. A massive figure in NY

I'll always remember his childlike enthusiasm for the game, even when the Yankees were terrible, which they were when I started rooting for them in the 60's. Loved him.

[Tesha]

16. "Holy cow, he stole a base!"

"You got to do what you can
and let Mother Nature do the rest
There ain't no doubt it, we were doubly blessed
'cause we were barely seventeen and we were barely dressed!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_by_the_Dashboard_Light

Tesha