Phil Rizzuto

Phil Rizzuto
Rizzuto in 1949
Shortstop
Born: (1917-09-25)September 25, 1917 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died: August 13, 2007(2007-08-13) (aged 89) West Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 14, 1941, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
August 16, 1956, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Batting average	.273
Home runs	38
Runs batted in	563
Teams
New York Yankees (1941–1942, 1946–1956)
Career highlights and awards
5× All-Star (1942, 1950–1953) 7× World Series champion (1941, 1947, 1949–1953) AL MVP (1950) New York Yankees No. 10 retired Monument Park honoree
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1994
Election method	Veterans Committee

Philip Francis Rizzuto (September 25, 1917 – August 13, 2007), nicknamed "the Scooter", was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He spent his entire 13-year baseball career with the New York Yankees (1941–1956), and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.

A popular figure on a team dynasty that captured 10 AL titles and seven World Championships in his 13 seasons, Rizzuto holds numerous World Series records for shortstops. His best statistical season was 1950, when he was named the American League's Most Valuable Player. Generally, Rizzuto was a "small ball" player, noted for his strong defense in the infield and as a great bunter. When he retired, his 1,217 career double plays ranked second in major league history, trailing only Luke Appling's total of 1,424, and his .968 career fielding average trailed only Lou Boudreau's mark of .973 among AL shortstops.

After his playing career, Rizzuto had a 40-year career as a radio and television sports announcer for the Yankees. He was known for his idiosyncratic, conversational broadcast style, and for his trademark expression "holy cow!"^[1]