[darkninja67]

"Phil Rizzuto passed away on August 14, 2007. "I guess heaven must have needed a shortstop," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. "Phil Rizzuto's contributions to the Yankees and the sport of baseball were immense for a period of over 50 years. He was one of the greatest Yankees of all time and a dear, close friend of mine whose loss is enormous to me and to the entire Yankee family" [5]. Rizzuto had been in declining health for several years and was living at a nursing home in West Orange, New Jersey.[6]. When Rizzuto did not attend the annual New York Yankees Old Timers Day in 2006, questions were raised about his health. On September 12, 2006, the New York Post revealed that Rizzuto is currently in a "private rehab facility, trying to overcome muscle atrophy and problems with his esophagus."[7] During an interview on WFAN, Rizzuto revealed that he was being treated with medical steroids." -taken from Wikipedia



R.I.P. Scooter, Yankee and baseball fans all over the world will miss you.

 

[DrBenway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkninja67 /img/forum/go_quote.gif R.I.P. Scooter, Yankee and baseball fans all over the world will miss you.

x1000.

There's so little New York left in New York that it's particularly sad to mark the passing of a quintessential Yankee. In a few years the house that Ruth built will be replaced by a shiny new revenue machine, replete with lux boxes. A few decades after that, there wont be any players left who even set foot in the stadium, much less distinguished themselves on that hallowed ground, as the Scooter did.

Just want to add a couple of details to your excellent post.

First, Rizzuto left baseball for three years during WWII to serve with distinction in the Navy. The people who cast aspersions on his election to the hall should consider what his lifetime stats would have looked like if he had not taken time out-- in the prime of his career-- to serve his country in a time of dire need.

Second, even people who care nothing for baseball will know him as the sportscaster's voice in Meatloaf's mega-hit "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." That bizarre moment of pop-culture fame will keep the sound of his play-by-play alive as long as people listen to rock n roll.