This Hall of Fame shortstop grew up in Glendale
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | SEPT. 24 - SEPT. 30, 2021 13
QUEENSLINE
In conjunction with the
Greater Astoria Historical
Society, TimesLedger
Newspapers presents noteworthy
events in the borough’s
history.
Born on Sept. 25, 1917
in Brooklyn, Phil Rizzuto
played shortstop for his entire
career with the New
York Yankees from 1941 to
1956. The Yankees won 10
American League titles and
seven World Series during
his career with the team.
Rizzuto was elected to the
National Baseball Hall of
Fame in 1994 for his steady
fielding and batting prowess.
Following his playing career,
he endeared himself to
more generations of baseball
fans as a game announcer for
the Yankees and television
commercial pitchman for
The Money Store. The Hall
of Fame shortstop grew up
in Glendale, Queens and attended
Richmond Hill High
School.
Born to immigrants from
Calabria, Italy, from an early
age Phil Rizzuto earned a
reputation as a stalwart on
the baseball diamond despite
standing only 5’6” and
weighing a svelte 150 pounds.
Following high school in
Queens, the Yankees signed
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the star shortstop as an amateur
free agent in 1937. After
receiving The Sporting
News Minor League Player
of the Year Award in 1940,
Rizzuto was called up by the
Bronx Bombers and played
his first major league game
in pinstripes in April 1941.
Donning number 10, the infielder
from Glendale quickly
established himself as an
excellent fielder and a steady
bat at the plate. His rookie
season ended with a Yankees
victory over the crosstown
Dodgers in the World Series.
Nicknamed the Scooter,
Rizzuto’s career was interrupted
by service in the US
Navy. After returning to the
Yankees in 1946, the hustling
shortstop entered the peak
years of his baseball career.
He was the American League
MVP in 1950, after finishing
second in voting the previous
year. The Yankees won
the World Series each year
from 1949-53, with number
10 in the starting lineup each
season. He hung up his wellworn
cleats following the
1956 campaign with a career
batting average of .273, and
1,588 hits, 149 stolen bases, 38
home runs, 563 RBI and five
All-Star Game selections in a
13-year career. He also led all
American League shortstops
in double plays three times.
Following his legendary
days on the field, Rizzuto
entered the broadcast booth
for his beloved Yankees. For
four decades, the Voice of the
Yankees entertained fans far
and wide with a memorable
series of on-air mistakes, celebrations
of Yankees’ victories
and stream of consciousness
commentary. Among
his most memorable remarks
during were “Uh-oh, deep to
left-center, nobody’s gonna
get that one! Holy cow, somebody
got it!” and, “Bouncer
to third, they’ll never get
him! No, why don’t I just shut
up!”
In his final year of broadcasting,
Phil Rizzuto called
the first career home run
for a young Yankee shortstop
named Derek Jeter.
The legend from Glendale,
Queens worked in the Yankees
organization for a total
of 55 years. The five-time All
Star, seven-time World Series
Champion and member
of the National Baseball Hall
of Fame also had his number
retired by his team in 1985.
The Scooter passed away
in his sleep in August 2017,
one month short of his 90th
birthday.
For further info, call the
Greater Astoria Historical
Society at 718-
278-0700 or www.
astorialic.org.
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