Flamingo kid
Everybody's hands go UP!
Yankee Legend Phil Rizzuto dead at 89.
RIP Scooter.
RIP Scooter.
Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
- Thread starter Flamingo kid
- Start date
Re: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
rip
rip
The Devil
EOG Master
Re: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
Put on a baseball card show with Tommy Catal, a well known memorabilia seller, in 1991 at Trump Plaza.
Had Rizzuto, Mantle, Musial, Reese and Berra. While most did card shows for the money, Rizzuto was there all day talking to people like he knew them all his life. He was having a better time than the paying customers.
He was a good guy, RIP.
Put on a baseball card show with Tommy Catal, a well known memorabilia seller, in 1991 at Trump Plaza.
Had Rizzuto, Mantle, Musial, Reese and Berra. While most did card shows for the money, Rizzuto was there all day talking to people like he knew them all his life. He was having a better time than the paying customers.
He was a good guy, RIP.
shooterman
EOG Veteran
Re: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
Red Sox fan here. Used to tune in to Yankee games just to listen to Phil. He was the most original guy on TV. RIP you Huckleberry!
Red Sox fan here. Used to tune in to Yankee games just to listen to Phil. He was the most original guy on TV. RIP you Huckleberry!
Re: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
I grew up listening to his broadcasts and will always remember his:
HOLY COW!!!!
RIP,
THE SHRINK
I grew up listening to his broadcasts and will always remember his:
HOLY COW!!!!
RIP,
THE SHRINK
munson15
I want winners...
Re: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
Met him a couple of times. Great guy for pictures and autographs. Grew up listening to his voice in the 60's and learned more baseball from his broadcasting than any other source. He always emphasized getting runners into scoring position, keeping the double play in order on defense, and was an excellent storyteller within the context of the game. In his later years he started leaving games early and got distracted easily which many may remember, but before that the Scooter was a tremendously knowledgeable play-by-play man.
I remember his voice calling games like some people recall a certain song from a particular time in their life. When I was small, my dad would drive us for ice cream, and the Yankee game was always on. Phil Rizzuto, Red Barber, Jerry Coleman, Joe Garagiola, etc. were the soundtrack of my childhood. We had no FM radio, and the TV only had 3 channels and was black and white.
Listening to him call a game was like seeing it in color, the way he set the stage at the Stadium, reading the pertinent statistics the first time through the batting order, and the excitement he displayed for some very mediocre Yankee teams.
Phil made me feel good about being a fan of a team that didn't win any pennants from the time I first could read about and listen to the games in 1965 until 1976 when they finally broke through. I still remember when they started to lose a big AL East lead over Baltimore that year, Rizzuto came on during a channel 11 telecast and was imploring Yankee fans not to "panic" as though he could feel the emotions of the fans and was trying to be a calming influence.
Sorry for rambling, but the man meant so much to me, and I wanted to express my feelings for his influence on my formative years as a baseball fan. He was a great man, and I hope he rests in peace.
Met him a couple of times. Great guy for pictures and autographs. Grew up listening to his voice in the 60's and learned more baseball from his broadcasting than any other source. He always emphasized getting runners into scoring position, keeping the double play in order on defense, and was an excellent storyteller within the context of the game. In his later years he started leaving games early and got distracted easily which many may remember, but before that the Scooter was a tremendously knowledgeable play-by-play man.
I remember his voice calling games like some people recall a certain song from a particular time in their life. When I was small, my dad would drive us for ice cream, and the Yankee game was always on. Phil Rizzuto, Red Barber, Jerry Coleman, Joe Garagiola, etc. were the soundtrack of my childhood. We had no FM radio, and the TV only had 3 channels and was black and white.
Listening to him call a game was like seeing it in color, the way he set the stage at the Stadium, reading the pertinent statistics the first time through the batting order, and the excitement he displayed for some very mediocre Yankee teams.
Phil made me feel good about being a fan of a team that didn't win any pennants from the time I first could read about and listen to the games in 1965 until 1976 when they finally broke through. I still remember when they started to lose a big AL East lead over Baltimore that year, Rizzuto came on during a channel 11 telecast and was imploring Yankee fans not to "panic" as though he could feel the emotions of the fans and was trying to be a calming influence.
Sorry for rambling, but the man meant so much to me, and I wanted to express my feelings for his influence on my formative years as a baseball fan. He was a great man, and I hope he rests in peace.
Bagiant
EOG Dedicated
Re: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
I go back to when Red Barber and Mel Allen where the broadcasters for Yankee games. If I'm not mistaken Phil was brought in to replace Mel Allen who was having an alcohol problem and they needed to replace him. At one point he also worked with Jerry Coleman...the current Padres announcer. I believe these guys used to work about three innings on TV and then switched to 3 innings on the radio. I remember meeting him at some sort of speaking engagement for an organization that my father belong to. He was as down to earth as could be. Rest in Peace Scooter!
I go back to when Red Barber and Mel Allen where the broadcasters for Yankee games. If I'm not mistaken Phil was brought in to replace Mel Allen who was having an alcohol problem and they needed to replace him. At one point he also worked with Jerry Coleman...the current Padres announcer. I believe these guys used to work about three innings on TV and then switched to 3 innings on the radio. I remember meeting him at some sort of speaking engagement for an organization that my father belong to. He was as down to earth as could be. Rest in Peace Scooter!
munson15
I want winners...
Re: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
Mel Allen was fired in 1964, Rizzuto started broadcasting in 1956 when he was released as a player. It was said that the team knew how tough the release would be and tried to soften the blow by keeping him around the ballclub he was a part of since 1940.
wrigley
2
Re: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
when I hear HOLY COW I think of the late Harry Carey who invented the phrase Harry or Phil?
when I hear HOLY COW I think of the late Harry Carey who invented the phrase Harry or Phil?
wrigley
2
Re: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
Thanks Munson because of WGN more people know Harry's style more then Phils I never was able to hear him living in Minnesota.
All the greats are dying we lost Herb Carneal the voice of the Twins for35 years just before the season started. I think Vin Scully still does Dodger games I always enjoyed his style.
Thanks Munson because of WGN more people know Harry's style more then Phils I never was able to hear him living in Minnesota.
All the greats are dying we lost Herb Carneal the voice of the Twins for35 years just before the season started. I think Vin Scully still does Dodger games I always enjoyed his style.
munson15
I want winners...
Re: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
Scully still going strong, he goes back to the BROOKLYN DODGER days! Bill King, a tremendous voice in the Bay Area for the Raiders and A's for 40 years, died last year. You're right, we lose something everytime one of these greats pass on. Sorry about Herb, I did hear of his death and felt the loss, especially for Twins fans.
Scully still going strong, he goes back to the BROOKLYN DODGER days! Bill King, a tremendous voice in the Bay Area for the Raiders and A's for 40 years, died last year. You're right, we lose something everytime one of these greats pass on. Sorry about Herb, I did hear of his death and felt the loss, especially for Twins fans.
Re: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
George M. Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, released this official statement on Tuesday in regards to the passing of Yankee Hall of Fame shortstop and former broadcaster Phil Rizzuto:
"I guess heaven must have needed a shortstop. 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.
He epitomized the Yankee spirit -- gritty and hard charging -- and he wore the pinstripes proudly. While Scooter may have been smaller in size than some, he was among the tallest in his stature as a Yankee.
He was a favorite of fans both as a player and later as a broadcaster. His voice and "Holy Cow" will be part of baseball for as long as we play the game. No one deserved his place in the Hall of Fame more than Number 10. Our condolences to his wife, Cora, and the rest of his family."
http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/membership/index.jsp
George M. Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, released this official statement on Tuesday in regards to the passing of Yankee Hall of Fame shortstop and former broadcaster Phil Rizzuto:
"I guess heaven must have needed a shortstop. 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.
He epitomized the Yankee spirit -- gritty and hard charging -- and he wore the pinstripes proudly. While Scooter may have been smaller in size than some, he was among the tallest in his stature as a Yankee.
He was a favorite of fans both as a player and later as a broadcaster. His voice and "Holy Cow" will be part of baseball for as long as we play the game. No one deserved his place in the Hall of Fame more than Number 10. Our condolences to his wife, Cora, and the rest of his family."
http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/membership/index.jsp
Flamingo kid
Everybody's hands go UP!
Re: Phil Rizzuto dead at 89
Yanks legend left legacy of kindness <!-- start page_icons_top --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=gray>
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Wednesday, August 15, 2007
By BOB KLAPISCH
RECORD COLUMNIST
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Phil Rizzuto acknowledging Yankee fans at Old-Timers' Day in 1999. A staple at Yankee Stadium for more than 50 years, he appeared there less and less as his health declined. Rizzuto died Monday at age 89.
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Three times a week, every week, Yogi Berra would make the drive from his home in Montclair to West Orange, where Phil Rizzuto called home. Pulling up to the gates of Green Hill, an assisted living facility, Berra knew his longtime friend and teammate had deteriorated rapidly. Rizzuto would often forget people's names, drift off in mid-sentence, and make his family yearn for the days when he was a limitless reservoir of laughs and love.
Still, Yogi's loyalty to Scooter never waned. He showed up at Green Hill without fail, walked into Rizzuto's apartment and started up another game of bingo. There they were, two Yankee legends, Hall of Famers both, speaking in the shorthand that only major-leaguers could appreciate. Every once in a while, like a time tunnel that had been magically activated, the old Rizzuto would awaken and fill up the room. Those were the good days; there were bad ones, too, especially in the last month. Yogi told a friend the other day, "I don't think Scooter is going to make it."
<!-- INFO BOX --><TABLE cellSpacing=8 cellPadding=4 width=200 align=right valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=lightcolor cellpadding="4">RELATED LINKS <HR>[URL="javascript:void(window.open('http://www.northjersey.com/dngmedia/media_server/tr/2007/08/14rizzuto/gallery/1.html','_blank','width=650,height=500,status=1,scrollbars=no,resizable=no'));"]
Rizzuto was a Yankee giant
Klapisch: Yanks legend left legacy of kindness
McDougald followed in Scooter's footsteps
How could you not root for Scooter?
Phil Rizzuto, a beloved Yankee
Photo gallery: Phil Rizzuto
[SIZE=-2](please enable pop-ups)[/SIZE]
Survey: Share your memories of Yankees' Hall of Fame shortstop and broadcaster Phil Rizzuto.
[SIZE=-2](please enable pop-ups)[/SIZE]
Statement by George M. Steinbrenner on the death of Phil Rizzuto
Baseball Hall of Fame: Video and photo galleries of Phil Rizzuto
Baseball Almanac: Rizzuto quotes
AUDIO <HR>
Steve Sandberg interviews Rizzuto's daughter, Patricia
Fran Healy remembers Phil Rizzuto
Orioles at Yankees
<HR>Today, 1 o'clock
TV/Radio: YES, WCBS-AM 880
Pitchers: Erik Bedard (12-4, 3.11) vs. Phil Hughes (2-1, 4.64)
Pete Caldera covers the Yankees for The Record.
Visit the blog
Listen to The Record SportsCast[/URL]
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Maybe that explains why Berra took the news of Rizzuto's death so philosophically; he'd been preparing for it all during those bingo games. When the little Yankee shortstop and broadcaster took his final breath late Monday, dying of pneumonia at the age of 89, Yogi was ready with a simple but poignant eulogy.
"Great guy. Great friend," Yogi told reporters at the Stadium, echoing the sentiments of anyone who ever met him. To older fans, Rizzuto was the shortstop of the Yankees' greatest golden era, when they won five consecutive championships between 1949 and 1953. On a roster full of superstars, Rizzuto was Everyman, the 5-6, 160-pound squirt who made it possible to believe anyone could be a baseball player.
Actually, Rizzuto's legacy was about beating the odds. After a 1937 tryout with the Brooklyn Dodgers, then-manager Casey Stengel told Rizzuto to get a shoeshine box; he was too short to be a ballplayer.
After beginning his broadcasting career, Howard Cosell told Rizzuto he'd never succeed: He looked like George Burns and sounded like Groucho Marx.
And Cooperstown sent its rejection notice, too -- over four decades. But in 1994, the Veterans Committee finally honored Rizzuto, putting a bright light on a fine career.
From 1941 to 1956, Rizzuto anchored the Yankee infield, winning the American League Most Valuable Player award in 1950. He played in nine World Series and was on the winning side seven times. "Little Dago" they called him, a politically incorrect but affectionate nickname that actually honored Rizzuto. He was mini-me to Joe DiMaggio, who was known in those days as "Daig" and took Rizzuto under his wing.
In return, Rizzuto would address everyone by their last name. That, or "huckleberry." No first names, ever, except his wife, Cora, to whom he was eternally devoted. Indeed, there was something unique about the way Rizzuto interacted with the world. Maybe it was this simple: He loved everyone, and the feeling went both ways.
"I've never seen a big-name personality treat people as kindly as Phil did," said Yankee broadcaster Michael Kay. "He was like an uncle to all of us, and that's something you can't say about announcers anymore."
Indeed, Rizzuto's career in the TV booth, which began in 1958, was nearly as distinguished as his days in Yankee pinstripes. Scooter had a way of personalizing the game that was so old-fashioned and un-hip, it was impossible to dislike him. "Holy cow" was his signature call ? and he meant it. Scooter was there when Roger Maris hit his 61st home run in 1961, when Chris Chambliss sent the Yankees to the World Series in 1976 with a pennant-clinching home run against the Royals, and when Ron Guidry struck out 18 Angels in 1978.
Holy cow. Who would dare say that on the air anymore. But from Rizzuto's lips, it was a measure of his honesty; he was a broadcaster without a gimmick. Scooter didn't hide his affection for the Yankees, openly rooting for them. Nor did he make a secret of his desire to be home before the last out, beating the traffic onto the George Washington Bridge by the ninth inning on his way home to Hillside.
Thing is, Scooter would tell viewers about it the next day; it was part of the ongoing dialogue about his life that made Yankee broadcasts as unpolished as they were irresistible.
"It was having a friend sitting in your living room talking about his favorite restaurant, his wife, his family, all the while he was commenting on the Yankee game," Kay said. "I don't know if that plays anymore. If Phil came into the business today, I'm not sure it would work. But everyone sure loved him."
Even his gaffes were ones for the ages. When the Yankees brought up outfielder Roberto Kelly, Rizzuto told Bill White, his partner in the booth, "I can't wait to see this new Irish kid." When Kelly, a dark-skinned Dominican, took the field, Rizzuto deadpanned, "Funny, he doesn't look Irish to me."
We all loved him, but no one did more than Yogi, who decided to move to New York at Rizzuto's urging in the Fifties. Together, they opened the Rizzuto-Berra Bowling Lanes in Clifton, where the co-owners filled a trophy case with all kinds of memorabilia. There were enough memories to last a lifetime, sort of like the Scooter's career. He last appeared in the booth in 1996, just as the Yankees were beginning a second golden era in the Bronx. Then, little by little, Rizzuto started fading away from the Yankee family, appearing less frequently at the Stadium.
It was soon obvious that Rizzuto was in declining health, no longer showing up at Old-Timers events. But through it all, Yogi was there, firing up another bingo game, accompanying his buddy through the final stages of his life. When Rizzuto finally passed on Tuesday, Yogi didn't need any long speeches. What he said was already on everyone's minds.
"They said Phil was too small to play baseball." Yogi said.
Larger than life, was more like it.
Born: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Residence: Hillside
MLB debut: April 14, 1941
Position: Shortstop
Nickname: Scooter
World Series: 1941-42, 1947, 1949-53, 1955
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Yanks legend left legacy of kindness <!-- start page_icons_top --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=gray>
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// --></TD><TD class=gray align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- end page_icons_top --><!-- start page related and byline--><TABLE width=478><TBODY><TR><TD>Wednesday, August 15, 2007
By BOB KLAPISCH
RECORD COLUMNIST
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AP
Phil Rizzuto acknowledging Yankee fans at Old-Timers' Day in 1999. A staple at Yankee Stadium for more than 50 years, he appeared there less and less as his health declined. Rizzuto died Monday at age 89.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- end page_photo_right --><!-- start disp_story_with_OAS_ad -->
Three times a week, every week, Yogi Berra would make the drive from his home in Montclair to West Orange, where Phil Rizzuto called home. Pulling up to the gates of Green Hill, an assisted living facility, Berra knew his longtime friend and teammate had deteriorated rapidly. Rizzuto would often forget people's names, drift off in mid-sentence, and make his family yearn for the days when he was a limitless reservoir of laughs and love.
Still, Yogi's loyalty to Scooter never waned. He showed up at Green Hill without fail, walked into Rizzuto's apartment and started up another game of bingo. There they were, two Yankee legends, Hall of Famers both, speaking in the shorthand that only major-leaguers could appreciate. Every once in a while, like a time tunnel that had been magically activated, the old Rizzuto would awaken and fill up the room. Those were the good days; there were bad ones, too, especially in the last month. Yogi told a friend the other day, "I don't think Scooter is going to make it."
<!-- INFO BOX --><TABLE cellSpacing=8 cellPadding=4 width=200 align=right valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=lightcolor cellpadding="4">RELATED LINKS <HR>[URL="javascript:void(window.open('http://www.northjersey.com/dngmedia/media_server/tr/2007/08/14rizzuto/gallery/1.html','_blank','width=650,height=500,status=1,scrollbars=no,resizable=no'));"]
AP
Rizzuto was a Yankee giant
Klapisch: Yanks legend left legacy of kindness
McDougald followed in Scooter's footsteps
How could you not root for Scooter?
Phil Rizzuto, a beloved Yankee
Photo gallery: Phil Rizzuto[SIZE=-2](please enable pop-ups)[/SIZE]
Survey: Share your memories of Yankees' Hall of Fame shortstop and broadcaster Phil Rizzuto.[SIZE=-2](please enable pop-ups)[/SIZE]
Statement by George M. Steinbrenner on the death of Phil Rizzuto
Baseball Hall of Fame: Video and photo galleries of Phil Rizzuto
Baseball Almanac: Rizzuto quotes
AUDIO <HR>
Steve Sandberg interviews Rizzuto's daughter, Patricia
Fran Healy remembers Phil RizzutoOrioles at Yankees
<HR>Today, 1 o'clock
TV/Radio: YES, WCBS-AM 880
Pitchers: Erik Bedard (12-4, 3.11) vs. Phil Hughes (2-1, 4.64)
* * *
YANKEES BLOG <HR>
Pete Caldera covers the Yankees for The Record.
Visit the blog
Listen to The Record SportsCast[/URL] </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- /INFO BOX -->
Maybe that explains why Berra took the news of Rizzuto's death so philosophically; he'd been preparing for it all during those bingo games. When the little Yankee shortstop and broadcaster took his final breath late Monday, dying of pneumonia at the age of 89, Yogi was ready with a simple but poignant eulogy.
"Great guy. Great friend," Yogi told reporters at the Stadium, echoing the sentiments of anyone who ever met him. To older fans, Rizzuto was the shortstop of the Yankees' greatest golden era, when they won five consecutive championships between 1949 and 1953. On a roster full of superstars, Rizzuto was Everyman, the 5-6, 160-pound squirt who made it possible to believe anyone could be a baseball player.
Actually, Rizzuto's legacy was about beating the odds. After a 1937 tryout with the Brooklyn Dodgers, then-manager Casey Stengel told Rizzuto to get a shoeshine box; he was too short to be a ballplayer.
After beginning his broadcasting career, Howard Cosell told Rizzuto he'd never succeed: He looked like George Burns and sounded like Groucho Marx.
And Cooperstown sent its rejection notice, too -- over four decades. But in 1994, the Veterans Committee finally honored Rizzuto, putting a bright light on a fine career.
From 1941 to 1956, Rizzuto anchored the Yankee infield, winning the American League Most Valuable Player award in 1950. He played in nine World Series and was on the winning side seven times. "Little Dago" they called him, a politically incorrect but affectionate nickname that actually honored Rizzuto. He was mini-me to Joe DiMaggio, who was known in those days as "Daig" and took Rizzuto under his wing.
In return, Rizzuto would address everyone by their last name. That, or "huckleberry." No first names, ever, except his wife, Cora, to whom he was eternally devoted. Indeed, there was something unique about the way Rizzuto interacted with the world. Maybe it was this simple: He loved everyone, and the feeling went both ways.
"I've never seen a big-name personality treat people as kindly as Phil did," said Yankee broadcaster Michael Kay. "He was like an uncle to all of us, and that's something you can't say about announcers anymore."
Indeed, Rizzuto's career in the TV booth, which began in 1958, was nearly as distinguished as his days in Yankee pinstripes. Scooter had a way of personalizing the game that was so old-fashioned and un-hip, it was impossible to dislike him. "Holy cow" was his signature call ? and he meant it. Scooter was there when Roger Maris hit his 61st home run in 1961, when Chris Chambliss sent the Yankees to the World Series in 1976 with a pennant-clinching home run against the Royals, and when Ron Guidry struck out 18 Angels in 1978.
Holy cow. Who would dare say that on the air anymore. But from Rizzuto's lips, it was a measure of his honesty; he was a broadcaster without a gimmick. Scooter didn't hide his affection for the Yankees, openly rooting for them. Nor did he make a secret of his desire to be home before the last out, beating the traffic onto the George Washington Bridge by the ninth inning on his way home to Hillside.
Thing is, Scooter would tell viewers about it the next day; it was part of the ongoing dialogue about his life that made Yankee broadcasts as unpolished as they were irresistible.
"It was having a friend sitting in your living room talking about his favorite restaurant, his wife, his family, all the while he was commenting on the Yankee game," Kay said. "I don't know if that plays anymore. If Phil came into the business today, I'm not sure it would work. But everyone sure loved him."
Even his gaffes were ones for the ages. When the Yankees brought up outfielder Roberto Kelly, Rizzuto told Bill White, his partner in the booth, "I can't wait to see this new Irish kid." When Kelly, a dark-skinned Dominican, took the field, Rizzuto deadpanned, "Funny, he doesn't look Irish to me."
We all loved him, but no one did more than Yogi, who decided to move to New York at Rizzuto's urging in the Fifties. Together, they opened the Rizzuto-Berra Bowling Lanes in Clifton, where the co-owners filled a trophy case with all kinds of memorabilia. There were enough memories to last a lifetime, sort of like the Scooter's career. He last appeared in the booth in 1996, just as the Yankees were beginning a second golden era in the Bronx. Then, little by little, Rizzuto started fading away from the Yankee family, appearing less frequently at the Stadium.
It was soon obvious that Rizzuto was in declining health, no longer showing up at Old-Timers events. But through it all, Yogi was there, firing up another bingo game, accompanying his buddy through the final stages of his life. When Rizzuto finally passed on Tuesday, Yogi didn't need any long speeches. What he said was already on everyone's minds.
"They said Phil was too small to play baseball." Yogi said.
Larger than life, was more like it.
* * *
PHIL RIZZUTOBorn: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Residence: Hillside
MLB debut: April 14, 1941
Position: Shortstop
Nickname: Scooter
World Series: 1941-42, 1947, 1949-53, 1955
* * *
HONORS- 5-time All-Star (1942, 1950-1953)
- American League MVP (1950)
- Never struck out more than 42 times in a season
- Anchored Yankee teams that won seven of nine World Series in his 13-year career
- Served three years with the Navy in World War II
- Yankees uniform No. 10 retired on Phil Rizzuto Day in 1985
* * *
HIGHLIGHTS- 1936 -- Signed by Yankees scout Paul Krichell out of Richmond Hill High School after being rejected by Giants and Dodgers (Casey Stengel delivered the bad news in Brooklyn) because they considered him too small.
- 1939 -- Nicknamed "Scooter" by Kansas City teammate Billy Hitchcock.
- 1940 -- Hit .347 for Yankees' Class AAA Kansas City club.
- 1941 -- Made major league team in spring training and hit .307.
- 1942 -- Batted .381 with eight hits to lead all players in World Series loss to St. Louis Cardinals.
- 1943-45 -- Served in the Navy during World War II.
- 1950 -- Collected 200 hits and named AL MVP.
- 1951 -- Squeeze bunt against Cleveland's Bob Lemon in Sept. 17 game scored Joe DiMaggio with winning run to put Yankees in first place for good.
- 1956 -- Released by Yankees in August to make room on roster for outfielder Enos Slaughter, obtained from the St. Louis Cardinals.
- 1957 -- Joined Yankees broadcasting crew of Mel Allen and Red Barber.
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