Below The Beltway

Former Shortshop, Hall of Famer, and longtime voice of the Yankees, Phil Rizzuto, died today at 89:

NEW YORK (AP) — 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.

His death was confirmed by the Yankees. Rizzuto had been in declining health for several years and was living at a nursing home in West Orange, N.J.

Rizzuto, known as “The Scooter,” played for the Yankees throughout the 1940s and ’50s and won seven World Series titles.

Phil Rizzuto was a flashy, diminutive player who could always be counted on for a perfect bunt, a nice slide or a diving catch in a lineup better known for its cornerstone sluggers. He played for 13 seasons alongside the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.

He stood just 5-foot-6 but was equipped with a productive bat, sure hands and quick feet that earned him his nickname. A leadoff man, Rizzuto was a superb bunter, used to good advantage by the Yankee teams that won 11 pennants and nine World Series between 1941 and 1956.

Rizzuto tried out with the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants when he was 16, but because of his size was dismissed by Dodgers manager Casey Stengel, who told him to “Go get a shoeshine box.” He went on to become one of Stengel’s most dependable players.

A Rizzuto bunt, a steal and a DiMaggio hit made up the scoring trademark of the Yankees’ golden era, and he played errorless ball in 21 consecutive World Series games. DiMaggio said the shortstop “held the team together.”

Rizzuto came to the Yankees in 1941 and batted .307 as a rookie, and his career was interrupted by a stint in the Navy during World War II. He returned in 1946 and four years later became the American League MVP. He batted .324 that season with a slugging percentage of .439 and 200 hits, second most in the league. He also went 58 games without an error, making 288 straight plays.

He led all AL shortstops in double plays three times and had a career batting average of .273 with at least a .930 fielding percentage.

More importantly, if you were a Yankee fan in the 70’s and 80’s, Phil Rizzuto was a fixture in the broadcast booth. He’ll be missed.

Update: Peter Abraham reports that the Yankees will honor Scooter, tonight and for the rest of the season:

The Yankees will wear No. 10 on the left sleeves of their uniforms for the rest of the season in honor of Phil Rizzuto.

There will be a moment of silence before the game today and the flags at the stadium are flying at half-staff. Flowers have been placed in Monument Park at his retired number.

The colors will be presented by an honor guard from Montclair, N.J.

“There’s something about the tradition and pride that goes with wearing this uniform and he played a big part in it,” Ron Guidry said.

Said Derek Jeter: “I’ll never forgget how nice he was to me when I first came up. That really stuck out how he took the time to talk to me and make me feel part of everything. He was always a positive person.”

There were giants on the Earth once. DiMaggio, Mantle, Gehrig, Ruth, and now Rizzuto. Yogi Berra is one of the last great ones left.