Phil Rizzuto
| Birthdate | 9/25/1917 |
| Death Date | 8/13/2007 |
| Debut Year | 1941 |
| Year of Induction | 1994 |
| Teams | Yankees |
| Position | Shortstop |
Phil Rizzuto played 13 years for the Yankees; during that time the team won ten AL pennants and eight World Series championships.
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In his rookie year Phil Rizzuto hit .307 and received support in MVP balloting
In his rookie year Phil Rizzuto hit .307 and received support in MVP balloting
This undated letter offers outstanding content and is signed by Phil Rizzuto at the bottom. Among the highlights, “My rookie season was quite memorable as I batted .307 and Joe DiMaggio hit in 56 consecutive games. We then went on to beat the Dodgers in the World Series four games to one, Holy Cow!”.
For his efforts, Rizzuto received support in balloting for the league’s Most Valuable Player Award.
Rizzuto’s first year in the big leagues was a dream. In addition to his .307 average, Rizzuto helped the Yanks capture the American League pennant. In the World Series they defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers four-games-to-one.
Phil Rizzuto's career year came in 1950 when he was the AL Most Valuable Player
Phil Rizzuto's career year came in 1950 when he was the AL Most Valuable Player
In 13 big league seasons Phil Rizzuto hit .273. He hit .300 or better just twice, his rookie season and in 1950. The league MVP in 1950, Scooter established career highs in multiple offensive categories. His 200 hits, 125 runs, .324 average, 7 homers, and 66 RBI were all career-best numbers.
This offering from Bowman features Phil Rizzuto in a fielder’s stance, ready to gobble up a ground ball. Just below his signature, Rizzuto has added the inscription, “MVP 1950”.
Rizzuto's broadcast partner Bill White urged the Veterans Committee to elect the Yankee shortstop
Rizzuto's broadcast partner Bill White urged the Veterans Committee to elect the Yankee shortstop
For decades Phil Rizzuto was at the center of a heated Hall of Fame debate. As shortstop for 9 pennant-winning teams and 7 World Series champions, Rizzuto was seen as Cooperstown-worthy by many.
Dodger captain and fellow shortstop Pee Wee Reese earned induction in 1984. During their careers, Scooter’s teams bested Reese’s in five of six of their October meetings. Rizzuto’s supporters reasoned that Reese’s induction necessarily meant Rizzuto himself was Hall-worthy.
Veterans Committee voters saw a more complicated case. Rizzuto’s career numbers of 1,558 hits, 38 homers, 563 RBI and .273 lifetime average seem well short of Cooperstown.
Bill White was Rizzuto’s partner in the Yankee broadcast booth from 1971-1988 before taking the presidency of the NL. As the NL chief, White served as a voting member of the Veterans Committee in 1994. White, along with Rizzuto teammate Yogi Berra and the Dodgers’ Reese each had votes. Together they successfully pushed voters to elect Rizzuto.
Shown here is a letter signed by White sent to teammate and Hall of Famer Stan Musial. White signed the letter shortly after ascending to the NL presidency.
