Tuesday, August 14, 2007

PHIL RIZZUTO, 89

Holy cow, he's not gonna make it. The former N.Y. Yankees shortshop and broadcaster died Tuesday in a New Jersey nursing home.

Best known by some for his star turn on "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," from Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album.

No more praying for the end of time.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

R.I.P., Scooter.

To be fair, while Rizzuto's use of "Holy Cow" became one of his trademarks as an announcer, it was Harry Caray who actually introduced the phrase to baseball broadcasting. Caray's field of speech was full of "Holy Cows" long before Rizzuto ever became a broadcaster. The two men had a gentle feud about "ownership" of the phrase throughout their years behind the mike, and Rizzuto himself acknowledged that Caray was the one who brought it to popular use. Rizzuto was overcredited as being its primary promoter largely because he called games for a team in a larger city.

As another late, great baseball man once said, "You could look it up."

Busplunge said...

Holy cow, I think he's going to make it!

RIP phil

Anonymous said...

I was never a Yankees fan but I always enjoyed listening to Rizzuto call games.

Anonymous said...

Great ballplayer, but damn his name was hard to spell...

Desdinova said...

I was not a baseball fan, but I love "Paradise By the Dashboard Light." It was long ago and far away and it is so much better than it is today.

Busplunge said...

Ok, here we go, we got a real pressure cooker
going here, two down, nobody on, no score,
bottom of the ninth, there's the wind-up and
there it is, a line shot up the middle, look
at him go. This boy can really fly!
He's rounding first and really turning it on
now, he's not letting up at all, he's gonna
try for second; the ball is bobbled out in center,
and here comes the throw, and what a throw!
He's gonna slide in head first, here he comes, he's out!
No, wait, safe--safe at second base, this kid really
makes things happen out there.
Batter steps up to the plate, here's the pitch--
he's going, and what a jump he's got, he's trying
for third, here's the throw, it's in the dirt--
safe at third! Holy cow, stolen base!
He's taking a pretty big lead out there, almost
daring him to try and pick him off. The pitcher
glance over, winds up, and it's bunted, bunted
down the third base line, the suicide squeeze in on!
Here he comes, squeeze play, it's gonna be close,
here's the throw, there's the play at the plate,
holy cow, I think he's gonna make it!

Desdinova said...

STOP RIGHT THERE!!! I got to know right now, before we go any further...does anyone remember the Seinfield where George had the talking Phil Rizzuto keychain?

Anonymous said...

I've been out of town for a few ... and missed so many deaths!!! Merv Griffin? Brooke Astor? Yone Minagawa, Phil Rizzuto and Tommy Thompson? Dang.