Phil Rizzuto

]

On September 12 2006, the "New York Post" revealed that Rizzuto was currently in a "private rehab facility, trying to overcome muscle atrophy and problems with his esophagus." During his last extensive interview, on WFAN in late 2005, Rizzuto revealed that he had an operation where much of his stomach was removed and that he was being treated with medical steroids, a subject he joked about at the time in light of baseball's performance-enhancing drugs scandal. At the time of his death, Rizzuto was the oldest living member of Baseball's Hall of Fame, at 89.

Rizzuto is survived by his wife, Cora, daughters Cindy Rizzuto, Patricia Rizzuto and Penny Rizzuto Yetto, son Phil Rizzuto Jr., and two granddaughters. [ [http://www.1010wins.com/pages/807187.php?contentType=4&contentId=796642 1010 WINS - On-Air, Online, On Demand - Yankees Great Phil Rizzuto Dies at 89 ] ]

Rizzuto in popular culture

*In a scene from the 1995 movie "Billy Madison", Adam Sandler's character Billy is showing off his cursive writing to the third graders when his teacher asks him to spell "Rizzuto." Not knowing how to write Z's, he writes "Rirruto" :Veronica Vaughn: Rirruto? :Billy Madison: Those're Z's. :Veronica Vaughn: They look like R's to me. :Billy Madison: That's not fair, Rizzuto is not a word, he's a baseball player, you're CHEATING!
*The "Seinfeld" episode "The Pothole" features a Phil Rizzuto key chain that says "Holy Cow!" whenever its head is squeezed. George, who received one as a Yankees employee, promptly loses it, and it is sealed under asphalt in a pothole. Kramer erroneously proclaims it a "talking Nixon."
* Phil Rizzuto's commentary is heard in "The Letter" episode of "Seinfeld" describing a struggle between Elaine Benes and security guards in the owner's box behind home plate at Yankee Stadium. Elaine refused to remove her Oriole hat and the stadium staff were trying to eject her.
*Pro wrestler and New York native Mick Foley wrote a baseball-themed novel entitled "Scooter" in which the main character Scooter Reilly is named after Rizzuto.
*In the opening scene of the 1989 movie "Sea of Love", Al Pacino plays a police detective who goes undercover as Phil Rizzuto. A "New York Yankees rally" is really an undercover sting operation for dozens of wanted felons who show up in response to an "invitation" to meet and greet their favorite Yankee players at a breakfast. Before the ruse is revealed, Pacino is serving orange juice while wearing a Yankees windbreaker. One of the felons asks Pacino when the Yankees are due to arrive, and Pacino responds with, "What...you don't recognize me?... Holy Cow!" The felon smiles broadly in recognition, saying, "Yeah, yeah...that IS you!"
*Rizzuto was played by Joe Grifasi in HBO's film "61*". In ESPN's film "The Bronx Is Burning", Grifasi played Yogi Berra, and while Rizzuto is not shown, some of his actual 1977 broadcasts are played.
*In the "Triple Play" episode of The Golden Girls, Sophia makes a reference to Phil Rizzuto. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0589863/]

ee also

References

External links

*bbhof|121257
*Baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=r/rizzuph01 |fangraphs=1011011 |cube=R/phil-rizzuto
* [http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/media/player/mp_tpl.jsp?w=http://mfile.akamai.com/31386/wmv/mlb.download.akamai.com/31386/open/members/rizzuto_p/hof_induction_speech_rizzuto_400.wmv&type=v_free&_mp=1 Full Hall of Fame video of Rizzuto's induction speech]
* [http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/audio/sports/20070814_RIZZUTO.mp3 Edited excerpts of Phil Rizzuto's broadcasting style, from a 1974 Yankees-Angels game]
*imdb name|id=0729956|name=Phil Rizzuto Retrieved on 2008-01-25

Persondata
NAME=Rizzuto, Philip Francis
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Rizzuto, Fiero Francis
SHORT DESCRIPTION=American baseball player
DATE OF BIRTH=September 25 1917 confirmed
PLACE OF BIRTH=Brooklyn, New York, United States
DATE OF DEATH=August 13 2007
PLACE OF DEATH=West Orange, New Jersey, United States