Phil Rizzuto (1994)


Date of Birth: 9/25/1917
Date of Death: 8/13/2007
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York

Phil Rizzuto played both baseball and football in high school. He signed with the New York Yankees in 1937.

New York Yankees

Rizzuto played in the minor leagues from 1937 through 1940. In his last year in the minors, he was named the Minor League Player of the Year.

Rizzuto joined the Yankees in 1941. He batted .307 with 158 hits, 20 doubles, and 14 stolen bases in 133 games. The following year, he had career highs in RBIs and stolen bases. He finished the 1942 season with 157 hits, 24 doubles, 68 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, 40 strikeouts to 44 walks, and a .284 batting average in 144 games.

In 1943, Rizzuto joined the United States Navy and he served in World War II through 1945. He returned to the Yankees in 1946, playing in 126 games with them that season. He had 121 hits, 17 doubles, 38 RBIs, and a .257 batting average.

Rizzuto played in 153 games in 1947, and he batted .273 with 150 hits, 26 doubles, 60 RBIs, and 31 strikeouts to 57 walks. The next year, he played in just 128 games. He finished the 1948 season with 117 hits, 50 RBIs, and a .252 batting average. He played a full season again in 1949, when he batted .275 in 153 games. He had 169 hits, 22 doubles, 65 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases.

In 1950, Rizzuto won the AL MVP award and the Sporting News Player of the Year award. He had career highs in games played, hits, doubles, walks, and batting average. He batted .324 with 200 hits, 36 doubles, 66 RBIs, and 39 strikeouts to 92 walks in 155 games.

Rizzuto had an average regular season in 1951, but he excelled in the postseason. His regular season statistics include 148 hits, 43 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, and a .274 batting average in 144 games. He was awarded the Babe Ruth award for his postseason numbers: 8 hits, 1 home run, 3 RBIs, and a .320 batting average in 25 at-bats in 6 games.

Rizzuto had a career high in triples in 1952. He finished the season with 147 hits, 24 doubles, 10 triples, 43 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, and a .254 batting average in 152 games. His batting average rose to .271 in 1953, when he had 112 hits, 21 doubles, and 54 RBIs in 134 games.

Rizzuto struggled in 1954, batting just .194 in 127 games. The following season, he played in only 81 games and he had 37 hits and a .259 batting average.

Rizzuto played with the Yankees until they released him on August 25, 1956. He played in just 31 games that year.

Awards

  • AL MVP in 1950
  • Sporting News Player of the Year in 1950
  • Babe Ruth award in 1951

Career Statistics

Career batting statistics for Rizzuto include:

  • 1,661 games played
  • 1,588 hits
  • 239 doubles
  • 149 stolen bases
  • .273 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Rizzuto as a shortstop include:

  • 1,647 games played
  • 4,666 assists
  • 1,217 double plays
  • 3,219 putouts
  • 263 errors
  • .968 fielding percentage

Career postseason statistics for Rizzuto include:

  • 52 games played
  • 183 at-bats
  • 45 hits
  • 3 doubles
  • 2 home runs
  • 10 stolen bases
  • 8 RBIs
  • 11 strikeouts to 30 walks
  • .246 batting average

Post Playing Career

Rizzuto had a long and successful second career as a baseball broadcaster for the New York Yankees, starting in 1957. He worked on radio and TV for 40 years.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Phil Rizzuto
ESPN - Phil Rizzuto
Baseball Reference - Phil Rizzuto

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