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| PR's Death, and Other Markings Of Time | |
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pidunk 07:51 pm UTC 08/14/07 |
| In reply to: | Phil's Obit from MLB.com (w/ song mention) - Jacqueline 07:25 pm UTC 08/14/07 |
I am so saddened by the loss of Phil Rizzuto, an icon, a legend, and a great presence without whom the culture of baseball will never be the same, and without whom "Paradise" takes on a different patina......and the timing could not have had a greater punctuation on my own life......on my birthday. I am 51 today. Today is also the one year anniversary of the release online here of The Catwoman Song, and of Still The Children as per Jim's blog, as well as the opening of the streaming files on myspace for The Dream Engine, of their rendition of Still The Children, and I think also Nowhere Fast. What else did they put up there then? It is also the date anniversary, I think of the London movie opening of Rocky Horror Picture Show but if I'm not correct it is just something I read someplace a long time ago and did not verify the information since. It is six months after the show I saw in 1979 when Jim performed with Meat at Monmouth College in New Jersey on Valentine's Day that year. And it is all-around a pretty decent day of the year, except that Phil Rizzuto died. Rest In Peace, Phil. Holy Cow, You made it to Heaven. > Rizzuto's career filled with spirit > 08/14/2007 11:50 AM ET > By Mike Bauman > > Phil Rizzuto represented the triumph of the spirit in > baseball. > > He was the little Scooter who could. He was only 5-foot-6, > but he became a fixture at shortstop on some of the > greatest New York Yankees teams of all time. He became a > Most Valuable Player in 1950, and eventually, a Hall of > Famer. > > His death saddens everyone who ever knew of his career. > But that career will remain as a reminder of what could be > accomplished through determination and relentless hustle. > > He was not a promising physical specimen. Rizzuto > described himself, by saying, "I'm short all over, but my > legs are very short." One of his classic recollections was > of a tryout with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937. As Rizzuto > told it, then Dodgers manager Casey Stengel "took one look > and me and ... he said, 'Listen, kid, you better go and > get yourself a shoeshine box. That is the only way you'll > make a living.' " > > In the height of irony, Stengel was the manager of the > Yankees when Rizzuto's career was at its peak. > > Rizzuto was a superlative defensive shortstop and that, > combined with an exceptional offensive year in 1950 (.324 > average, 125 runs, 36 doubles), won him the MVP. While he > was obviously not going to hit for considerable power, his > ability to make consistent contact and his wonderful touch > on bunts kept him batting at or near the top of the order > for years. > > He was an integral part of the Yankees' success, playing > on nine World Series teams, seven World Series champions, > from 1941 until 1955, with three seasons spent in the > military during World War II. > > He was an indispensable part of Yankee teams that > dominated an entire era. That sort of thing says more > about his worth as a player than any number can. He played > with style and effervescence and joy, but he was also a > winner. > > As a popular player and a Brooklyn native, Rizzuto was > ideally placed to continue with the Yankees in the > broadcast booth after his playing career ended. He was not > exactly Vin Scully in the booth, but he was spirited. > Everyone who has spent more than 10 minutes with baseball > has heard a recording in which Phil Rizzuto shouts "Holy > cow!" on the occasion of an exceptional play. > > Phil Rizzuto: Sept. 25, 1917 - Aug. 14, 2007 > > He was so big as a broadcaster that he went, although > unintentionally, cross-cultural. Rizzuto was featured on > Meat Loaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" epic. > Although Rizzuto had no idea of the song's salacious > subject matter when he recorded his portion of it, and the > whole episode eventually embarrassed him, his appearance > on that hit record was a type of a tribute to his > standing. When the rocker wanted a baseball broadcaster to > perform on his song, he went to one of the genre's most > recognizable voices and styles. > > In the end, Phil Rizzuto will be remembered, especially by > Yankees fans -- but also by all baseball fans -- as > someone who embodied the qualities of will and > perseverance, and someone who played and broadcast the > game with a pure, unvarnished joy. > > The little guy who was supposed to earn a living with a > shoeshine box instead became a Yankees fixture, a Yankees > legend, and a Hall of Famer. He went from unlikely to > stardom in a truly singular career. Phil Rizzuto will > always be part of the game. > > > Fresh from CNN's sports page... > > > > > > http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/08/14/phil.rizzuto/index.html?cnn=yes > > > > :( | |
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