Among the most popular figures in Yankee history,
Phil Rizzuto was the starting shortstop on seven World Series-winning squads,
including the teams that won five in a row from 1949 through 1953. Nicknamed
“Scooter” for the way he ran the bases, his skills went into decline in the
mid-1950s. He called it quits as a player in 1956 then spent 40 years as a
radio and TV broadcaster. He became famous for his trademark expression, “Holy
cow!” Rizzuto—who stood just 5-foot-6—was a hypochondriac with a number of
phobias, including a fear of lightning, snakes, spiders and assorted insects.
This made him a prime target for practical jokes. Good-natured almost to a
fault, he never held any grudges and rarely if ever lost his temper.
Though many players in Rizzuto’s day left
their gloves on the field between innings, Rizzuto started carrying his back to
the dugout and guarding it closely when teammates—particularly Johnny
Lindell—began stuffing worms inside of it. Whitey Ford once hung a dead
mouse over Rizzuto’s steering wheel and Mantle allegedly stuck a firecracker
under the hood. Even when Charlie Keller stuffed “Scooter” in his locker one
day and shut the door, the unflappable infielder was able to laugh it off.
“That [was] Phil,” Mantle said. “A beautiful guy—not a bad bone in his body.
Always trusting and so gullible it made him a pushover for all the pranks we
used to play on him.”
During
a 1952 road trip, Mantle sat next to Rizzuto on a train bound for Cleveland and
initiated an in-depth discussion about snakes. As Rizzuto literally began to
squirm in his seat, Mantle laid it on thick, knowing that his teammate had
grown up in New York City and knew very little about country life. “I owned
one,” he said. “...pulled out his fangs with my fingers and trained him as a
house pet. Cute little bugger.”
Rizzuto
had heard enough at that point. “Please, Mickey,” he pleaded. “What are you trying
to do, make me blow the pennant?”
Mantle
continued to play jokes on “Scooter” long after his retirement. On July 11,
1992, the Yankees held their 46th annual Old Timers’ Day celebration. In
addition to Mantle, the event included appearances from Joe DiMaggio, Whitey
Ford, Hank Bauer, and Allie Reynolds. Rizzuto, who had retired from his
broadcasting job by then, was working as a special correspondent. He was
wandering the dugout talking to senior Yankee alumni when Mantle called him
over. Rizzuto notified Tom Seaver in the broadcast booth that he was going to
engage with his former teammate.
“How
you doing, Mick?” Rizzuto said.
“...That
thing on?” Mantle asked, tapping Scooter’s mic.
“Sure
is,” Rizzuto confirmed.
Mantle issued a prolific stream of profanity, leaving Rizzuto absolutely flabbergasted.
“Mary Mother of God!” the Hall of Fame shortstop stammered, covering the mic with
his hand and beating a hasty retreat.
“Holy Cow, Mick!”
Players
within earshot burst into fits of laughter.
If you enjoyed this excerpt, you might consider picking up a copy of The Legend of the Mick, which is set for release on March 1 through The Lyons Press.
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