Yankees' Rizzuto dies at 89

NEW YORK — Phil Rizzuto, the Hall of Fame shortstop during the Yankees' dynasty years and beloved by a generation of fans who delighted in hearing him exclaim "Holy cow!" as a broadcaster, has died. He was 89.

Rizzuto had pneumonia and died in his sleep late Monday night, daughter Patricia Rizzuto said Tuesday. He had been in declining health for several years and was living at a nursing home in West Orange, N.J.

Known as "The Scooter," Rizzuto was the oldest living Hall of Famer. He played for the Yankees throughout the 1940s and '50s, won seven World Series titles, was an AL MVP and played in five All-Star games.

Rizzuto later announced Yankees games for four decades and his No. 10 was retired by baseball's most storied team.

"I guess heaven must have needed a shortstop," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. "He epitomized the Yankee spirit — gritty and hard charging — and he wore the pinstripes proudly."

At 5-foot-6, Rizzuto was a flashy player who could always be counted on for a perfect bunt, a nice slide or a diving catch in a lineup better known for its cornerstone sluggers. He played 13 seasons alongside the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle in a career interrupted by Navy service in World War II.

"Phil was a gem, one of the greatest people I ever knew — a dear friend and great teammate," said Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, who frequently visited Rizzuto in his later years.

"When I first came up to the Yankees, he was like a big — actually, small — brother to me. He's meant an awful lot to baseball and the Yankees and has left us with a lot of wonderful memories," he said.

Rizzuto was equipped with a productive bat, sure hands and quick feet that earned him his nickname and a mention on his Hall plaque that he "overcame diminutive size."

A leadoff man, he was a superb bunter, used to good advantage by the Yankees teams that won 11 pennants and nine World Series between 1941 and 1956.

"He was a Yankee all the way," Indians Hall of Famer Bob Feller said.

"Phil could hit, he could run, he was good on the basepaths and he was a great shortstop. He knew the fundamentals of the game and he got 100 percent out of his ability. He played it hard and he played it fair," he said.