Scooter Tales

Having already shared some thoughts on Phil Rizzuto’s passing today, I thought that I would also share some of “my” favorite Scooter stories as well.

I never saw Rizzuto play – outside of old film clips and such. But, my father saw him play. And, whenever I think of Rizzuto “the player,” I go back to what my dad has told me on more than one occasion: “Your grandmother wasn’t much of a fan, but, she loved to watch Scooter run. She didn’t care whether it was a play where he was safe or out – as long as he was running. She got such a kick out of watching him ‘scoot.’ She used to get upset when he was walked – because it robbed her of a chance to watch him run.”

Any time my Dad’s story about his mother’s joy in watching Phil run would float into my head, in the background, I often would also start to hear those lines from “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” – …this kid really makes things happen out there. Makes me wish that I had the chance to watch Rizzuto play in real time.

Back in 1975, I remember listening to Phil Rizzuto and Bill White cover a game on the radio. I want to say it was the contest of September 28, 1975 – but, I’m not positive that was the game.

It’s late in the game and the Yankees are starting to rally. Rizzuto (over the air) says something like “You hear the fans going crazy now because Bobby Bonds has just come out to the on-deck circle to pinch-hit.” Just then, Bill White corrects him, offering something like “Scooter, that’s Rich Coggins. He wears #26. It’s not Bonds. He’s #25.”

At this point, Scooter says to White: “Well, you know, they all look alike to me.”

White laughed hard at what Phil said over the air and yelled “Anyone else says that, and they get a punch in the nose!”

That’s the love that Bill White and Phil Rizzuto had for each other. It didn’t matter that White was a generation younger than Rizzuto. It didn’t matter that White was a National League guy and that Rizzuto was an American League guy. It didn’t matter that White was college educated and Rizzuto was not. It didn’t matter that Bill was Black and Phil was White. Through the years, these two men became as close as two men could be – and it showed in their performance. That’s part of what made their broadcasts so special – getting a peek at their friendship.

These next two stories have nothing to do with Rizzuto as a player or a broadcaster – but, they have stuck with me through the recent years.

During the 1990′s, someone that I worked with accepted an off-shore assignment in Japan. After she left, there was some restacking of offices and someone else moved into her office – before her slated return to the States. Someone, perhaps the person that moved into her office, packed up her personal belongings that were in her office, stuffed them into Bankers Boxes, unlabeled, and stuck them in our central file room. When I was looking for something in the file room, months later, I accidentally opened one of those unlabeled boxes. When I saw some of the stuff inside, I then realized that it was “her stuff.” Included therein was a baseball autographed by Phil Rizzuto.

After I came across this box, I sent her an e-mail (over in Japan) to let her know that some of her things were put aside – including this ball. I asked her if she wanted me to put it in a safer place, etc.

She replied telling me not to worry about it – and that she would get the boxes when her off-shore assignment was over. She wrote that it was mostly junk – and that the ball didn’t mean anything to her. She said that she was at a corporate function once and Rizzuto was there signing balls – so, she got one like everyone else. But, to be honest, she wasn’t even sure who he was – except that he was a former baseball player. (She was not from New York, originally. And, she was not a sports fan. So, I can see how this could have happened.)

Now, she and I had a decent relationship. So, in the back of my mind, I planned on asking her, when she got back to New York, if I could have the ball – since it meant nothing to her. And, I mentioned this whole thing to no one – sans my boss, who, like the woman overseas, was not a sports fan. I’m not sure why I told my boss. It was probably just something I shared to fill a gap in time somewhere – since we didn’t usually have much to chit-chat about, outside of work stuff.

A week or two later, I thought “You know, just to keep that ball safe, I should make sure it’s in the bottom of the box – and then make sure that box is in the bottom of the stack. This way no one else will find it by accident, like I did, before she comes back.” And, off to the file room I went…only to find that box now missing one Phil Rizzuto autographed baseball.

Did my boss take it? It’s possible. She had pulled some stunts in the past. Did someone else find it and take it? Maybe, sure, after all, I found it by accident too. Every once in a while, I think about that little baseball and where it may be today. And, I wonder if the person who has it knows anything about the history behind it.

In any event, years later, my Dad and I went to Old-Timer’s Day at the Stadium. I want to say it was July 21, 2001. But, it could have been an Old-Timer’s Day in 2003 as well. Or, maybe it was 2002 or 2004? I’m not one-hundred percent sure – but, I’m pretty sure it was 2001.

It was early in the day and we were outside Yankee Stadium by the player’s entrance. It was somewhat crowded. All of a sudden, a limo pulls up and out pops Phil Rizzuto. There he was! The Scooter, in the flesh, was no more than six feet away from me – live, in-person. It was a thrill. I saw and listened to the man, through the media, for more than one-third of a century…but, that was in the electronic form only. Now, there he was – in flesh and blood. Everyone around gave Phil a big cheer. Scooter offered a Pope-wave back to all of us and went inside the Stadium. The whole thing lasted less than a minute. But, being that close, and in-person, to a legend – and it being a surprise encounter – made it a special moment for me. And, yes, he looked smaller in-person than I imagined that he would have looked. Much smaller.

Lastly, I have today’s Phil Rizzuto story – one that I probably will also remember for a while to come. It’s the story of how I learned about his passing.

At 12-noon (ET) today, I happened to turn on the television and flipped over to the YES Network channel. The cable info that appeared when I clicked over to channel 55 said “The White Shadow” – but, that’s not what I was seeing on the screen. In actuality, it was the opening moments of Phil Rizzuto’s Yankeeography. At that instant, I thought to myself “This is strange” – and my thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of my wife’s voice, calling to me, saying “You’re going to want to see this!”

You see, I was watching TV in the family room – and my wife was upstairs in the kitchen, getting lunch ready for the kids, with the 12 o’clock news (on ABC) showing on the kitchen television in the background. The news of Phil’s passing was breaking news and the lead story this afternoon.

When I got into the kitchen and saw what was on the TV, I just froze – and stood there – watching, listening, and feeling like I had been just punched in the stomach. The whole experience had a surreal feel to it. I was in a bit of a daze. But, I quickly, I thought “Let me get something out on WasWatching.com now – so that those who want to comment on it have a forum there. And, later, after I’ve had some time to digest the whole thing, I’ll follow up on it.”

And, that’s how I got to here. Noodling it for a while, I figured: What better way to pay homage to the Scooter, who was a master story-teller and entertainer, than to share some stories about him, ones that you probably have never heard before, since they were somewhat personal, to me, in nature – with the hope that they may entertain someone, somewhere, some way, in his honor, today?

If you have some personal Scooter tales/memories that you’d like to share, please do post them in the comments section below. I’d love to hear them. By the way, are we going down to Florida tonight?

Oh, what fun times those were…

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