Phil Rizzuto is a baseball legend from New York. At the very start of his journey to baseball fame, Rizzuto was repeatedly told that he was not suitable for the game because of his small height. Still, these words did not stop Rizzuto. He wanted to play baseball. Due to his perseverance and diligent training, he rose to the very top in it. Read more on i-new-york.com.
The story of a legendary baseball player
Phil Rizzuto was born in 1917 in New York in a family of Italian origin. An interesting fact is that Phil’s real name is Fiero. When the future basketball player grew up, he preferred to be called Phil, since this name was more like an American one.
Baseball appeared very early in Rizzuto’s life. He liked this sport and wanted to develop professionally in it. However, two problems blocked the way to professional development in baseball. The first one was his small stature. Most baseball teams had to reject him because of it. The second problem concerned his family. In particular, Rizzuto’s father believed that playing baseball was a waste of time and that it was definitely not worth connecting your life with. Rizzuto’s father wanted him to follow his path and become an ordinary worker.
Nevertheless, Rizzuto’s great desire to play baseball and become a professional player was supported by his mother. In the end, the father had to approve of his son’s choice.
From amateur baseball to the professional league
Rizzuto began to play baseball at Richmond Hill High School. Although he was short in stature, he showed high abilities. After that, he was accepted into a semi-professional baseball team, where he played under a pseudonym.
In 1937, Rizzuto signed his first contract with the New York Yankees team. He received many awards. He played his first major league game in 1941. Rizzuto showed a clear example that anyone can be successful in baseball. The main thing is to have the desire while small stature and leanness are not an obstacle.
In 1943, World War II interrupted Rizzuto’s successful baseball career. Like many other athletes, he was forced to serve there. He spent three years in the army. After being demobilized, Rizzuto returned to baseball. In particular, he received an offer from the Mexican Baseball League. It lured many players from the major league and offered large sums for a five-year contract. For this, a lawsuit was filed against this league, which prohibited the luring of players.
From 1946, Rizzuto continued to actively develop his baseball career. He became the most valuable player for his team in 1950 and won many awards. He even set several World Series records in various categories. Some of these records cannot be broken by professional players of the 21st century.
Rizzuto was someone who was constantly pointed out for his short stature and told that he would never make it in baseball. But he proved otherwise, becoming one of baseball’s most legendary players. He played in five All-Star Games and nine World Series for one of the most superb teams of all time.
At the age of 39, when Rizzuto’s baseball career was over, he began a new one as a television host. He held this position for 40 years. Rizzuto also achieved great success here thanks to his special speaking style.
Rizzuto was also engaged in charity work. His name was inscribed into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The life of the legendary baseball player ended in his 89th year. He died in a nursing home where he had been suffering from health problems for a long time.
