Phil Rizzuto, baseball player, 1941-1956

Phil Rizzuto

⭐ Hall of Fame 1994

Born: 9/25/1917 in Brooklyn, NY, USA

Died: 8/13/2007 in West Orange, NJ, USA

MLB Debut: 1941-04-14 | Final Game: 1956-08-16

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'6" | Weight: 150 lbs

Full name: Philip Francis Rizzuto

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Biography

Phil Rizzuto, born in 1917, was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1941 to 1956. Known for his exceptional defensive skills and agility, Rizzuto played primarily as a shortstop for the New York Yankees during one of the most successful periods in the team's history. He appeared in 1,661 games, amassing 1,588 hits, 38 home runs, and 563 RBIs, while maintaining a commendable batting average of .273. Rizzuto was also a base-stealing threat, successfully swiping 149 bases throughout his career. His contributions to the Yankees helped secure multiple championships during the 1940s and 1950s, solidifying his reputation as a key player in the team’s legacy. Rizzuto's prowess on the field earned him five All-Star selections and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994, recognizing his impact on the game and his exemplary performance throughout his career. Beyond his statistics, Rizzuto was admired for his leadership, sportsmanship, and ability to perform in critical moments, making him a beloved figure in baseball history. His legacy continues to resonate, particularly in the context of the Yankees’ storied franchise, as he remains a symbol of the team’s dominance during the mid-20th century.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
64.0 53.0 10.0 12.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 10.0 1.0 0 0.226 0.349 0.283 0.632

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1946 64.0 53.0 10.0 12.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 10.0 1.0 0 0.226 0.349 0.283 0.632

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1661 5816 877 1588 239 62 38 563 149 651 398 0.273 0.351 0.355 0.706 -72.2

Career AVG .273 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .351 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .355 vs. league average .380 across their career seasons — 6.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.706 vs. league average 0.715 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1941 NYY AL 133 515 65 158 20 9 3 46 14 27 36 0.307 .262 (+17%) .332 (+3%) .373 (+7%) .705 (+5%) 371.4
1942 NYY AL 144 553 79 157 24 7 4 68 22 44 40 0.284 .253 (+12%) .323 (+6%) .349 (+7%) .672 (+7%) 680.0
1946 NYY AL 126 471 53 121 17 1 2 38 14 34 39 0.257 .256 (avg) .328 (-4%) .358 (-14%) .687 (-9%) -782.1
1947 NYY AL 153 549 78 150 26 9 2 60 11 57 31 0.273 .262 (+4%) .336 (+4%) .376 (-3%) .712 (avg) 77.7
1948 NYY AL 128 464 65 117 13 2 6 50 6 60 24 0.252 .263 (-4%) .340 (avg) .379 (-14%) .719 (-7%) -527.9
1949 NYY AL 153 614 110 169 22 7 5 65 18 72 34 0.275 .262 (+5%) .343 (+3%) .384 (-7%) .727 (-2%) -238.4
1950 NYY AL 155 617 125 200 36 7 7 66 12 92 39 0.324 .265 (+22%) .346 (+21%) .401 (+9%) .747 (+15%) 2244.1
1951 NYY AL 144 540 87 148 21 6 2 43 18 58 27 0.274 .260 (+5%) .336 (+4%) .385 (-10%) .721 (-4%) -291.0
1952 NYY AL 152 578 89 147 24 10 2 43 17 67 42 0.254 .252 (+1%) .326 (+3%) .369 (-8%) .696 (-3%) -232.4
1953 NYY AL 134 413 54 112 21 3 2 54 4 71 39 0.271 .264 (+3%) .335 (+14%) .397 (-12%) .733 (avg) 309.3
1954 NYY AL 127 307 47 60 11 0 2 15 3 41 23 0.195 .261 (-25%) .333 (-13%) .390 (-36%) .723 (-25%) -1457.0
1955 NYY AL 81 143 19 37 4 1 1 9 7 22 18 0.259 .258 (avg) .332 (+11%) .393 (-18%) .726 (-5%) -21.8
1956 NYY AL 31 52 6 12 0 0 0 6 3 6 6 0.231 .258 (-11%) .331 (-6%) .397 (-42%) .728 (-26%) -204.1

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
52 183 21 45 3 0 2 8 30 11 0.246

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1955 WS NYA 7 15 2 4 0 0 0 1 5 1 0.267
1953 WS NYA 6 19 4 6 1 0 0 0 3 2 0.316
1952 WS NYA 7 27 2 4 1 0 0 0 5 2 0.148
1951 WS NYA 6 25 5 8 0 0 1 3 2 3 0.320
1950 WS NYA 4 14 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 0.143
1949 WS NYA 5 18 2 3 0 0 0 1 3 1 0.167
1947 WS NYA 7 26 3 8 1 0 0 2 4 0 0.308
1942 WS NYA 5 21 2 8 0 0 1 1 2 1 0.381
1941 WS NYA 5 18 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 1 0.111

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 2 0 1 0 0 0
SS 1647 155 3219 4666 263 1217

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1941 NYA SS 128 0 252 399 29 109
1942 NYA SS 144 0 324 445 30 114
1946 NYA SS 125 0 267 378 26 97
1947 NYA SS 151 0 340 450 25 111
1948 NYA SS 128 0 259 348 17 85
1949 NYA SS 152 0 329 440 23 118
1950 NYA SS 155 0 301 452 14 123
1951 NYA SS 144 0 317 407 24 113
1952 NYA SS 152 0 308 458 19 116
1953 NYA SS 133 0 214 409 24 100
1954 NYA 2B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1954 NYA SS 126 97 184 294 16 84
1955 NYA 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1955 NYA SS 79 43 93 132 10 30
1956 NYA SS 30 15 31 54 6 17

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 3
Shortstop 1646

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1952 TSN All-Star SS
1951 Babe Ruth Award SS
1951 TSN All-Star SS
1950 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1950 Baseball Magazine All-Star SS
1950 Most Valuable Player
1950 TSN All-Star SS
1950 TSN Major League Player of the Year
1950 TSN Player of the Year
1949 TSN All-Star SS

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1953 Most Valuable Player AL 6th 76.0 336 0
1952 Most Valuable Player AL 14th 33.0 336 0
1951 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 47.0 336 1
1950 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 284.0 336 16
1949 Most Valuable Player AL 2nd 175.0 336 5
1948 Most Valuable Player AL 33th 1.0 336 0
1942 Most Valuable Player AL 19th 9.0 336 0
1941 Most Valuable Player AL 20th 7.0 336 0