[Archive]

Posted By: Jon Canfield

As a teenager, I was lucky enough to work with an agent/promoter that had many baseball players over the years appear at various shows and endorsements. My father also conducted private (and some public) signings for a while as a side hobby. During that time, I met Mr. Rizzuto probably 15-20 times. I have many many great memories of "working" with him but my all-time favorite comes from 1996 in Cooperstown. My father had a reunion of the 1956 Yankees and we had probably 15 or so former members of the team signing at the old J.J. Newberry's basement including Phil, Yogi and Whitey. I had this book in my collection written for kids in the early 1950's that contained an in-action drawing of an outstanding baseball star from each position, as well as keys to success. Both Yogi and Phil were in the book (Yogi for catching and Phil for bunting). Over the years, as I met one of the 25 or so players in the book, I had them sign their page in blue ballpoint pen. Well, Yogi was sitting next to me at the autograph table on one side, and Phil on my other side. I first asked Yogi to sign the book but I had a request for him that I was sure was going to go unanswered... in the book, his caption called him Larry 'Yogi" Berra so I asked Yogi if he would sign the page Larry "Yogi" Berra. Yogi, to my surprise, was very happy to sign the page as such (even though I had heard he does not ever like to sign Larry Berra and refuses it.) Well, after Berra signed the book, I turned to Phil and asked Phil to sign his page. Phil asked me how I would like him to sign it and I asked him to sign "Phil Rizzuto" as what was written on the page. Phil flatly refused to sign as such, telling me with a smile that it was unfair if Yogi got to write Larry "Yogi" Berra, he should be allowed to sign Phillip Francis Rizzuto. Needless to say, my book was signed Phillip Francis Rizzuto, both to my satisfaction, and Phil's. Truly a classy guy that I will remember.