Holy Cow

[filkertom]

One of the classic acts of baseball has left us. Phil Rizzuto, five-time All-Star shortstop for the New York Yankees and legendary broadcaster, has passed away at the age of 89.

In his honor, let's [a] recall our favorite baseball calls -- mine would be Ernie Harwell's "Let's listen to the bedlam, here at Tiger Stadium!" when the Tigers won the pennant in 1968 -- and [b] cue up Meat Loaf's "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" (see, you do know what he sounds like).

Comments

[lukeski.livejournal.com]

Haray Carey singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during every Cubs seventh inning stretch.

"All right! Lemmie hear ya! A-one! A-two! A-three!..."

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

I learned to sing that song one syllable off. It is strange and makes people uncomfortable -- in an amusing way.

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

I learned it TWO syllables off- Even moreso.

[jss]

There's a comedy recording somewhere — I think I first heard it on Dr. Demento — of a comedic troupe singing it with the audience, and finishing an entire line before the audience:

Take me out to the ball game, Take me out to the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker-Jack. I don't care if I ever get back. For it's root root root for the home team, If they don't win it's a shame. For it's one, two, three strikes you're out At the old ball game!

Take me out to the ball game, take me Out to the crowd. Buy me Some peanuts and Cracker-Jack. I don't care If I ever get back, for it's root root root For the home team, if they don't Win it's a shame. For it's one, Two, three strikes you're out at the old ball game! end

Boy, I hope I balanced those tags right...

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

There are people out here on the left coast that only knew him as a TV pitchman for "The Money Store" house financing company. Sigh.

I don't have a special favorite baseball call, but you know someone's gonna say "annnnnnnd he's gone!"

[emiofbrie.livejournal.com]

Add me to the list of people who remember him as a "Money Store" pitchman....

[eruvanna.livejournal.com]

This'll teach me to read the comments first :)

[poltr1]

Marty Brenneman saying "This one belongs to the Reds!" after they win a ball game. (Which hasn't happened recently. :( )

I should have some favorite Joe Nuxhall quotes, but I'm coming up empty.

[aylinn.livejournal.com]

I have to say it -

Holy Cow.

*doffs hat & bows head*

I'll miss him.

[gavroche42.livejournal.com]

Jack Buck: Go Crazy, Folks, Go Crazy! (with Ozzie Smith's game winning homerun clinching the 1985 National League pennant.) Of course, part of the wonder of that moment was no one was expecting a homerun from Ozzie.

[kshandra]

Duane Kuiper's signature home-run call: "He hits it high...he hits it deep...this one is OUTTA HERE!!!!!!"

[sazettel.livejournal.com]

Heard Mr. Harwell doing a guest appearance during the playoffs last year.

"And he goes down for excessive windowshopping. He looked at one too many."

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

Harry Carey: It might be, it could be, it is...

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

No call in particular, save of course, Scooter's.

But between him, and across town, Lindsey (Nelson), Bob (Murphy), and Ralph (Kiner), I am pleased to say I grew up on some of the FINEST baseball announcers ever.

[sdelmonte]

Don't forget Frank Messer. And while he was not on baseball, Marv Albert overlaps with that generation, given how long he's been around.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Marv was definitely right up there, though, as you say, he was the voice of the Garden (the Knicks and the *ugh* Rangers). There's another case of a man who was railroaded.

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

Holy cow is right.

[devospice.livejournal.com]

I just loved when the Yankees presented him with a "holy cow" one day. :)

[ladystarblade.livejournal.com]

Of course, any of Harry's calls...my favorite was whenever the Cubs pulled one out of the hat..."Cubs win! Cubs win! Holy cow, the Cubs win!" Ah Harry, it's never been the same since.

And Bob Uecker had plenty of gems, though his work in Major League had me on the floor. "One hit? That's it? One goddamn hit?"

[katster.livejournal.com]

Baseball calls? I'm a Giants fan, I'm still partial to Russ Hodges' call of Bobby Thomson's home run. "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"

But my all time favorite sports call ever is Joe Starkey (the radio voice of Cal football) trying to call the madness that was The Play (http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/college_football/20021118-9999_1s18play_transcript.html).

-kat

[madmanotl.livejournal.com]

I know way too many to select one favorite.

How about that?

[eruvanna.livejournal.com]

He also used to do TV Advertisements for "The Money Store" The opening line was always "This is Phil Rizzuto for the Money Store"

[jss]

I always liked "...stood there like a house at the side of the road and watched that one go by" on the called third strike.

Um, er, I mean, "Favorite baseball calls? Does 'touchdown!' count?"

Russ Hodges at the mike on WMCA-AM

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Bobby Thomson up there swinging... He's had two out of three, a single and a double, and Billy Cox is playing him right on the third-base line. One out, last of the ninth. Branca pitches, Bobby Thomson takes a strike called on the inside corner. Bobby hitting at .292, he's had a single and a double and he drove in the Giants' first run with a long fly to center. Brooklyn leads it 4-2. Hartung down the line at third not taking any chances, Lockman without too big of a lead at second, but he'll be running like the wind if Thomson hits one. Branca throws...
CRACK
There's a long drive, it's gonna be, I believe...THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! Bobby Thomson hits into the lower deck of the left-field stands! The Giants win the pennant and they're going crazy, they're going crazy! Ohhhhh-oh!!!

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

I grew up in North Jersey, listening to Scooter and Messer and Bill White on WMCA -- and also to Nelson, Murphy and Kiner doing the Mets on WJRZ or WHN.

My favorite call is from the 1976 ALCS, from Scooter himself at Yankee Stadium. Game Five, the deciding game, series tied 2-2 between the Yankees and Royals. Game tied at six each. Chris Chambliss steps to the plate to lead off the inning, but has to wait as unruly fans throw bottles, cans, and TP rolls onto the field and the grounds crew has to go clean it up. At last the game is back on, and Mark Littell starts -- and ends -- the inning with a high inside fastball...

"He hits one deep to right-center! That ball is out of here! The Yankees win the pennant! Holy cow, Chris Chambliss on one swing! And the Yankees win the pennant. Unbelievable, what a finish! As dramatic a finish as you'd ever want to see! And this field will never be the same" [the fans were tearing it up for souvenirs] "but the Yankees have won it in the bottom of the ninth, 7 to 6!"

Thanks, Scooter, and Godspeed.