The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-01-29
Phil Rizzut0 Voted No.
One Minor Lacquer
Last Year; Property
OF Yankees
By DILLON GRAHAM
srcrts Editor. APP Feature Servic


Srcrts Editor. APP Feature Service
GLENDALE, L. l., Jan. EFF
you think the greatest minor
league player in baseball is a big
strong guy, a lirpy, wisecracking
toughie, you're wrong.
He's little. Hes church-goer
and a YMCA boy. He has a
mouse-like modesty. He doesn't
drink or smoke and he hasn't
danced in years.
But Phil Rizzuto is no goddie-
goodie. He's a regular guy who
was brought up to think that a
fellow can have a lot of fun in his
own home without galavanting
around half the night.
You're going to hear lot about
Phil when spring training starts
down South. For the Yankees are
bringing him up to replace the
aging frankie Crosetti at short
stop. Phil has played short for
two years on the Yankees farm
club at Kansas City. In Sport
ing News poll he was voted the
No. / minor Lacquer of 1910.
He'll surprise you, he's so
small You just can't believe that
such a little fellow can be star.
Phil is just 5 feet 6 and has to
caiole the scales to get the needle
up to 100 pounds. But he was
the American associations third
best hitter with .347 average
(after leading the league for
eleven straight weeks and the
top base stealer with IS thefts.
Set Double Play Mark
And with Gerald Priddy-
who's also coming up to the YAM
KEGS and may force joe Gordon
to leave second base and go to
third-Phil set new "A. dou-
ble-plav record of 1873 Strum,
who'll challenge Babe Dahlgren,
was the first sacker in these twin
murders.
Phil has triangular torso, with
big shoulders-out of size for his
stature-tapering off to small
waist. In a darkish sort of way,
Rizzuto is handsome, with close
cropped. brown wavy hair and
biz brown eyes.
But his looks and success
haven't made him forget how to
blush.
A photographer asked him to
pose with "his girl" and Phil red
dened:
''Why", he suffered, as though
surprised that anyone should
think Of such thing, Il haven't
steady girl. That is, well, uh,
not here. There's a girl l like in
Kansas City.
The photographer suggested he
get some girl in the neighborhood
to pose with him.
A Little Wide-EYed
But. said Phil, Il don't know
anv. Except some little girls.
Just imagine that. A good
looking boy of %, baseball auto
graphing star perhaps World
Series ace before long, and he
doesn't have a steady girl or even
know a girl in his own block we'll
enough TO ask her to pose with
him for a picture. Sounds almost
too naive to be true. But that's
Phil. who's a little wide-eyed at
all the fuss people are making
over him.
He likes to bowl and ice skate
and go to the movies.
Theatres" he asked. as
though he had been asked about
fashion reviews or planetarium
lectures. No, I never go to
those.
= The Rizzutos are of Italian an
cestry. Pills mother came from
italy but his father was born
here They all speak English,
even al home His father is a
Brooklyn dock guard. His two
older sisters are married and his
brother. ALI. 90 has just finished
school He is catcher and plans
10 turn pro soon,
Phn's parents don't understand
baseball. They've never seen him
r,1av a vSrnfpSSiereai game