Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
‘Holy cow!’: Phil Rizzuto has a corner named after him in Queens
By
Charles Lane
Published Jun 26, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Charles Lane
By
Charles Lane
Published Jun 26, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Famed Yankees shortstop and radio announcer Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto now has a street corner in Queens named after him. The hilly intersection of 64th Street and 78th Avenue in Glendale is where Rizzuto grew up playing ball in the street.
Professionally, Rizzuto played 13 years for the Yankees winning seven World Series Championships and nine American League Pennants. At 5-foot-6, he was short for a ball player. They called him “Scooter” because of his ability to squeeze a double from a bunt.
After retiring from playing, he went on to a 40-year career as the Yankees game announcer. Rizzuto’s’s trademark phrases included cursing with the word “huckleberries,” and shouting “Holy Cow,” after home runs.
The renaming ceremony, made possible by Councilman Robert Holden pushing forward legislation in the City Council, was attended by more than 150 people, including the Rizzuto family, neighborhood volunteers, and several Yankees staffers. Marty Appel, a producer for WPIX, read a letter from Bill White, Rizzuto’s longtime broadcast partner.
“He never got enough credit for allowing his broadcast partners to step up and find their own voice,” White’s letter read, adding, “especially after the seventh inning when he would often leave for coffee and never come back.”
Rizzuto grew up in Glendale as the son of a trolley driver. He started playing baseball at PS 68 and later played for Richmond Hill High School.
“This corner meant so much to us,” Phil Stoehr, Rizzuto’s nephew, said at the renaming ceremony. “Out there everyday, stickball, slapball, boxball, punchball, slapball, stoopball.”
While with the Yankees, he missed three seasons in order to serve in the U.S. Navy during the Second World War. He told stories from his past in between game play. It was these stories that captured the imagination of fan Charlie Vavruska.
“Nowadays, you have something like the sabermetrics and they’re talking about all these statistics and they’re bringing up such meaningless things,” Vavruska said while handing out pamphlets during the ceremony. “But Phil would bring a lot of cultural literacy.”
The corner renaming was arranged by Christina Wilkinson, president of the Newtown Historical Society. She gathered the petitions to get the corner renamed after him.
“He’s probably the most famous person from this entire area. So it’s long overdue."
This article was updated to include Councilman Robert Holden, who advanced legislation in the City Council to make the event possible. It was also updated with the correct spelling for Christina Wilkinson.
Tagged
glendale
Phil Rizzuto
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
ICE used a warehouse in NJ. Locals are ‘frustrated’ by Sherrill’s response.
A councilmember and immigration activists criticized the governor for not doing more after ICE seemingly admitted to violating a court order.
By
Mike Hayes
Published Oct 27, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
NY Gov. Hochul once resisted a data center pause. Now it’s central to her campaign.
The governor’s Republican opponent, Bruce Blakeman, says Hochul failed to prepare for the disruptive industry.
By
Jon Campbell
News
NY Gov. Hochul once resisted a data center pause. Now it’s central to her campaign.
The governor’s Republican opponent, Bruce Blakeman, says Hochul failed to prepare for the disruptive industry.
By
Jon Campbell
Judge temporarily halts overnight construction at NYC’s Chinatown jail
By
Giulia Heyward
Pressure grows on Mamdani to reform admissions to NYC specialized high schools
By
Elizabeth Kim
Police search for man in Central Park sexual assault
By
Charles Lane
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .