In Memory of Phil Rizzuto

This is a sad day for the Bronx Bombers. Phil Rizzuto, aka Scooter to the Yankee faithful, passed away. For those of you who aren't familiar with baseball, Phil Rizzuto was part of the dynasty that was the New York Yankees back in the 50's when they won almost every World Series imaginable. A lovable teammate (and the target of many team pranks), Phil went on to become a Yankees broadcaster and was known for his classic line, "Holy Cow!"

For me, Phil Rizzuto was an inspiration to me because of his tenacity. He tried out for the--oh dear. Without looking it up, I believe it was the Brooklyn Dodgers, but it could have been the New York Giants. Anyhow, Casey Stengel told him he would never become a major league baseball player. Funny, Phil Rizzuto was still the Yankee short stop when Stengel became their skipper. Before my publisher bought A Prophecy Forgotten, I used to display a little slip of paper on my desk that said something like this:

Some idiot traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees.
Some idiot told Phil Rizzuto he couldn't play short.
Some idiot ignored Brad Pitt's audition.
Some idiot rejected Harry Potter.
Life is full of idiots. KEEP WRITING!

Every time I felt like giving up, I'd take a look at that slip of paper for encouragement. So thank you, Scooter, for your example of not giving up even when you're rejected.

Tags: Phil Rizzuto, Baseball, New York Yankees