8日
Thursday, August 24, 1995
UN I V E R S I T Y D A I L Y K A N S A N
Yankees announcer leaves radio to retire
New York's Rizzuto ends 39 years in broadcasting after death of Mantle
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Holy cow! After thinking it over for five days, Phil Rizzuto has decided to stick by his decision to end his 39-year broadcasting career with the New York Yankees.
"It's time for me to go," he said yesterday. "I haven't been on top of the game like I used to."
Rizzuto, a Hall of Fame shortstop with the Yankees, said Friday that he was quitting partly because WPIX-TV wouldn't let him attend former teammate Mickey Mantle's funeral in Dallas.
But the beloved broadcaster backed away from that statement yesterday, saying he initially had agreed with the station's decision to send fellow broadcaster Bobby Murcer to represent WPIX at the funeral.
"When I saw the services, I realized what a big mistake I had made (by not attending the funeral)," said Rizzuto, who will turn 78 next month. "But I had nobody to blame but myself."
However, after watching Mantle's funeral on television Aug. 15, Rizzuto became so upset that he had to leave the booth during a Yankees' telecast.
Bizzuto, whose folksy broadcasting style included frequent cries of 'Holy cow!' and birthday greetings to fans,
said he had been thinking about retiring even before Mantle died. But Mantle's death, and its emotional aftermath, convinced Rizzuto it was time to leave.
"It's very difficult for me to break away, but I know it's the right time," he said. "I've had such great times here, whether playing ball in a Yankee uniform or broadcasting. ... The fans have been so great to me."
"The Scooter" played shortstop for New York from 1941-56, appeared in 10 World Series and was the league MVP in 1950.
Rizzuto was joined, at the Yankee Stadium news conference by Michael Eigner, executive vice president and general manager of WPIX.
"We are sorry to see Phil go," Eigner said. "He's been part of the WPIX family for a long time."
Eigner tried to convince Rizzuto to stay with the station during a meeting at Rizzuto's New Jersey home on Tuesday. Eigner proposed several alternatives, including one that would have allowed Rizzuto to do just Yankee home games.
"We wanted Phil to come back, but we have to respect his wishes," he said. Eigner said it was too early to talk about possible replacements for Rizzuto, part of a three-man broadcast team at WPIX with Murcer and Paul Olden.
"It's not really possible to fill his shoes," Eigner said "Right now, I'm not really sure what we're going to do."
BALTIMORE — Lou Gehrig died from a degenerative disease two years after establishing the major league record of 2,130 consecutive games played in a 15-year career with the New York Yankees.
Orioles join war on Gehrig's disease
The Associated Press
The battle against that disease won't be forgotten on the night Cal Ripken breaks the Hall of Famer's record. The Baltimore Orioles, in honor of Ripken's 2,131st consecutive game, plan to raise over $1 million by selling seats on the edge of the playing field Sept. 6.
Ripken played his 2,118th game Wednesday night, and is now two weeks away from setting the record.
The money will be used to set up a foundation at Johns Hopkins University for research on neuromuscular diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease.
"It's ironic but very inspiring," Joe Foss, Orioles vice chairman of business and finance, said Tuesday at Camden Yards. "It's our hope that this foundation will be a springboard for finding a cure."
The 260 seats will be set up that night in rows of two against the box seat railing near first and third bases. They will sell for $5,000 each. So far, about 50 of the seats have been sold. Foss said.
The Orioles got permission from the American League to put the seats on the edge of the field for the game against the California Angels.
Gehrig died in 1941 of the degenerative disease that slowly destroyed his spine and nerve cells.
ALS strikes the spine and nerve cells in the brain and eventually leaves a person paralyzed, said Dr. Ralph Kuncl, a professor of neurology at Hopkins. The disease's victims usually live three to
five years after being diagnosed and die when muscles in their lungs stop working.
"What's amazing is how selective it is," Kunel said. "Even if a person like Lou Gehrig was unable to move a finger, his sensation, vision, hearing and mind would be perfectly intact."
Riluzole isn't a cure for the disease, but slows down the degenerative processes and allows a patient to live longer, Rothstein said.
Hopkins was recently part of an international study that tested the drug Riluzole on 25 patients with the disease, said Dr. Jeffrey Rothstein, a professor of neurology. The trial ended in December and involved a total of 970 patients at 30 sites.
"The reason it's exciting is because nothing has ever worked before, and suddenly you've got something to go on." he said.
California team advances to Little League finals
The Associated Press
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Matt Campbell and Patrick Rooney combined on a four-hitter and hit a homer apiece by Yorba Linda, Calif., defeated Toms River, N.J., 8-3 Wednesday to advance to the U.S. final of the Little League World Series.
Yorba Linda will get a rematch with Spring, Texas, which beat the California team Tuesday. The international final will feature Taiwan against the Dominican Republic, which beat Saudi Arabia 11-1 Wednesday.
this season, kept Toms River off balance with his curveball for 3 1/3 innings before being relieved by Rooney.
"Matt's a real intelligent pitcher," Yorba Linda Manager Roy Sonson said. "He used the curveball well today."
Games between Taiwan and Canada and Arden Hills, Minn., and Spring on Wednesday night had no bearing on the championship.
With Yorba Linda up 4-1 and one runner on base in the third, Colin Gaynor of Toms River hit a long fly toward the plaque behind Lamade Stadium's center field wall.
"Their pitching wasn't overpowering, but at this level, if you can mix it up, you can be pretty effective," Manager Mike Gaynor said.
The Eastern champs from Toms River hadn't seen many pitchers with breaking stuff.
Campbell, who learned to pitch just
"Things like that change the tide of a ball game," Gaynor said.
fence, made the catch and brought the ball back into the park to end the inning.
David Nicholson leaned over the
Rodrigo Bens and Devi Soriano hit back-to-back solo homers in the first for the Dominican Republic. Bens hit a two-run home in the third, and the Saudi Arabian team never challenged again.
"The first time, we didn't really know what kind of pitchers they had," Sosa said. "This time we will be more ready for them."
Manager Eduardo Sosa said his team would hit better against Taiwan Thursday than they did in the first game, which Taiwan won 5-1.
Edgar Toledo pitched a two-hitter for the Dominicans and struck out twelve.
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