Losing Phil means the near-close of the Joe DiMaggio era (Yogi Berra being the last, healthy member). It means a dwindling of 25% in the number of living Hall of Famers born before 1920. It means the loss of a legendary broadcaster, the man who made superb calls of Roger Maris' 61st home run and Chris Chambliss' ALCS winner but is most remembered for his wanderings away from the action on the field.
It's not just a loss for Yankees fans, but a loss for baseball fans.
Bob Feller was on ESPN on Sunday night, and was his usual brusque self, but made sure to note that Rizzuto was a "major Hall of Famer." Yes, Feller said, he wasn't the greatest player, but he was an impact player. Another pre- and post-war great, Ted Williams, may have been slightly exaggerating when he said having the Scooter on the Red Sox would have turned all those pennants the other way.
But it would have meant at least two -- 1949 and 1950 -- where Rizzuto was first or second in the MVP vote and the Red Sox lost out by one game. Two pennants probably gives the Sox a World Series win (at least a 50-50 shot), changes Williams' career and the fate of the Sox in general. While the Yankees' dominance remains, there is no 5-time straight champion, no Ruth curse, and probably, ironically, no urgency that led to a team such as the 2004 Red Sox.
Right there, a diminutive man from Brooklyn changed the course of two franchises and the emotions of millions. And he would go on to affect us for another five decades.
