(live-PR.com) - NEW YORK (AP) - Phil Rizzuto, the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop who played during the New York Yankees' dynasty years and was beloved by a generation of fans for exclaiming «Holy cow!» as a broadcaster, died Tuesday. He was 89.
His death was confirmed by the Yankees. Rizzuto had been in declining health for several years and was living at a nursing home in a New York suburb.
Rizzuto, known as «The Scooter,» was the oldest living member of the American Hall of Fame. He played for the Yankees throughout the 1940s and '50s, won seven World Series titles and played in five Major League Baseball All-star games.
Rizzuto was a flashy, diminutive player who could always be counted on for a perfect bunt, a nice slide or a diving catch in a lineup better known for its cornerstone sluggers. He played for 13 seasons alongside the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.
He was equipped with a productive bat, sure hands and quick feet that earned him his nickname. A leadoff man, Rizzuto was a superb bunter, used to good advantage by the Yankee teams that won 11 pennants and nine World Series between 1941 and 1956.
After the Yankees released him, Rizzuto began a second career as a broadcaster, one for which he became at least equally well known.
In his decades on the radio and TV, Rizzuto's favorite phrase was «Holy cow!» It became so common, the team presented him with a cow wearing a halo when they held a day in his honor in 1985. The cow knocked Rizzuto over and, of course, he shouted, «Holy cow
Yankee fans also loved his unusual commentary. In an age of broadcasters who spout statistics and repeat the obvious, Rizzuto delighted in talking about things like his fear of lightning, the style of an umpire's shoes or even the prospect of outfielder Dave Winfield as a candidate for president.
As in his playing days, Rizzuto was overshadowed by the headliners, teammates like DiMaggio, Mantle, Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra. All of them reached the Hall of Fame before he did.

«I never thought I deserved to be in the Hall of Fame,» Rizzuto would say. «The Hall of Fame is for the big guys, pitchers with 100 mph fastballs and hitters who sock homers and drive in a lot of runs. That's the way it always has been and the way it should be.
AP Sports Writer Hal Bock contributed to this report.