On August 4, 1985, the Yankees honored longtime shortstop and legendary broadcaster Phil “The Scooter” Rizzuto by retiring his No. 10 and adding a plaque in Monument Park. It was a long-overdue celebration of a Yankee icon—scrappy on the field, beloved in the booth, and known for his signature exclamation: “Holy Cow!”
Naturally, someone in the Yankees front office decided to have a little fun with that phrase. As part of the ceremony, they presented Rizzuto with a real cow, adorned with a cardboard halo—a literal “holy cow.” But the plan quickly went off the rails when the cow, clearly not briefed on stadium etiquette, accidentally knocked Rizzuto to the grass behind home plate.
Fortunately, Rizzuto was unharmed, and ever the good sport, he laughed it off. The moment was classic Scooter—chaotic, charming, and totally unforgettable.
Several of his former teammates showed up for the celebration, including Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford. But the day held even more significance. As a young fan in attendance, Robert Casey, Editor-in-Chief of Bleeding Yankee Blue, recalled the atmosphere with me —how the crowd came for Rizzuto, but many were also buzzing about another milestone in the making: Tom Seaver, pitching for the White Sox, was chasing career win No. 300.
He got it. The Yankees lost. But in the end, it didn’t matter. The day belonged to Scooter.
In a moment that drew a roar from the crowd, Rizzuto told fans:
“This means more to me than the Hall of Fame ever could.”
At the time, Rizzuto still hadn’t been elected. That honor finally came on February 25, 1994, when the Veterans Committee voted him into the Hall of Fame, alongside Leo Durocher. They joined Steve Carlton to complete that year’s Cooperstown class.
Looking back through my research, it looked like Rizzuto Day had everything: a heartfelt tribute, a historic win, and an unscripted comedy moment that only the Bronx could deliver. A legend was honored. A milestone was reached. And a cow stole the spotlight—if only for a moment.
Holy Cow, what a day.
--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor
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