Phil Rizzuto: Not as Loyal to the New York Yankees as We Thought

It is a fact of life that baseball fans acknowledge, but deep down, they attempt to deny it with all their might. Baseball fans are more loyal to their team than are the team's players.

When Phil Rizzuto was told that Los Angeles Dodger's manager Tommy LaSorda bleeds Dodgers' blue, Rizzuto responded that he bleeds New York Yankees' pinstripes.

As a Yankees' broadcaster, Rizzuto was unabashedly a "homer." He gave the opposition credit, but he openly rooted for the Yankees.

It appeared that no player had more loyalty to his team than Rizzuto, but when New York's other team unceremoniously released Rizzuto on Old Timers' Day in 1956, they necessarily placed winning ahead of loyalty.

Fans were outraged that Rizzuto, who was the greatest shortstop in team history at the time, would be treated so badly, but most fans didn't know, and most fans today don't know that many years ago, Rizzuto agreed to join the "outlawed" Mexican Baseball League for a $15,000 signing bonus and a five year contract worth $12,000 a season. The agreement occurred in early May, 1946.

Bernardo Pasqual testified in a suit brought against the Mexican Baseball League by the New York Yankees that at a dinner party at the Waldorf-Astoria, Rizzuto and he discussed the Yankees' shortstop jumping the new league. The next day, Rizzuto phoned to say he would sign for $15,000.

Rizzuto had second thoughts about leaving the greatest team in sports history as well as the greatest country in the world.

He told Pasqual he was "undecided." The next day, the Yankees filed their suit, enjoining the outlaw league from inducing Yankees' players from jumping their contracts.

Interestingly, Pasqual had offered Yankees' second baseman George Stirnweiss, who had won the American League batting title in 1945, a $15,000 signing bonus and a five year contract worth $20,000 a season. Stirnweiss turned it down because he still had a two year contract with the Yankees.

Many older fans have revised reality. They complain that all modern players care about is money.

A Yankees' shortstop who was greater than Rizzuto has recently experienced much negative press and the open hostility of fans because he demanded a long-term contract at the age of 36.

Derek Jeter was coming off his worst season. He batted .270, hit 10 home runs, had a .340 on base average and slugged .370.

Yankees' general manager Brian Cashman challenged Jeter to test the free agent market. Jeter refused, and wound up with a three year, $51 million contract with an option for a fourth year.

When Rizzuto was tempted to jump the Yankees in 1946, he was 28 years old and had just returned from a three year stint in the Navy. He was starting his third season as a Yankee.

It will never be known what Rizzuto would have done if the Yankees hadn't brought the law suit against the Mexican Baseball League, but other players, including Sal Maglie, Lou Klein, Harry Feldman, Max Lanier and Mickey Owen signed contracts and played in Mexico.

There is much more player movement today as a result of free agency, but it is extremely naive to believe that old-time players had more team loyalty than today's players.

Phil Rizzuto was the epitome of "team loyalty," especially as a Yankees' broadcaster, but the truth is that most players place money ahead of loyalty. So do baseball teams.


Reference:

"Rizzuto Offer Disclosed: Mexican Loop Agreed to Bonus of $15,000, $12,000 a Year." New York Times. 9 June 1946. p. 73.