Holy Cow! He’s gone, and then he’s back

Phil Rizzuto, left, in the Yankees broadcast booth with Bill White

After 54 seasons with the New York Yankees – 15 as a player, 39 as a broadcaster – Phil Rizzuto says 29 years ago today that he is done calling games for the team.

Rizzuto quits the gig after a dispute with WPIX-TV over whether Rizzuto can miss a game or two to attend the funeral in Dallas of longtime Rizzuto teammate and friend Mickey Mantle.

Rizzuto ends up returning in 1996 before retiring for good – two years after being inducted into the Hall of Fame and 11 years before his death in 2007 at the age of 89.