“I guess heaven must have needed a shortstop. … While Scooter may have been smaller in size than some, he was among the tallest in his stature as a Yankee. He was a favorite of fans both as a player and later as a broadcaster. His voice and ‘Holy cow’ will be part of baseball for as long as we play the game.” – Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

“Every time Scooter walked into my office, the first thing he’d say is, ‘Where’s Jeter? Where’s Jeter?’ A few minutes later I’d see the two of them giving big hugs to each other in the clubhouse. That’s the type of person Phil was, you just couldn’t figure out how such a big heart could fit inside such a small body.” – Yankees manager Joe Torre

“Mr. Rizzuto serves as the ultimate reminder that physical stature has little bearing on the size of a person’s heart. Nothing was ever given to Phil, and he used every ounce of his ability to become one of the greatest Yankees to ever wear this uniform.” – Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

“Phil was a gem, one of the greatest people I ever knew – a dear friend and great teammate. He was a heck of a player, too. When I first came up to the Yankees, he was like a big – actually, small – brother to me. He’s meant an awful lot to baseball and the Yankees and has left us with a lot of wonderful memories.” – Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra.

“He was a Yankee all the way. Phil could hit, he could run, he was good on the basepaths and he was a great shortstop. He knew the fundamentals of the game and he got 100 percent out of his ability. He played it hard and he played it fair.” – Cleveland Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller.

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“Phil brought a liveliness to a broadcast, and a down-homeness and a Joe Q. Everyman to a broadcast that some of us will never be able to. As a player, he was vastly underrated and underappreciated, but as a broadcaster, I he’s another one of the – thank God – jocks that got a chance to broadcast and did a good job. He paved the way for a lot of us.” – Hall of Fame pitcher and Washington Nationals television broadcaster Don Sutton.

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“Today New York has lost one of its most celebrated sons, one of its best ballplayers and one of its finest citizens. … Rizzuto’s cross-generational appeal helped to make him one of the most beloved Yankees of all time. His integrity, compassion and wit will be missed by all who knew him, and many who did not.” – New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

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“As a lifelong Yankee fan, Phil was one of my childhood heroes. He was also the Yankee announcer I grew up with and it was a great privilege for me later in life to become his friend.” – former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

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“He was a character. He entertained people, he gave them baseball, he was a Hall of Fame player from New York. He was the total package. He was an institution, and I’m going to miss him not only as a former Yankee, but as a very dear friend.” – Former Yankees outfielder Bobby Murcer, a broadcast partner of Rizzuto’s.

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“When I joined the Yankees at age 19, Phil became my first roommate. The train left spring training that season to head north and he shared the seat next to me. Later in Phil’s career, (manager) Casey Stengel would sometimes pinch-hit for him late in the game, and then I would enter the game at shortstop. Can you imagine, me playing defense for Phil Rizzuto!” – former Yankees infielder Bobby Richardson.

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“I remember when I was with the Norfolk Tars, a Yankee farm league, and I was looking to rent a room from a little old Italian lady. She said, “Oh, I had a boy years ago, Phil Rizzuto. I said I knew him and immediately got the room.” … He was a great example to everyone. He was also great on the radio. He didn’t try to act like an announcer. He just said what he thought. It added fun to the game.” – Hall of Fame teammate Whitey Ford.

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“He was a tough strikeout. He always put the ball in the play and he was the epitome of guy who would get on base, take one in the ribs or whatever. He was just a scrappy player who got more of out what he had than he should of. And that’s not to say he wasn’t a great athlete.” – former Brooklyn pitcher Carl Erskine.

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“That’s sad, sad news. He was a fine man. I’ll miss him. He was always a great ballplayer and really a joy to be around.” – Boston infielder Johnny Pesky.

AP-ES-08-14-07 1943EDT