Scooter: The Biography of Phil Rizzuto

by Carlo DeVito

Many baseball fans know that Rizzutto, just 5"6' and 160 pounds, was a diminutive player who overcame his size to beome a five-time All-Star, the 1950 American League MVP, and that he helped the Yankees win seven world series titles during his 13-year career. Casual fans may say Scooter was playing over his head and had a great cast of teammates that would make any average player look better. However, DeVito reveals in Scooter: The Biography of Phil Ruzzutto that size never defined Rizzutto.

Genres: Baseball, Biography

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Carlo DeVito is a long time wine lover, and author of books and magazine articles. He is the author of Wineries of the East Coast. He has traveled to wine regions in California, Canada, up and down the east coast, France, Spain and Chile. He was also a publisher at Running Press Book Publishers, where he published books from Wine Spectator, as well as books with Greg Moore (of Moore Bros.), Matt Kramer, Howard Goldberg, and many other wine writers. He is currently VP, Editorial Director of Sterling Epicure where his authors also include Kevin Zraly, Oz Clarke, Tom Stevenson, Terry Walters, The Fabulous Beekman Boys, and the Edible Communities cookbook program.

Mr. DeVito has also been the editor of many successful traditional trade books, including Strange Fruit by David Margolick, On the Shoulders of Giants by Stephen Hawking, and three titles by Malachy McCourt. Other authors include John and Mary Gribbin, Thomas Hoving, Philip Caputo, E. O. Wilson, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., John Edgar Wideman, Stanley Crouch, Dan Rather, Dee Brown, Susie Bright, and Eleanor Clift.

He is also the author of more than 15 books, including his highly acclaimed biographies of D. Wayne Lukas, Wellington Mara, Yogi Berra, and Phil Rizzuto.

He lives with his wife, pet publisher Dominique DeVito, and their two sons, on their farm, the Hudson-Chatham Winery in Ghent, NY.

Reviews

[Roger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the writing to be at very low level. A lot of repeated stories. Some interesting aspects to the Scotter's life and with the death this week of George Steinbrenner and Bob Sheppard, it seems appropiate to read a bio of another long time Yankee icon. OK book, again I found the writing for a book below even newspaper style.

[Walt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining stories but really needed at least 2 more editing jobs - repetitions, and structural changes.