Clovis' Rizzo could really hit

Today is a good day to remember former Clovis Pioneers second baseman Phil Rizzo.

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Washington Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo is front and center in the baseball world. That’s because of his old-school approach as an executive — he favors scouting over analytics — and his team’s World Series championship.

One of Mike Rizzo’s favorite scouts is his father, Phil Rizzo, 89, a member of the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame.

Today is a good day to remember Phil Rizzo because of all the attention his son is receiving after the Nats beat the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the World Series on Wednesday. Also because all the attention has reminded Oklahoma Lane native Don Carpenter about the 1953 game in which he saw Phil Rizzo play baseball — and fight — in Clovis.

The Baseball Reference website tells us 24-year-old Phil Rizzo played just 14 games for the Pioneers at the beginning of the 1953 season. He hit .250 in 40 at-bats with one home run.

Carpenter remembers Rizzo vividly because of a game he attended as a 12-year-old. It was the Pioneers’ home opener, played on April 30, 1953.

“As frequently happens at this time of year, the weather was horrible — it was cold and blowing dust,” Carpenter wrote in an email.

“The Lubbock Hubbers were the opponent, and the Pioneers’ ace, Red Dial, was the starting pitcher.

“In the top of the first inning, Hubbers catcher Jim Schindler ... came to bat. Red promptly put a fastball between his shoulder blades, to which Schindler took offense and charged the mound, bat in hand.

“Just before reaching Red and doing him harm, Rizzo ... jumped in front of Red and punched Schindler, at which point the great brawl erupted.”

Carpenter, who grew up east of Farwell and lives in El Paso now, wrote in his email that players from both teams quickly filled the field.

Even Clovis Manager Grover Seitz participated, losing his cap in the melee.

“Don Moore ... still had his (catcher’s) gear on and had a Hubber down, sitting on him and poking his eyes with his fingers just behind home plate,” Carpenter wrote.

“Another great Pioneer, outfielder/pitcher Roy Parker, was behind the mound taking on Hubbers one at a time with great success.

“The fighting was all over the field and it was impossible to see it all.

“The two umpires were helpless in trying to break it up. The police were called and they were also pretty ineffective. Fights broke out in the stands and a few fans attempted to get on the field and join the festivities.”

Carpenter said Phil Rizzo required stitches as a result of the battle.

And newspaper accounts back up most of Carpenter’s memories.

The Clovis News-Journal reported the Pioneers beat Lubbock, 19-14, following a “free-for-all.”

“The Pioneers held an edge in the slugging,” the paper reported.

“But the official box score fails to come up with an accurate account of the other slugging contest.”

The paper reported the fight lasted about 10 minutes with a dozen players “actively engaged in the fist throwing and grappling.”

The newspaper account disagrees with Carpenter’s memory in that it reported Dial did not hit Schindler with the pitch. But “Schindler evidently thought Dial was aiming for the head.”

“In less time than it takes to beat out a bunt, the game was forgotten.”

As for Rizzo’s participation, CN-J reported he “put lots of scrap into the fiasco” and “had a gash through his upper lip. Although he was able to return to the lineup, the injury required half a dozen stitches when the baseball hostilities ceased.”

Two other significant events occurred during that game, at least for Rizzo.

A newspaper sidebar reported Rizzo won a steak dinner from the Busy Bee cafe after scoring Clovis’ first run of the home season. He also won $2 in trade at the Magic Steam Laundry for being the first Clovis player to reach second base safely.

Finally, the sidebar made note of Rizzo and the brawl and how he came to suffer his cut lip.

“There were plenty of bruises, but none compared to the gash suffered by Rizzo, who showed unusual scrapping tendencies. ... His teammates charge that the wound came as a result of a blow from behind from an unidentified Hubber.”

Memorable indeed.

David Stevens writes about regional history for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:

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