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Joseph Henry Garagiola Sr. (February 12, 1926 – March 23, 2016) was an American professional baseball catcher, later an announcer and television host, popular for his colorful personality.

Garagiola played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and New York Giants. He was later well known outside baseball for having been one of the regular panelists on The Today Show for many years and for his numerous appearances on game shows as a host and panelist.[1]

Early life[]

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Garagiola grew up on Elizabeth Avenue in an Italian-American neighborhood in the south part of the city known as The Hill, just across the street from Yogi Berra, his childhood friend and competitor (1925–2015), who was nine months older.[1]

In the early 1940s when Garagiola and Berra were teenagers, almost all pro baseball scouts rated Garagiola as the better prospect, but it was Berra who went on to a Hall of Fame career, while Garagiola was a journeyman. About growing up living across from Berra, Garagiola often quipped, "Not only was I not the best catcher in the Major Leagues, I wasn't even the best catcher on my street!"[1]

Baseball career[]

Garagiola was signed at age 16 by the St. Louis Cardinals organization. At age 17, he remains the youngest player to play in Columbus Red Birds history. Garagiola advanced to Columbus of the Class AA American Association in 1943, and was with them when he was called into military service on April 24, 1944. After taking basic training at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, Garagiola was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas, where he quickly established himself as the catcher for the Fort Riley Centaurs, with teammates Rex Barney and Pete Reiser.

Garagiola was sent to the Philippines in 1945, where he played ball for Kirby Higbe's Manila Dodgers. He was discharged from service in early 1946, and he was just 20 years old when he joined the Cardinals. Garagiola made his major league debut in Template:Baseball year.

As a rookie in 1946, in his only World Series appearance, Garagiola batted 6-for-19 in five games, including a Game 4 where he went 4-for-5 with three RBIs. By contrast, Ted Williams went only 5-for-25 in the same series, which was Williams' only World Series appearance. On September 11, 1947, Joe Garagiola and Jackie Robinson were involved in an incident at home plate. Garagiola allegedly stepped on Robinson's foot and the two argued. Umpire Beans Reardon held back Garagiola while Robinson clapped.[2] The incident was later part of a children's book titled In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson.

Garagiola never quite lived up to the promise of his youth, appearing in only 676 games over nine seasons for four National League teams. He was a mediocre (though certainly good for a catcher) hitter in the majors, which featured in his self-deprecating humor. He once told this story himself: "He knew that it was time to retire when he was catching, and his ex-teammate Stan Musial stepped into the batter's box, turned to Joe, and said, "When are you gonna quit?""

Looking back at his career in 1970, Garagiola observed, "It's not a record, but being traded four times when there are only eight teams in the league tells you something. I thought I was modeling uniforms for the National League."[3]

After baseball[]

Books[]

After his retirement from baseball, Garagiola lent his name to a 1960 book Baseball Is a Funny Game, which sold well upon release and helped establish Garagiola as a "personality." The book—largely ghostwritten—was a collection of humorous anecdotes surrounding his upbringing and his playing career, and showcased the folksy, humorous style that became his trademark as a broadcaster.

Garagiola also wrote It's Anybody's Ballgame (1988) and Just Play Ball (2007).[4][5]

Baseball broadcasting[]

Garagiola turned to broadcasting following his retirement as a player, first calling Cardinals radio broadcasts on KMOX from Template:Baseball year to Template:Baseball year.

As an announcer, Garagiola was best known for his almost 30-year association with NBC television. He began doing national baseball broadcasts for the network in Template:Baseball year (teaming with Bob Wolff). Additionally, Garagiola called several World Series on NBC Radio in the 1960s, teaming with a number of announcers including By Saam and George Kell. After a stint doing New York Yankees games from 1965 to 1967, which saw him call Mickey Mantle's 500th home run, Garagiola returned to broadcasting NBC baseball, initially as the host of the pre-game show The Baseball World of Joe Garagiola, and then as a play-by-play announcer beginning in 1974.

Garagiola alternated play-by-play duties with Curt Gowdy on NBC until 1976, when he assumed the role full-time. He teamed with color commentators Tony Kubek and Tom Seaver from 1976 to 1982; in 1983, he shifted to color commentary as Vin Scully joined the network as lead play-by-play announcer. (Kubek joined Bob Costas to form NBC's #2 baseball announcing duo in this era.) Besides working on the Saturday Game of the Week for NBC, the team of Scully and Garagiola called three All-Star Games (1983, 1985, and 1987), three National League Championship Series (1983, 1985, and 1987), and three World Series (1984, 1986, and 1988).

After calling a final World Series with Scully in 1988, Garagiola resigned from the network in November.[6][7] His slot on NBC's baseball broadcasts would be subsequently filled by Tom Seaver.

After leaving NBC Sports, Garagiola spent one season (1990) as a cable-television commentator for the California Angels. From 1998 to 2012, he performed part-time color commentary duties for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where his son Joe Jr. was general manager. Garagiola officially announced his retirement from broadcasting on February 22, 2013.

Personal life[]

Garagiola married Audrie Ross, the organist at the Cardinals' ballpark in St. Louis, in 1949;[1] their two sons later had an association with baseball. Joe Jr., was the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and later senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball. His other son Steve is a broadcast journalist as well, serving as a reporter and anchor for WDIV-TV, the NBC affiliate in Detroit.[8] His daughter, Gina, has also worked in TV news, as a field reporter for Arizona station KTVK, and is now a freelance writer. Garagiola Sr. had eight grandchildren.

Death[]

Garagiola died at age 90 March 23, 2016, in Scottsdale, Arizona.[9][1] The Diamondbacks wore a patch in his memory on their right sleeve for the 2016 season, a black circle with "JOE" written in white in the center, with a catchers' mask replacing the O.[10]

Garagiola's funeral mass was held on April 13 in St. Louis at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, the same church where he was baptized.[11] He was interred at Resurrection Cemetery in St. Louis.[12]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Barnes, Bart (March 24, 2016). "Major Leaguer reinvented himself as a witty broadcaster" The Washington Post, page B4 Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  2. Eig, Jonathan (2007). Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season. New York: Simon & Schuster.
  3. Template:Cite journal
  4. Garagiola, Joe (April 1988). It's Anybody's Ballgame. McGraw-Hill.
  5. Garagiola, Joe (February 16, 2009). Just Play Ball, reprint, Northland.
  6. "Sportscaster Garagiola quits NBC", Lewiston Morning Tribune, November 9, 1988, p. 1B.
  7. Stewart, Larry. "Garagiola Leaves Job With NBC: Baseball Commentator Upset Network Didn't Begin Negotiations", November 9, 1988.
  8. News Team.
  9. Legendary baseball announcer Joe Garagiola Sr. dies at age 90. ESPN (March 23, 2016). Retrieved on March 23, 2016.
  10. Diamondbacks honor Joe Garagiola Sr. with uniform patch. KTAR News (April 4, 2016). Retrieved on June 4, 2020.
  11. Schankman, Paul. "Joe Garagiola eulogized in the same church where he was baptized", KPLR News, April 13, 2016. Retrieved on June 4, 2020.
  12. Joe Garagiola Trades and Transactions. Retrieved on June 4, 2020.

External links[]

Preceded by:
Garry Moore
Host of To Tell the Truth
1977–1978
Succeeded by:
Robin Ward in 1980
Preceded by:
Curt Gowdy
World Series network television play-by-play announcer (with Curt Gowdy in 1975 and Dick Enberg in 1982; concurrent with Keith Jackson and Al Michaels in even numbered years)
1975–1982
Succeeded by:
Al Michaels (in odd numbered years only) and Vin Scully (in even numbered years only)
Preceded by:
Curt Gowdy
Lead play-by-play announcer, Major League Baseball on NBC
1974–1982 (alternated with Curt Gowdy from 1974 to 1975 and Dick Enberg in 1982)
Succeeded by:
Vin Scully
Preceded by:
Fred Haney
Tony Kubek
Lead color commentator, Major League Baseball on NBC
1961–1964
1983–1988
Succeeded by:
Pee Wee Reese
Tom Seaver
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