Joe Garagiola 1926-2016

[JohnBriggs12]

Longtime NBC sportscaster and former major league catcher Joe Garagiola passed away at 90. Amazingly, he was childhood friend with Yogi Berra, who also passed away in the past year. Both went on to major league careers as catchers, Berra and Hall of Famer, and Garagiola a Hall of Fame broadcaster. Garagiola played his last game in the majors when he was just 28 and soon after got into broadcasting. Why he retired so early? Who knows? He wasn't a bad player, maybe he was having issues with concussions?

 

Personal story, my older brother, fresh out of college in the summer of 1962, had the good fortune of sitting next to Garagiola on a flight from Chicago to Washington. Joe at the time was doing TV for the Cardinals and was just getting started doing some stuff for NBC. My brother introduced himself and told Garagiola he was a Braves fan and he asked him if the rumors of Lew Burdette doctoring the baseball with a foreign substance were true. Absolutely! Joe told him.

[Eddiehitsthefoulpole]

Back before cable TV sports on TV was a happening. I remember watching the game of the week regularly and looking forward to it. Joe and Tony Kubek were a terrific team, worthy of a happening. Joe had a sense of humor which helped make bad games entertaining. My favorite line of Joe's was about Yogi Berra when Yogi had a slump while throwing out runners, "Yogi got so frustrated that he tried to throw the ball down on the ground.....and he missed!"

[1992casey]

Joe's reach was well beyond baseball. He hosted several game shows. Here's an episode of [cite]He Said, She Said[/cite]:

 

 

He was also an occasional guest host on [cite]The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson[/cite]. Here's the audio of Joe hosting guests John Lennon and Paul McCartney; the appearance didn't go very well.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-fprFK62dY

[Jimbo]

Did he work the 1982 World Series for NBC?

[Baldkin]

Did he work the 1982 World Series for NBC?

 

Yep!

 

1982 World Series

World Series Program

Television: NBC

TV announcers: Joe Garagiola, Dick Enberg and Tony Kubek