Catcher-turned-broadcaster Garagiola dies at 90

Associated Press

PHOENIX

Joe Garagiola’s nine-year baseball career was a modest one. His 57 years in broadcasting that followed made him one of the most popular figures in the sports world and beyond.

The man Arizona Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall called “one of the biggest personalities this game has ever seen” died Wednesday. He was 90.

The Diamondbacks announced Garagiola’s death before their exhibition game against San Francisco, and there were murmurs of shock and sadness at the ballpark. He had been in ill health in recent years.

Growing up in the Hill neighborhood of St. Louis not far from future Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, Garagiola went on to hit .257 during nine years in the majors. His highlight came early, getting a four-hit game in the 1946 World Series and helping the hometown Cardinals win the championship as a 20-year-old rookie.

“Not only was I not the best catcher in the major leagues, I wasn’t even the best catcher on my street,” Garagiola once remarked.

But it was after he stopped playing that his fortunes took off. He thrived as a glib baseball broadcaster and fixture on the “Today” show, leading to a nearly 30-year association with NBC.

Garagiola won baseball’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting in 1991. He kept working well into his 80s, serving as a part-time analyst for Diamondbacks telecasts until he announced his retirement in February 2013.

“He had a genuine impact on the craft. He was among the first to bring a humorous, story-telling style to the booth,” NBC announcer Bob Costas said.

Garagiola’s son, Joe Jr., is a former general manager of the Diamondbacks and a current executive with Major League Baseball.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of this amazing man,” his family said in a statement, “who was not just beloved to those of us in his family, but to generations of baseball fans who he impacted during his eight decades in the game.”

“Joe loved the game and passed that love onto family, his friends, his teammates, his listeners and everyone he came across as a player and broadcaster. His impact on the game, both on and off the field, will forever be felt.”

The Cardinals signed Garagiola after rejecting Berra at a 1943 tryout. The two remained lifelong friends, with Berra often the good-natured subject of Garagiola’s wit. Berra died last Sept. 15.

When both men entered retirement communities a few years ago, Garagiola recalled a phone conversation with Berra.

“I said, ‘How’s it going, Yog?”’ Garagiola said, “and he said, ‘It’s all right, but geez, they’ve got a lot of old people here.”’

Garagiola played for the Cardinals, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs. He broke in with the Cardinals, joining a powerful team led by the great Stan Musial. Garagiola got four hits in Game 4 of the 1946 Series against Boston and batted .316 overall as St. Louis beat the Red Sox in seven games.