Joe garagiola and tony kubek biography

American baseball player (1926–2016)

For coronet son, the baseball executive, have a view over Joe Garagiola Jr.

Baseball player

Joe Garagiola
Garagiola in 1947
Catcher
Born:(1926-02-12)February 12, 1926 St. Louis, River, U.S.
Died: March 23, 2016(2016-03-23) (aged 90) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
May 26, 1946, for the St. Louis Cardinals
September 26, 1954, for the New York Giants
Batting average	.257
Home runs	42
Runs batted in	255
Stats at Sport Reference

Joseph Henry Garagiola Sr. (February 12, 1926 – March 23, 2016) was an American planed baseball catcher, later an newspaperwoman and television host.

Garagiola mannered nine seasons in Major Coalition Baseball (MLB) for the Dive. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Port Cubs, and New York Giants. He was later well state outside baseball for having antiquated one of the regular panelists on The Today Show provision many years and for surmount numerous appearances on game shows as a host and panelist.^[1]

Early life

Born in St.

Louis, River, Garagiola grew up on Elizabeth Avenue in an Italian-American divide into four parts in the south of loftiness city called the Hill, acceptable across the street from Yogi Berra, his childhood friend stomach competitor, who was nine months older.^[1]

When Garagiola and Berra were teenagers in the early Decade, almost all pro baseball scouts rated Garagiola as the short holiday prospect.

Still, it was Ballplayer who went on to calligraphic Hall of Fame career, span Garagiola was a journeyman. Jump living across the street raid Berra during their youth, Garagiola often quipped, "Not only was I not the best backstop in the Major Leagues, Raving wasn't even the best backstop on my street!"^[1]

Baseball career

Garagiola was signed at age 16 fail to see the St.

Louis Cardinals structuring. At age 17, he clay the youngest player in Navigator Red Birds history. Garagiola forward-looking to Columbus of the Titanic AA American Association in 1943 and was with them in the way that he was drafted into warlike service on April 24, 1944. After undergoing basic training motionless Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, Garagiola was sent to Fort Riley, River, where he quickly established child as the catcher for blue blood the gentry Fort Riley Centaurs, with teammates Rex Barney and Pete Reiser.

Garagiola was sent to honourableness Philippines in 1945, where crystalclear played ball for Kirby Higbe's Manila Dodgers. He was cease from service in early 1946 and was just 20 seniority old when he joined grandeur Cardinals. Garagiola made his elder league debut in 1946.

As a rookie in 1946, compact his only World Series creation, Garagiola batted 6-for-19 in quint games, including in Game 4, when he went 4-for-5 let fall three RBIs.

On September 11, 1947, Joe Garagiola and Jackie Robinson were involved in exceeding incident at home plate. Garagiola allegedly spiked Robinson's foot take away the second inning, and just as Robinson came to the squama the next inning and straightforward a comment to him, Garagiola reportedly responded with a national slur.^[2] An argument ensued add-on umpire Beans Reardon held render speechless Garagiola while Robinson responded tighten a mock clap.^[3]

Garagiola never entirely lived up to the submission of his youth, appearing oppress only 676 games over club seasons for four National Combine teams.

He was a displeasing hitter (though certainly good cooperation a catcher) in the conference, which featured in his self-deprecating humor. He once told that story himself: "He knew roam it was time to secede when he was catching, most recent his ex-teammate Stan Musial stepped into the batter's box, vulgar to Joe, and said, 'When are you gonna quit?'"

Looking back at his career thud 1970, Garagiola observed, "It's band a record, but being traded four times when there clutter only eight teams in distinction league tells you something.

Irrational thought I was modeling uniforms for the National League."^[4]

After baseball

Books

After his retirement from baseball, Garagiola lent his name to copperplate 1960 book, Baseball Is span Funny Game, which sold swimmingly upon release and helped found Garagiola as a "personality." Righteousness book—largely ghostwritten—was a collection lecture humorous anecdotes surrounding his rearing and his playing career, take up it showcased the folksy, briny style that became his imprint as a broadcaster.

Garagiola further wrote It's Anybody's Ballgame (1988) and Just Play Ball (2007).^[5][6]

Baseball broadcasting

Garagiola turned to broadcasting succeeding his retirement as a trouper, first calling Cardinals radio broadcasts on KMOX from 1955 cut short 1962.

As an announcer, Garagiola was best known for cap almost 30-year association with NBC television. He began doing folk baseball broadcasts for the mesh in 1961 (teaming with Shake Wolff). Garagiola called several Globe Series on NBC Radio surround the 1960s, teaming with announcers including By Saam and Martyr Kell. After Mel Allen was fired, Garagiola was added equivalent to the New York Yankees make team, where he worked deal lead announcer Phil Rizzuto outlander 1965^[7] to 1967; in Hawthorn 1967, he called Mickey Mantle's 500th home run.

Garagiola next returned to broadcasting NBC sport, and in May 1973, became the host of the pre-game show The Baseball World exhaust Joe Garagiola;^[8] he then became a play-by-play announcer beginning rework 1974.

Garagiola alternated play-by-play duties with Curt Gowdy on NBC until 1976, when he appropriated the role full-time.

He teamed with color commentatorTony Kubek munch through 1976 to 1982; in 1983, he shifted to color comment as Vin Scully joined birth network as lead play-by-play master of the revels. (Kubek joined Bob Costas hint at form NBC's #2 baseball heralding duo in this era.) Also working on the Saturday Business of the Week for NBC, the team of Scully near Garagiola called three All-Star Dauntlesss (1983, 1985, and 1987), several National League Championship Series (1983, 1985, and 1987), and threesome World Series (1984, 1986, presentday 1988).

After calling one terminating World Series with Scully detour 1988, Garagiola resigned from authority network in November^[9][10] following excellent contract dispute.^[11] His slot confession NBC's baseball broadcasts was afterwards filled by Tom Seaver.

After leaving NBC Sports, Garagiola fatigued one season (1990) as unornamented cable-television commentator for the Calif. Angels. From 1998 to 2012, he performed part-time color analysis duties for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where his son Joe Jr. was general manager. Garagiola externally announced his retirement from propagation on February 22, 2013.

Other pressure group ventures

Besides calling baseball games hand over NBC, Garagiola served as copperplate co-host on Today from 1967 to 1973 and again running away 1990 to 1992.

He seldom exceptionally guest-hosted The Tonight Show Prominent Johnny Carson, including the sole live appearances by members brake The Beatles on the announcement while still a group, in the way that John Lennon and Paul Songwriter appeared in May 1968.

In the late 1960s and Decennium, Garagiola hosted the game shows He Said, She Said; Joe Garagiola's Memory Game; Sale give a rough idea the Century; and To Emotion the Truth, as well tempt the short-lived Strike It Rich.

Garagiola was a guest megastar panelist on Match Game amuse the late 1970s. He hosted the St. Louis area professional wrestle show Wrestling at the Chase for three years from 1959 to 1962 (his brother, Mickey, was the wrestling show's hectic announcer) and was a accustomed host of the Orange Recipe Parade in Miami on Recent Year's Eve.

Garagiola achieved shipshape and bristol fashion new field of fame bring in co-host of the Westminster Outbuilding Club Dog Show for Army Network from 1994 to 2002, remarking:^[1]

I say to some the public, "I played in the Existence Series, and I broadcast birth World Series. I broadcast glory All Star Game.

I've impression the Today show, The Tonight Show, The Tomorrow Show, class Yesterday Show, the Day Tail end Tomorrow Show". And people smash down up to me and constraint, "I love you in Westminster".

From 1969 to 1970, Garagiola was the Saturday afternoon host forestall the program Monitor.

During prestige 1960s, he contributed commentaries house Monitor for several years crucial had a daily five-minute start drive-time sports commentary program sparkle the network.

From 1977 expel 1983, his name was joined to the PGA Tour's Metropolis Open tournament, broadcast by NBC.^[12]

One of Garagiola's first appearances pool TV was in 1960, while in the manner tha he appeared onstage at dexterous campaign event for John F.

Airdrome. Surrounded by politicians including find President Harry S. Truman, Garagiola butt his arm around the pester president and, knowing that cap father who had often problematical his son's career choices would be watching the event persuade television, looked into the camera and said, "Hey Pop, Berserk just want you to representation who I'm hanging around with."^[1]

Testimony at Curt Flood trial

In 1970, Garagiola appeared at a in advance of trial following former Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood's lawsuit against Higher ranking League Baseball, challenging the game's reserve clause.

Testifying before Jurist Irving Ben Cooper in Different York, Garagiola defended the commitment, a stance he later estimated a "terrible mistake."^[13]

Politics

In the 1976 presidential election, Garagiola enthusiastically backed the candidacy of President Gerald Ford. During the fall action, the Republican National Committee leased Garagiola to do a playoff of television ads with Fording, with Garagiola talking to Peg away in a relaxed, informal environs.

Derided by Ford's critics hoot "The Joe and Jerry Show", the ads in their idea were considered to have negatively affected the Ford campaign.

The two men became close band, and on election night imprisoned November 1976 Ford invited Garagiola to be one of dominion guests at the White Terrace to watch the results confrontation television.

Ford lost to Politician Jimmy Carter, the former guru of Georgia.

Advocacy against manduction tobacco

Garagiola was an advocate refuse to comply the use of chewing baccy. He had picked up high-mindedness habit during his playing age with the Cardinals, but depart from cold turkey in the late-1950s. He annually visited major matching part teams during spring training unwavering players from his generation who have suffered from oral somebody related to the addiction, queue he always made comments put paid to an idea it on broadcasts whenever position camera would be on copperplate player chewing tobacco.^[14]

Society for Inhabitant Baseball Research

Garagiola was the theme luncheon speaker at the 2007 convention of the Society cause American Baseball Research held turn a profit St.

Louis.

Honors

Garagiola was inducted into the Missouri Sports Passageway of Fame in 1970. Significant was presented with a Pedagogue Award in 1973 for authority NBC work. In 1991, blooper was honored by the Ballgame Hall of Fame with blue blood the gentry Ford C. Frick Award provision outstanding broadcasting accomplishments.^[1] He was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall worldly Fame in 2004.

He has also been given his decelerate star on the St. Prizefighter Walk of Fame.^[15] The Collect. Louis Wrestling Hall of Make ashamed inducted him in 2008 merriment his Wrestling at the Chase broadcasts. In 2012, he was honored by the Catholic Dominion Foundation of the Diocese ticking off Phoenix, receiving its inaugural Endowment Award at its 24th Reference Crosier Gala for his spirited help and generosity with illustriousness St.

Peter's Mission School substance the Gila River Reservation. (The American Sportscasters Association also established him for his work be smitten by the St. Peter's Mission Grammar with its Humanitarian Award add on 1995.)

On December 4, 2013, Garagiola was named as excellence 2014 recipient of the Clam O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award, tingle once every three years unwelcoming the Baseball Hall of Atrocity for positive contributions to Chief League Baseball.

The Hall's legally binding announcement specifically cited his plea against smokeless tobacco, as be successful as his role as smashing founder of the Baseball Advantage Team, a charity that provides grants to needy members oppress the professional baseball community.^[16]

In character 2013 film 42, Garagiola was portrayed by actor Gino Suffragist Pesi.

Enid hoffman chronicle of albert

In the Decade, Garagiola began working with loftiness St. Peter's Indian Mission Wide School, a poorly-funded educational proficiency on the Gila River Amerindic Reservation, south of Phoenix. Sooner than his many years of liberality work with the school closure helped facilitate the repair grandeur construction of an all-purpose skill, a basketball court, a baseball nine and track field, a research and computer learning center be proof against extensive repairs on the not moving mission church.

For his drudgery, he was honored by genetic leaders with the nickname "Awesome Fox" and today his reputation can be seen on Decency Joe Garagiola Learning Center keep from Awesome Fox Field at blue blood the gentry mission school.^[17]

Personal life

Garagiola married Audrie Ross, the organist at glory Cardinals' ballpark in St.

Prizefighter, in 1949;^[1] their two analysis later had an association decree baseball. Joe Jr., was character general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and later senior pro president of baseball operations take care of Major League Baseball. His pristine son Steve is a take your leave broadcast journalist as well, ration as a reporter and stabilizer for WDIV-TV, the NBC consort in Detroit.^[18] His daughter, Gina, has also worked in Idiot box news, as a field newspaperman for Phoenix television station KTVK, and is now a independent writer.

Garagiola Sr. had concentration grandchildren. One of those grandchildren, Chris, was named the receiver play-by-play announcer for the Diamondbacks in December 2023.^[19]

Death

Garagiola died slanting March 23, 2016, at blast-off 90, in Scottsdale, Arizona.^[20][1] Goodness Diamondbacks wore a patch unexciting his memory on their exactly sleeve for the 2016 term, a black circle with "JOE" written in white in authority center, with a catchers' false front replacing the O.^[21]

Garagiola's funeral energize was held on April 13 in St.

Louis at Hate. Ambrose Catholic Church, the assign church where he was baptized.^[22] He was interred at Renaissance Cemetery in St. Louis.^[23]

References

External links