OT: RIP Joe Garagiola

[JavaMan]

Joe Garagiola, Baseball Player Who Became a Broadcasting Star, Dies at 90

Joe Garagiola, who spent nine forgettable seasons in the major leagues as a weak-hitting catcher and then parlayed his witty tales of life as a baseball underachiever into a far more notable career as a folksy broadcaster and television personality, died on Wednesday. He was 90.

Major League Baseball announced his death but did not say where he had died. He had lived in Arizona.

Garagiola was propelled from the catcher’s box into the broadcast booth largely by his crowd-pleasing appearance before a United States Senate subcommittee on monopoly practices in April 1954. At the time, he was playing for the Chicago Cubs.

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[Sonny44]

Great personality, we could use more like him.

 

[Scud49]

RIP Joe, I liked his style, commentary, and wit.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Saturday afternoon with Joe and Kubek on the TV.
The good old days.

 

[Waquoit]

Joe was a great baseball man.

 

[msf22b]

Always my favorite
By far, most knowledgable
most communicative.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Grew up in St Louis with Yogi Berra.

 

[Icebear]

Grew up in St Louis with Yogi Berra.

I believe it was on the same block.

 

[msf22b]

Saturday afternoon with Joe and Kubek on the TV.
The good old days.

Tony's still around at 90

 

[huskeynut]

Joe and Yogi get to play catch again. RIP Joe. They don't make them like you anymore!

 

[j66kicker]

Grew up in St Louis with Yogi Berra.

Joe signed with the Cards in 1943 after they tried out Yogi and rejected him - ha!

RIP

 

[dbmill]

Yogi Berra died six months ago, also at age 90. Considering they were childhood friends who both ended up as major league catchers, that really is something to think about.

 

[jsloanjr]

God Bless you JG!!!!!!!! You were one of a kind

 

[nutmegger]

Tony's still around at 90

Tony is only 80 years old.

 

[Waquoit]

I believe it was on the same block.

That was his go-to story. Most guys in the bigs were the best player in their county or state. I wasn't even the best guy on my block.

 

[CL82]

Sorry to hear it. I always liked him.

 

[meyers7]

RIP Joe. Always liked him as an announcer. And of course he was from and played for "the Lou".

 

[LesMis89]

RIP Joe. Always liked him as an announcer. And of course he was from and played for "the Lou".

Red says that he's now about the last member of the '46 WS champions but that if you make it to 90, you've had a good life.

 

[Bliss]

I believe it was on the same block.

Yeah, they grew up on The Hill, an Italian community on the south side.

 

[BlueDolphin]

He's usually remembered as a bad ballplayer, but I always thought his playing career deserved a little better regard than it's always received. A lot of that is own fault because he was always so self-deprecating about his baseball skills. He was no Yogi by a long shot, but he was a pretty decent catcher in the big leagues for nine years.

My only trip to Ebbets Field (I was a Giants fan) the Pirates creamed the Dodgers and Kiner and Garagiola hit home runs.