Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Garagiola dies at age 90
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Garagiola died Wednesday morning following an unparalleled career in baseball spanning from his playing days in the 1940s to his role as a D-backs broadcaster on FOX Sports Arizona through 2013.
Garagiola had a nine-year Major League career before gravitating to the broadcast booth, where his folksy, passionate storytelling led him to a stint as host of NBC's Today Show. His many accolades included the 1991 Ford C. Frick Award and the 2014 Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award.
Garagiola was a longtime Arizona resident. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Audrie, eight grandchildren and children Steve, Gina and Joe Jr., who served as the Diamondbacks' first general manager from 1997-2005.
"Joe was so special to everyone at the D-backs and had an aura about him that you could feel the moment you met him," said D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall. "Those of us who were lucky enough to know him personally were profoundly aware that the lovable personality that fans saw on TV was only surpassed by who he was in person and the way he treated everyone around him.
"We lost a big part of our personality and character, but we've got fond memories that we're always going to cherish of one of the most loved men in the history of our game."
His family issued the following statement:
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of this amazing man who was not just beloved by 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."
Garagiola played nine seasons as a catcher in the major leagues, breaking in as a 20-year-old with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1946. He stayed with his hometown team until being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1951. He also played with the Chicago Cubs and New York Giants.
He reached the World Series as a rookie in 1946 and went 6-for-19 in five Fall Classic games, including a four-hit, three-RBI performance in Game 4 vs. the Red Sox. His playing career was the butt of many self-depracating jokes, but he was more than an adequate major leaguer -- compiling a .257 career batting average with 42 home runs while playing in 676 games. He enjoyed his best season with the Pirates in 1952, batting .273 with eight home runs and 54 RBI in 118 games.
Garagiola grew up in an Italian neighborhood in St. Louis, where he was a childhood friend of future Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, who died last year.
"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.
Following his career, he had a nearly 30-year association with NBC, including six years alongside Vin Scully as the No. 1 broadcast team that called the "Game of the Week," All-Star Games and World Series.
"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.
His time at NBC also included many years at the Today Show, working with Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs from 1967 to 1973, and with Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric from 1990-1992. He also appeared as a guest host on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.
"God I'll miss Joe Garagiola. Was part of the soul of our show, and told me stories that made me laugh till I cried. Hall of fame person," tweeted "Today" host Matt Lauer.
Garagiola's work as a commentator for the Westminster dog show helped inspire Fred Willard's daffy character Buck Laughlin in the mockumentary "Best in Show."
"One of the world's good guys," said his longtime Westminster broadcasting partner, David Frei. "He loved the game, of course, but he loved life. That's why he was so well-loved everywhere he went, including the dog show."
Garagiola was intimately involved in numerous community causes -- among them the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.), which provides assistance for former players in need; the National Spit Tobacco Education Program; and the St. Peter Indian Mission.
D-backs managing general partner Ken Kendrick said: "Joe was one-of-a-kind, and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to get to know him and his family. His sense of humor certainly stood out to all of us, but perhaps more importantly, the mark he left in the community around him will carry on his legacy for generations to come."
The broadcast wing and TV booth at Chase Field was named after Garagiola in 2009, and Joe Garagiola Field was dedicated in Flagstaff in 2012.
Hall recalled how deeply Garagiola was moved by the field dedication ceremony:
"To watch a man who has accomplished so much as he has, and has received so many awards, you would have thought this was the most important thing in his life. The tears that he shed because of this field in his name and knowing that kids were going to play on that field meant a lot to him for eternity."
The Diamondbacks honored Garagiola with a moment of silence prior to Wednesday's spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Salt River Fields. Hall said an announcement of additional plans to honor him during the upcoming season is forthcoming.
"The moment of silence was special," Hall said. "I think it caught a lot of our fans by surprise, but it's the least that we can do. He's meant a lot to this organization, he's a big part of our history already, I thought it was special for that moment to be shared with our fans here."
A funeral service will be held in his hometown of St. Louis, and a local memorial will take place in Arizona at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to B.A.T. or the St. Peter Indian Mission.
Bob Baum of the Associated Press contributed to this report.
