Fansided

Former broadcaster, catcher Joe Garagiola dies at age of 90

By Dave Stevenson

PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 31: Former MLB player and announcer, Joe Garagiola, Sr stands with Arizona little league players as they throw out the Ceremonial first pitch before the Opening Day MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field on March 31, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 31: Former MLB player and announcer, Joe Garagiola, Sr stands with Arizona little league players as they throw out the Ceremonial first pitch before the Opening Day MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field on March 31, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Baseball has lost one of its greatest broadcasters ever as Joe Garagiola, Sr. passed away. 

Major League Baseball has lost one of its greatest broadcasters ever as Joe Garagiola, Sr., former Arizona Diamondbacks color commentator and former broadcaster for Major League Baseball on NBC, has passed away at the age of 90 years old.

He leaves behind a legacy both on and off the field. Garagiola spent six years of his playing career as a catcher with the St. Louis Cardinals, three years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, two years with the Chicago Cubs, and one year with the New York Giants. The catcher helped the Cardinals win the 1946 World Series with a .316 batting average, 2 doubles and 4 runs batted in in 5 games. In 676 career games, he had 481 hits and 42 home runs.

After his retirement, he went into the broadcast booth. Garagiola spent two stints with Major League Baseball on NBC as its lead color commentator from 1961 to 1964 and again from 1983 to 1988. He also served as the network’s lead play-by-play announcer from 1974 to 1982. Garagiola made his return to the broadcast booth on a part-time basis from 1998 to 2012 with the Diamondbacks. His son Joe Garagiola, Jr. was the general manager of the Diamondbacks until 2005.

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