(Author unknown. Joe Garagiola's playing days were before my time. I remember him primarily as a commentator and TV personality, now forever associated with the game of baseball.)
The first time I saw or heard his name I saw him at a baseball game...He was a player, and although he didn't play that day, he was on the team...I had never heard of most of the players as this was the first game I had ever attended, at any level...Although it was a big league game I had never heard of most of the players...There was no TV back then and I was only 11 years old, I didn't spend a lot of time reading the papers...Although it was my first game I was very excited, it was a very big deal...
All this happened almost 70 years ago, in October of 1946...The game was the sixth game of he 46' World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox...I was there because my brother-in-law, Mott Wade, had invited my father who could not attend because of work...I was his replacement..There were two other adults, Sanford Sanders, and Forrest "Feathers" Thompson...We had no tickets so we drove from Poseyville to St. Louis the night before, and got in line for tickets to be sold the next morning, first come first served, for seats in the right field pavilion of Sportsman Park...Once in line we secured our spot on the sidewalk next to Grand Avenue in St. Louis...To say that it was an exciting time for me is a gross understatement...I was thrilled to death, and although I hadn't been a fan before, from that day forward I have been a St. Louis Cardinal fan...I didn't sleep much that night, (our bed was the sidewalk) I just remember the trolleys (was Judy Garland on board), the men "hawking" their wares, and all the excitement surrounding the event...
Once inside the stadium, and in our seats, we watched all the pregame activity including batting and fielding practice...Because Mott was a big Cardinal fan he pointed out all the players to me, including Stan "the Man" Musial, and Red Sox slugger Ted Williams, who was playing in what would prove to be his only Series...I could go into much more detail about this game and the players (We were seated in right field just behind Enos "Country" Slaughter), but this is about the player who had been previously unknown to me...
The player was a rookie catcher from St. Louis named Joe Garagiola...He wasn't the starting catcher, and he didn't play that day, but he was the back up and a very promising prospect...He got four hits in one of the other Series games...
That was 70 years ago, boy does time fly or what, and Joe was only 20 years old...Joe went to be with the Lord last Wednesday, the 23rd, at age 90...The rookie catcher I first saw from the right field pavilion, is gone...
Joe was a St. Louis native, having been raised in the Nob Hill neighborhood of that river city...His childhood buddy, Lawrence "Yogi" Berra, passed away last year...Both Joe and Yogi were highly regarded prospects, with Joe generally considered the best of the two, and he was signed to play with the home town Cardinals...Yogi, who turned out to be one of the greatest of all time, signed with the Yankees where he starred, and played on numerous pennant and series winners...Joe's baseball career, lasted nine years, mostly as as journeyman catcher, with a lifetime batting average of .257...
This is about Joe, who after giving up his spikes in 64', became a radio sidekick of Cardinal announcer Harry Caray, another St. Louis native and long time voice of the Red Birds...This launched Joe's other career which later included TV, both as an announcer and talk show personality...He was a natural and his career lasted for 30 years or so...While he was doing the St' Louis games with Harry, Joe's wife played the organ at Sportsman's Park...The Cards had a player named Wally Moon, who became Rookie of the Year...When he would hit a home run Joe's wife would play "How high the Moon" a popular song of the 50's...I know, I was there...
Joe played several years with Cardinal legend Stan "the Man" Musial, and the two became friends...Joe's father-in-law, Biggie Gargannia, was Stan's partner in their restaurant "Stan and Biggie's"...After both were retired the two became business partners in a bowling alley venture...It didn't go well and sometime during the ensuing proceedings Joe sued Stan...Musial didn't take it well and it destroyed their friendship...A sad foot note to an otherwise great St. Louis relationship...
Joe never became a great player, a journeyman at best, but he made his name on another playing field...
Joe used to joke that the low breaking ball, which was his undoing as a batter, put him in the announcers booth...In the end a good thing for Joe as it launched the career that made him a star...Joe was a Cardinal and will always be in my Cardinal bank of memories...
Along with Stan the Man, who is already there...Maybe the two will meet in heaven and resolve those earthly differences...I hope so...
GOD BLESS JOE GARAGIOLA
1926-2016
REST in PEACE
The first time I saw or heard his name I saw him at a baseball game...He was a player, and although he didn't play that day, he was on the team...I had never heard of most of the players as this was the first game I had ever attended, at any level...Although it was a big league game I had never heard of most of the players...There was no TV back then and I was only 11 years old, I didn't spend a lot of time reading the papers...Although it was my first game I was very excited, it was a very big deal...
All this happened almost 70 years ago, in October of 1946...The game was the sixth game of he 46' World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox...I was there because my brother-in-law, Mott Wade, had invited my father who could not attend because of work...I was his replacement..There were two other adults, Sanford Sanders, and Forrest "Feathers" Thompson...We had no tickets so we drove from Poseyville to St. Louis the night before, and got in line for tickets to be sold the next morning, first come first served, for seats in the right field pavilion of Sportsman Park...Once in line we secured our spot on the sidewalk next to Grand Avenue in St. Louis...To say that it was an exciting time for me is a gross understatement...I was thrilled to death, and although I hadn't been a fan before, from that day forward I have been a St. Louis Cardinal fan...I didn't sleep much that night, (our bed was the sidewalk) I just remember the trolleys (was Judy Garland on board), the men "hawking" their wares, and all the excitement surrounding the event...
Once inside the stadium, and in our seats, we watched all the pregame activity including batting and fielding practice...Because Mott was a big Cardinal fan he pointed out all the players to me, including Stan "the Man" Musial, and Red Sox slugger Ted Williams, who was playing in what would prove to be his only Series...I could go into much more detail about this game and the players (We were seated in right field just behind Enos "Country" Slaughter), but this is about the player who had been previously unknown to me...
The player was a rookie catcher from St. Louis named Joe Garagiola...He wasn't the starting catcher, and he didn't play that day, but he was the back up and a very promising prospect...He got four hits in one of the other Series games...
That was 70 years ago, boy does time fly or what, and Joe was only 20 years old...Joe went to be with the Lord last Wednesday, the 23rd, at age 90...The rookie catcher I first saw from the right field pavilion, is gone...
Joe was a St. Louis native, having been raised in the Nob Hill neighborhood of that river city...His childhood buddy, Lawrence "Yogi" Berra, passed away last year...Both Joe and Yogi were highly regarded prospects, with Joe generally considered the best of the two, and he was signed to play with the home town Cardinals...Yogi, who turned out to be one of the greatest of all time, signed with the Yankees where he starred, and played on numerous pennant and series winners...Joe's baseball career, lasted nine years, mostly as as journeyman catcher, with a lifetime batting average of .257...
This is about Joe, who after giving up his spikes in 64', became a radio sidekick of Cardinal announcer Harry Caray, another St. Louis native and long time voice of the Red Birds...This launched Joe's other career which later included TV, both as an announcer and talk show personality...He was a natural and his career lasted for 30 years or so...While he was doing the St' Louis games with Harry, Joe's wife played the organ at Sportsman's Park...The Cards had a player named Wally Moon, who became Rookie of the Year...When he would hit a home run Joe's wife would play "How high the Moon" a popular song of the 50's...I know, I was there...
Joe played several years with Cardinal legend Stan "the Man" Musial, and the two became friends...Joe's father-in-law, Biggie Gargannia, was Stan's partner in their restaurant "Stan and Biggie's"...After both were retired the two became business partners in a bowling alley venture...It didn't go well and sometime during the ensuing proceedings Joe sued Stan...Musial didn't take it well and it destroyed their friendship...A sad foot note to an otherwise great St. Louis relationship...
Joe never became a great player, a journeyman at best, but he made his name on another playing field...
Joe used to joke that the low breaking ball, which was his undoing as a batter, put him in the announcers booth...In the end a good thing for Joe as it launched the career that made him a star...Joe was a Cardinal and will always be in my Cardinal bank of memories...
Along with Stan the Man, who is already there...Maybe the two will meet in heaven and resolve those earthly differences...I hope so...
GOD BLESS JOE GARAGIOLA
1926-2016
REST in PEACE
