DATE: 1986 ORIGINAL or DUPLICATE: Original Film TEAM: St. Louis Cardinals SUBJECT: APPROXIMATE SIZE: 35mm in Kodachrome slide mount NUMBER OF SLIDES: 1 COMMENTS / CONDITION: This is an original color transparency (film) which, like original negatives, can be used to produce high-quality prints (and unlike negatives, can be viewed and enjoyed with the naked eye, without having to use software to invert the image). See scan for further details. This is one of a large accumulation of vintage sports photographs, slides and negatives that we will be listing over the coming months. Wear on these, if any, is mostly confined to minor corner and edge wear, but see scans for further details including condition. We do not deal in stock images or modern reprints, and all scans shown are of the actual vintage photograph, slide or negative being sold. If you have any questions about a particular piece, please ask before the auction ends. BIO: Joseph Henry Garagiola was born in 1926 in St. Louis, MO and died in 2016 in Phoenix, AZ. He played major league baseball from 1946 to 1954 as catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and the New York Giants, appeared in the 1946 World Series, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. He grew up on Elizabeth Avenue in an Italian-American neighborhood in St. Louis known as The Hill, just a few doors down from his childhood friend and competitor, Yogi Berra. About growing up living next to Berra, Garagiola once said, "Not only was I not the best catcher in the Major Leagues, I wasn't even the best catcher on my street!" Garagiola was signed at age 16 by the St. Louis Cardinals organization. At 17 he remains the youngest player to play in Columbus Red Birds (now Columbus Clippers) history. He was a mediocre hitter in the majors and featured that in his self-deprecating humor. He once told this story on himself: He knew that it was time to retire, when he was catching and his ex-teammate Stan Musial stepped into the batter's box, turned to Joe, and said, "When are you gonna quit?" After his retirement from baseball, Garagiola lent his name to a 1960 book, Baseball is a Funny Game, which sold well upon release and helped establish Garagiola as a "personality." The (largely ghostwritten) book was a collection of humorous anecdotes surrounding his upbringing and his playing career, and showcased the folksy, humorous style that became his trademark as a broadcaster. Garagiola turned to broadcasting following his retirement as a player, first calling Cardinals radio broadcasts on KMOX from 1955 to 1962. As an announcer, Garagiola is best known for his almost 30 year association with NBC television. He began doing national baseball broadcasts for the network in 1961 (teaming with Bob Wolff). Additionally, Garagiola called several World Series on NBC Radio in the 1960s, teaming with a number of announcers including By Saam and George Kell. After a stint doing New York Yankees games from 1965 to 1967 that saw him call Mickey Mantle's 500th home run, Garagiola returned to broadcasting NBC baseball in 1974. Garagiola alternated play-by-play duties with Curt Gowdy on NBC until 1976, when he assumed the role full-time. He teamed with color commentator Tony Kubek from 1976 to 1982; in 1983, he shifted to color commentary as Vin Scully joined the network as lead play-by-play announcer. After calling the 1988 World Series with Scully, Garagiola resigned from NBC Sports. NBC was on the verge of losing the television rights to cover Major League Baseball to CBS. Garagiola claimed that NBC left him "twisting" while he was trying to renegotiate his deal. Garagiola was replaced on the NBC telecasts by Tom Seaver. After leaving NBC Sports, Garagiola had a brief stint as a television commentator for the California Angels. He has also performed some color commentary duties for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where his son, Joe Garagiola, Jr., served as general manager. Besides calling baseball games for NBC, Garagiola served as a panelist on The Today Show from 1967 to 1973 and again from 1990 to 1992. He also occasionally guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In the late 1960s and 1970s, Garagiola also hosted the game shows He Said, She Said; Joe Garagiola's Memory Game; Sale of the Century; To Tell the Truth; and Strike it Rich; as well as the Monday Night Baseball pre-game show The Baseball World of Joe Garagiola. He also hosted the St. Louis area professional wrestling show, titled Wrestling at the Chase. Garagiola also gained a new form of fame thanks to his stints as host of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Garagiola's son, Joe Jr., went on to become the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks and later, senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball. SKU: LSP01325
Item: LSP01325
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