When I was a little kid I'd watch the Game of the Week, announced by Joe, with my older brother, Methusela. Congratulations on a great career, Joe.

When I was a little kid I'd watch the Game of the Week, announced by Joe, with my older brother, Methusela Julio Franco

FF

When I was a kid Joe Garagiola was the Cubs' catcher.

Joe parlayed a nice little career into a tremendous career in broadcasting. Good luck, Joe.

Garagiola's first pro team was the 1942 Springfield (Illinois) Cardinals; he was just 16 years old. (Springfield's manager was Clifton (Runt) Marr, whose first pro team was the Hiawatha (Kansas) Indians in 1912.)

Seventy years in baseball. God bless you, Joe.

I grew up with that 1912 Hiawatha team. My favorite players were Calvin?, H. Deal?, and Shimmael?.

Shimmael?.

Shimmael had a famous post-baseball career:

"Shimmael, schlimazel, hasenpfeffer incorporated!"

(I'm ashamed to admit I know this.)

i enjoyed listening to joe on the game of the week when i was a kid. i liked him even more when i found out he was a boyhood friend of yogi berra. they grew up in the same neighborhood in st. louis.

My first encounter with Garagiola was in the form of a book from the library when I was maybe 11, Baseball is a Funny Game. Had to have been one of the first baseball books I ever read.

9 - Me too. That one, Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle's books, and John R. Tunis.

Made a nice little career for himself outside baseball, too -- game show host, the Today Show, guest-hosted the Tonight Show a bunch. Based on McCarver and Garagiola, I guess we can look forward to hearing Yadier Molina's broadcasts from about 2020 to 2060.

"Shimmael, schlimazel, hasenpfeffer incorporated!"

(I'm ashamed to admit I know this.)

i thought it was 'schlemiel, schlemazel ...'

I remember reading a Bob Feller biography when he was still active but yeah John R. Tunis books were great. (Was the first baseman on his team nicknamed highpockets?)

I had no idea he was still going. He's been broadcasting longer than I've been alive. A good innings for sure.

but yeah John R. Tunis books were great.

I also loved his basketball books

I think I read (which is to say, I think our small public library only had) Tunis' Kid from Tomkinsville. As I've mentioned before, my favorites as a kid were Duane Decker's Blue Sox novels.

I see that in this book, the author (whom I know only as a columnist for the unfortunately just-now-defunct Comic Buyers Guide; I know she was a BNF once upon a time as Mike Nolan) adjudges Tunis as "The Best of the Best."

Never read Tunis but I loved the Decker books.

It’s that charisma and uncle-like personality that has always made him among our favorites, beginning all the way back to when he was a co-host of NBC’s “Today Show,” a frequent guest host of “The Tonight Show” or his countless appearances on programs from “To Tell the Truth” and “What’s My Line?” to co-hosting coverage of the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York.

I remember him on the Today Show, but not on Tonight.

YOu know how old he is? 87. 87! May I be vertical at that age.

I remember reading a Bob Feller biography when he was still active but yeah John R. Tunis books were great. (Was the first baseman on his team nicknamed highpockets?)

Nope. He was the cocky young power-hitting OF. (Though it's 45-50 yr since I read those books, so memory may be faulty.)

Watched him on Saturdays as a kid before all the games were on cable.
Had no idea he was still broadcasting.
Had no idea he was still alive.
This is intended as a compliment.

(Was the first baseman on his team nicknamed highpockets?)

Nope. He was the cocky young power-hitting OF.

You have a better memory than me-of course for me its 55-60 years ago.

Tunis' sixth Dodgers novel, Highpockets, came out in 1948. The title is the nickname for Cecil McDade, the talented rookie outfielder whose arrogance causes problems on and off the field.

Half of my favorite announcing duo, with Vin Scully.

I remember him on the Today Show, but not on Tonight.

After the Beatles decided to form Apple, John and Paul went on the Tonight Show to announce the new company to their American fans. Unfortunately, Joe Garagiola happened to be guest-hosting that night, and didn't appear to have ever heard of the Beatles before.

After the Beatles decided to form Apple, John and Paul went on the Tonight Show to announce the new company to their American fans. Unfortunately, Joe Garagiola happened to be guest-hosting that night, and didn't appear to have ever heard of the Beatles before.

In the late 1960's, Garagiola sounded like Bob Feller whenever the subject got around to cultural changes, both on and off the diamond.

I had no idea he was still going. He's been broadcasting longer than I've been alive. A good innings for sure.

Likewise.

Truth be told, Joe wasn't that great a baseball broadcaster, at least as PBP guy -- which is why he became a color man when NBC was able to get Vin Scully as their lead baseball PBP guy.(*) Together, they were a top-notch duo. (Vin: "Can you believe this ballgame at Shea!?" Joe: "Oh, brother." Groundball to Buckner ....)

A friend of mine served as the organist at the 1989 Congressional baseball game, and I went with him and our seats happened to be right behind Joe G., one of the guests of honor. I kind of thought the other was Bart Giamatti, but a quick Google search was unable to confirm. Joe G. was a witty raconteur in the baseball sense and had 'em rolling in the aisles at times.

(*) Of course, if one were to engage in a parlor game to answer the question, "What is the least cosmically-possible shame-inducing professional demotion?", leading with, "Being bumped out of a baseball broadcasting gig in favor of Vin Scully" seems like a pretty good idea.

My first encounter with Garagiola was in the form of a book from the library when I was maybe 11, Baseball is a Funny Game. Had to have been one of the first baseball books I ever read.

Heh - me too!

In fact, a few months back -- I cleaned out some boxes of books, taking about four full crates of old paperbacks and others to a used bookstore for trade -- and agonized precisely over my tattered copy of this and ultimately decided it belonged in the pile of keepers.

I remember Joe Garagiola hosting the game show Sale of the Century. Was it Bill James who thought Joe Garagiola was responsible for turning the image of Yogi Berra into a clown that people forget he's a inner circle HOF?

My first encounter with Garagiola was in the form of a book from the library when I was maybe 11, Baseball is a Funny Game. Had to have been one of the first baseball books I ever read.

Heh - me too!

In fact, a few months back -- I cleaned out some boxes of books, taking about four full crates of old paperbacks and others to a used bookstore for trade -- and agonized precisely over my tattered copy of this and ultimately decided it belonged in the pile of keepers.

Just as well, as it likely would have wound up in the "50 cents a box" pile. There are 106 copies of that book on Amazon right now, beginning at a penny.

Which is to say $4, with shipping factored in. Though I see the cheapest two are actually $3.99.

#6 -- Tremendous. I was always a Smith? fan, myself.

1912 Hiawatha Indians