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BOOSTER CLUB MEETING - OCTOBER 6th
Guest Speaker: Joe Garagiola
6:45 p.m. - NDP cafeteria
Joe Garagiola, a member of the broadcasters’ wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame has combined insight and humor over five decades of baseball broadcasting, including nearly 25 years on the Saturday Game of the Week telecasts on NBC. In addition, Garagiola spent 11 years as a co-host on NBC’s “Today” show, as well serving as host of a number of popular game shows.
Garagiola’s broadcasting career began shortly after his playing career ended. He broke into the major leagues in 1946 as a catcher with the St. Louis Cardinals, and contributed four hits in Game 4 of the 1946 World Series, won by the Cardinals in six games. Joe also played with the Chicago Cubs, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates. Upon retirement in 1954, Garagiola was offered a position on the Cardinals’ broadcast team, working with fellow Hall of Famers Harry Caray and Jack Buck. Garagiola would eventually move to the television booth with the New York Yankees, working with the initial co-winner of the Ford C. Frick award, Red Barber. At NBC, Garagiola shared the booth with two more Cooperstown enshrinees, Curt Gowdy and Vin Scully.
NDP Booster President George Krueger and Joe Garagiola
A Valley resident, Garagiola has been extremely active in the community and was honored as the 1998 recipient of the Children’s MVP Award presented by the Jim Eisenreich Foundation. The award goes to a former player who has made significant contributions to children’s causes. He works tirelessly for the Baseball Assistance Team, and is very visible at major league spring training camps, educating players on the evils of spit tobacco.
Garagiola was honored in November, 2001 by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce for his work in the community, which includes his efforts on behalf of the St. Peter’s Indian Mission in the Gila River Indian Community. Nicknamed “Awesome Fox” by the staff of St. Peter’s, the baseball field at St. Peter’s School is named “Awesome Fox Field” in his honor.
Garagiola is the author of several baseball books, including the newly released “Just Play Ball,” with the forward written by his lifelong friend, Yogi Berra.
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