Joe Garagiola, a Major League Baseball legend who successfully moved from the field to the broadcast booth, has died at the age of 90, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced Wednesday. The cause of his death was unclear.
Garagiola entertained audiences for 58 years with a sharp sense of humor and a seemingly endless trove of stories. Popular with those who followed sports and those who didn't, his personality transcended games and landed him a pair of stints on the "Today" show, a slot as a guest host in Carson's seat on "The Tonight Show," spots as a game show host and almost a decade on Westminster dog show telecasts.
His longtime friend, Yogi Berra, died last year.
A 20-year-old rookie with the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals in 1946 — he had more hits and RBIs in the seven-game matchup against Boston than Ted Williams — Garagiola spent nine seasons in the majors as a catcher. He was a career .257 hitter, then really became a star once he stopped playing. READ MORE
Featured Image: Broadcaster Joe Garagiola (L) waves to fans in honor of his retirement, standing with Steve Berthiaume during the MLB game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on April 14, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)