Yogi Berra - Related Biography: Baseball Player Joe Garagiola

Joe Garagiola became an extremely popular broadcaster following a nine-year major league baseball career that included play with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and New York Giants. An injury to his left shoulder in 1950 hurt his effectiveness on the field and resulted to his transfer to baseball announcing booth, where he first appeared in 1955 working for his home team, the Cardinals.

With his national debut on the Jack Parr Show in 1957, Garagiola embarked on a career that included a remarkable variety of non-drama programming. He served as announcer and commentator on the baseball Game of the Week and post-season baseball competitions, as well as did news, game shows, talk shows, and advertising. He partnered with Barbara Walters on the Today show from 1967 to 1973, guest hosted the Tonight Show, and emceed the Sale of the Century and To Tell the Truth.

The former player's wide appeal came from his enthusiasm and sense of humor. And, although they didn't endear him to everyone, he also loved to tell stories about Berra and other old-timers. Garagiola's friendship with his former neighbor is well documented. The pair once took Sports Illustrated writer William Taaffe to the old neighborhood, where they lived across from each other on Elizabeth Street in consecutively numbered houses. It was, Taaffe said, a regular "pilgrimage" for two men who now live on opposite ends of the country. Like Berra, Garagiola is also an author: he has published two books on baseball and provided the forward for The Yogi Book.