Joe Garagiola died today at the age of 90.
After his career in the big leagues–he played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and New York Giants–Garagiola went on to a 30-year career as a baseball broadcaster.
He was also a co-host of NBC’s Today show from 1967 to 1973 (in image, seated next to Barbara Walters) and again from 1991 to 1992. He also was a guest host of The Tonight Show and hosted several game shows, including To Tell the Truth and What’s My Line?
Today show co-anchor Matt Lauer called Garagiola, “part of the soul of our show.” He “told me stories that made me laugh till I cried.”
Garagiola, who lived in Scottsdale, Ariz., is survived by his wife of 66 years, Audrie and their two sons, Joe Jr., an svp of baseball operations with Major League Baseball and Steve, who is a sportscaster at WDIV in Detroit, and a daughter, Gina Bridgeman, who is a writer in Phoenix.
We will dearly miss our friend Joe Garagiola pic.twitter.com/HCHgiEeYS7
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 23, 2016