DATE: 1951 ORIGINAL or REPRINT: Original - Printed from the original negative in the time period in which it was shot TEAM: Pittsburgh Pirates SUBJECTS: Joe Garagiola, Bill Howerton, Billy Meyer, Danny Murtaugh APPROXIMATE SIZE: 10"x8-1/8" NUMBER OF PHOTOS: 1 COMMENTS / CONDITION: This is one of a large accumulation of vintage sports photographs, slides and negatives that we will be listing over the coming months. Wear on these, if any, is mostly confined to minor corner and edge wear, but see scans for further details including condition. We do not deal in stock images or modern reprints, and all scans shown are of the actual vintage photograph, slide or negative being sold. If you have any questions about a particular piece, please ask before the auction ends. BIO: Joseph Henry Garagiola was born in 1926 in St. Louis, MO and died in 2016 in Phoenix, AZ. He played major league baseball from 1946 to 1954 as catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and the New York Giants, appeared in the 1946 World Series, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. He grew up on Elizabeth Avenue in an Italian-American neighborhood in St. Louis known as The Hill, just a few doors down from his childhood friend and competitor, Yogi Berra. About growing up living next to Berra, Garagiola once said, "Not only was I not the best catcher in the Major Leagues, I wasn't even the best catcher on my street!" Garagiola was signed at age 16 by the St. Louis Cardinals organization. At 17 he remains the youngest player to play in Columbus Red Birds (now Columbus Clippers) history. He was a mediocre hitter in the majors and featured that in his self-deprecating humor. He once told this story on himself: He knew that it was time to retire, when he was catching and his ex-teammate Stan Musial stepped into the batter's box, turned to Joe, and said, "When are you gonna quit?" After his retirement from baseball, Garagiola lent his name to a 1960 book, Baseball is a Funny Game, which sold well upon release and helped establish Garagiola as a "personality." The (largely ghostwritten) book was a collection of humorous anecdotes surrounding his upbringing and his playing career, and showcased the folksy, humorous style that became his trademark as a broadcaster. Garagiola turned to broadcasting following his retirement as a player, first calling Cardinals radio broadcasts on KMOX from 1955 to 1962. As an announcer, Garagiola is best known for his almost 30 year association with NBC television. He began doing national baseball broadcasts for the network in 1961 (teaming with Bob Wolff). Additionally, Garagiola called several World Series on NBC Radio in the 1960s, teaming with a number of announcers including By Saam and George Kell. After a stint doing New York Yankees games from 1965 to 1967 that saw him call Mickey Mantle's 500th home run, Garagiola returned to broadcasting NBC baseball in 1974. Garagiola alternated play-by-play duties with Curt Gowdy on NBC until 1976, when he assumed the role full-time. He teamed with color commentator Tony Kubek from 1976 to 1982; in 1983, he shifted to color commentary as Vin Scully joined the network as lead play-by-play announcer. After calling the 1988 World Series with Scully, Garagiola resigned from NBC Sports. NBC was on the verge of losing the television rights to cover Major League Baseball to CBS. Garagiola claimed that NBC left him "twisting" while he was trying to renegotiate his deal. Garagiola was replaced on the NBC telecasts by Tom Seaver. After leaving NBC Sports, Garagiola had a brief stint as a television commentator for the California Angels. He has also performed some color commentary duties for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where his son, Joe Garagiola, Jr., served as general manager. Besides calling baseball games for NBC, Garagiola served as a panelist on The Today Show from 1967 to 1973 and again from 1990 to 1992. He also occasionally guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In the late 1960s and 1970s, Garagiola also hosted the game shows He Said, She Said; Joe Garagiola's Memory Game; Sale of the Century; To Tell the Truth; and Strike it Rich; as well as the Monday Night Baseball pre-game show The Baseball World of Joe Garagiola. He also hosted the St. Louis area professional wrestling show, titled Wrestling at the Chase. Garagiola also gained a new form of fame thanks to his stints as host of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Garagiola's son, Joe Jr., went on to become the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks and later, senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball. William Ray Howerton (Hopalong) was born in 1921 in Lompoc, CA and died in 2001 in Blakely, PA. He went to college at Saint Mary's College of California. He played major league baseball from 1949 to 1952 as outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Giants. William Adam Meyer was born in 1893 in Knoxville, TN and died in 1957 in Knoxville, TN of a heart attack at the age of 65. He played major league baseball from 1913 to 1917 as catcher for the Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Athletics. A catcher who spent most of his playing career in the minor leagues, Meyer broke into the majors with the 1913 Chicago White Sox, but played only one game. Three years later, in 1916, he returned to the American League with the Philadelphia Athletics. Despite his association with these debacles, Meyer was a highly respected figure in baseball. He spent a dozen years (1936-47) as the manager of top farm clubs for the New York Yankees — Oakland of the Pacific Coast League, Kansas City of the American Association, and Newark of the International League, winning four league championships. Unfortunately for Meyer, the skipper of the Yankees for most of that time was the legendary Joe McCarthy (ironically, a close friend of Meyer's), and he was never called to manage the big club. In 19 seasons as a minor league skipper, Meyer's clubs won 1,605 and lost 1,325 (.548). After his 1939 Kansas City club won 107 games, Meyer was named Minor League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News. After being passed over as McCarthy's successor three times in 1946-47 (in favor of Bill Dickey, Johnny Neun and Bucky Harris), Meyer was offered the managing job with the last-place Pirates. In his first year, Pittsburgh rose to fourth place in the 1948 National League standings, improving by 21 games to a record of 83-71. The Sporting News named him Major League Manager of the Year. Meyer remained in Pittsburgh, but the Pirates—despite the home run heroics of Ralph Kiner—quickly plummeted back to the bottom of the NL standings. By 1950, they were back in the cellar, and legendary executive Branch Rickey became Pittsburgh's general manager. His solution was to purge the team of high-salaried veterans and bring up young players from the minors. The tactic had worked for Rickey with the St. Louis Cardinals and Brooklyn Dodgers, but backfired disastrously in Pittsburgh, since most of the youngsters he called up were not ready for the majors. They managed to improve to seventh in 1951, but by 1952, the team hit its nadir, losing 112 games. Meyer was replaced by Fred Haney at the end of that campaign. Despite a managing record of 317-452 (.412) over five seasons, all with Pittsburgh, and a career batting average of only .236 (with one home run and 21 runs batted in), Meyer was given two significant honors, a measure of how widely respected he was. For years the baseball park in his native city of Knoxville, Tennessee, was named Bill Meyer Stadium. And the Pirates retired Meyer's uniform number (1), despite that horrible 1952 campaign. Daniel Edward Murtaugh was born in 1917 in Chester, PA and died in 1976 in Chester, PA. He played major league baseball from 1941 to 1951 as infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Afterwards, he became more famous as a manager for 15 seasons. He led the Pittsburgh Pirates to World Championships in 1960 and 1971. After his playing career ended, Murtaugh managed the New Orleans Pelicans in 1952-1954 and the Charleston Senators in 1955. He was the Pirates third base coach in 1956 and 1957 and the team's manager for four separate stints: 1957-64, 1967, 1970-71 and 1973-76. His trademark as manager was a rocking chair, from which he would hold court with the press. Murtaugh also served the Pirates as a scout in 1965-1967 and in the front office as director of player acquisition in 1968-1969. His son Tim Murtaugh played and managed in the minor leagues. SKU: XP12511
Item: XP12511
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