By Dave Lumia

Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Garagiola died Wednesday morning following an unparalleled career in baseball spanning from his playing days in the 1940s to his role as a D-backs broadcaster on FOX Sports Arizona through 2013. Garagiola had a nine-year Major League career before gravitating to the broadcast booth, where his folksy, passionate storytelling led him to a stint as host of NBC's Today Show. His many accolades included the 1991 Ford C. Frick Award and the 2014 Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award.

Garagiola was a longtime Arizona resident. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Audrie, eight grandchildren and children Steve, Gina and Joe Jr., who served as the Diamondbacks' first general manager from 1997-2005. "Joe was so special to everyone at the D-backs and had an aura about him that you could feel the moment you met him," said D-backs president and CEO Derrick Hall. "Those of us who were lucky enough to know him personally were profoundly aware that the lovable personality that fans saw on TV was only surpassed by who he was in person and the way he treated everyone around him.

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Source: http://www.foxsports.com/