Garagiola Empathizes With Way Musburger Was Treated by CBS

Joe Garagiola was answering calls from baseball fans on a radio talk show in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, when he got what he thought was a crank call.

The caller wanted to know why CBS had fired announcer Brent Musburger.

“I said, ‘Hey, that’s got to be an April Fool’s joke,’ ” Garagiola said. “But then I saw Connie Chung talking about it on television, and I couldn’t believe it. They shocked me with the timing of it.”

CBS made the announcement on April Fool’s Day, the day before Musburger did play-by-play of the NCAA championship basketball game in Denver.

And no one was more surprised by the news than Garagiola, who left NBC after the 1988 baseball season, ending 27 years as an announcer on the network’s “Game of the Week.”

“I’m sure CBS had (its) reasons,” Garagiola said. “One (caller) asked me if CBS fired him just to jack up ratings. I said, ‘For the Final Four? You’ve got to be crazy.’ ”

After Garagiola left NBC, the network lost a bidding war with CBS for the baseball contract. CBS will begin televising baseball this spring, and Musburger was to have been part of the announcing crew.

“I really enjoyed the ‘Game of the Week,’ ” Garagiola said Monday from his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. “My reason for leaving was my decision. I wasn’t told to leave and I didn’t know NBC was going to lose (the baseball TV contract) to CBS, although everyone thought I knew.

“Afterward, I felt bad for the guys in the trenches, the cameramen and the crew. But as far as the executives, I couldn’t have cared less.”

Musburger’s 5 1/2-year contract, which pays $2 million annually, runs through July--but CBS decided to relieve him of his duties after Monday night.

“The contracts today are written on ice,” Garagiola said. “(Sports director) Tom Gallery brought me to NBC. When you dealt with him, it was written in concrete, sealed with a handshake. Now it’s all written on ice. When the sun comes out, it’s melted.”

Garagiola said he understands Musburger’s situation. He said he was frustrated after he left NBC.

“I don’t know what happened there with Brent,” Garagiola said. “But I do know that he has good ability. What he has to do now is decide what he wants. My advice to him is if he’s looking for a job, let (producers) know he’s available. When I left NBC, everyone thought I had retired, or was doing something else.”

Garagiola, who hasn’t broadcast a game since the 1988 World Series, will return to the booth this spring as a play-by-play announcer on SportsChannel’s Angel telecasts.

Joe Torre, former player, manager and Angel announcer with KTLA, encouraged Garagiola to return to announcing. Torre will do play-by-play for KTLA’s telecasts of 55 Angel games and will be the color commentator for SportsChannel’s 35 telecasts.

Jim Zrake, producer for Sports-Channel’s Angel and Dodger broadcasts, said the network signed Garagiola to a one-year contract.

“It’s ideal for me,” Garagiola said. “I don’t want to do 162 games. I was looking for a limited schedule. And the Angels are a ballclub that will contend. The announcer is there, but if you have good club, that’s what people tune in for.”

Garagiola said he has no plans of rejoining a network full time.

“I’ve been through it and know what it is,” he said.