The Arizona Diamondbacks have settled on a new television play-by-play announcer.
Chris Garagiola will reportedly become the new voice of Diamondbacks television broadcasts, according to a report by Nick Piecoro in the Arizona Republic. Garagiola will replace longtime Diamondbacks broadcaster Steve Berthiaume, who served as the team’s television play-by-play voice for 14 years before the organization decided to part ways earlier this month. At the time, Berthiaume said he was “surprised and disappointed” by the move.
Garagiola, 34, has spent the previous three seasons calling Diamondbacks games on the radio, and spent the two seasons before that hosting the team’s radio pre- and postgame shows. Before joining the Diamondbacks, he spent four seasons as a broadcaster for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in Double-A.
While much of his last five years has been spent doing radio, Garagiola has gotten a fair bit of run on the Diamondbacks’ television broadcasts as well. Per Piecoro, he’s filled in for Berthiaume for more than 20 games over the past three seasons, earning praise from fans.
Garagiola also has some Diamondbacks pedigree. His father, Joe Garagiola Jr., serves as the first general manager in the team’s history, helping build the roster that led the team to winning the 2001 World Series. Joe Garagiola Sr. played nine seasons in MLB from 1946-1954 before himself becoming a television broadcaster, mostly nationally for NBC before doing part-time work with the Diamondbacks between 1998 and 2012.
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