Longtime Arizona Diamondbacks radio voice Greg Schulte went out in style, retiring after the team made a run to the 2023 World Series.
His replacement is hoping he’ll get to call a World Series of his own soon enough.
Chris Garagiola, who has filled in for Schulte for the last two seasons, will take over as the new radio voice of the D-backs.
“This is the byproduct of a lot of hoping, a lot of being in the right place at the right time and a lot of hard work,” Garagiola told AZCentral.com. “This was a major life goal. It really was. I have a few big-ticket things I want to achieve in my life and being the voice of a major league baseball team is one of them.”
Garagiola has a personal history with the franchise that predates his employment. His dad, Joe Garagiola Jr., was the team’s first general manager, while Chris’s grandfather, former major-league catcher and broadcaster Joe Garagiola Sr., was the team’s TV analyst for 15 seasons.
“People would ask if you could pick any team what would you pick? My pick would have been Arizona,” he said. “That was my team. That was my childhood team and some of the best sporting memories I ever had.”
I’m overwhelmed with gratitude to have this opportunity. This is my hometown club and I hope those who listen hear the love I have for this city and this team. Thank you to Ken, Derrick and Scott for the opportunity. And above all thank you to Greg Schulte for showing me the way. https://t.co/vrEHnEqt1D
— Chris Garagiola (@ChrisGaragiola) December 1, 2023
Along with filling in on play-by-play calls, Garagiola has worked as a pre- and post-game host on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM and the Diamondbacks Radio Network.
“As Chris takes to the airwaves for the 2024 season, we are thrilled to have a familiar voice on D-backs radio,” Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said in a statement. “Chris is an appropriate selection to take that seat in the radio booth and carry on the legacy of exceptional storytelling that Greg Schulte started 26 years ago.”
The 31-year-old previously worked as a radio play-by-play announcer for the AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.