Just yesterday I watched / listened to the YouTube tape of him interviewing John Lennon and Paul McCartney in 1968 as Carson's Tonight Show guest host.
He came off as a complete moron -- like he had never heard of the Beatles. At one point he referred to the (absent) Ringo Starr as the "Elvis" of the group and observed it must be boring for Lennon/McCartney to "play backup" for Ringo as he "danced around for the girls up front."
John and Paul were in NY to announce the formation of Apple Corps. Apparently Garagiola must have thought Ringo was a Don Corleone type who ran the group with an iron fist, who had sent Lennon and McCartney to the U. S. as flunkies and messenger boys while he cooled his heels in London.
Lennon and McCartney were explaining the concept of what they wanted Apple to do (which admittedly was a pretty hazy concept) and Garagiola kept throwing in one-liners that of course they would have to ask Ringo for his approval on everything.
A semi-stoned Lennon kept stopping for "WTF" double takes, and after about 10 minutes he was ready to storm off stage or punch Garagiola. McCartney seemed like he was dozing off.
The only thing that kept the show from complete collapse was a half-drunk Tallulah Bankhead, who did seem to know a little about the Beatles, and who died a month or so after the show.
As for Joe G, he certainly carved out a great broadcasting career for himself. He was pretty much the voice of baseball in the 60s-80s.
