Joseph Francis Falls (May 2, 1928 – August 11, 2004) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

. He began his career in his native

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. At the age of 17 in 1945, he took a job as a

copyboy A copy boy is a typically young and junior worker on a newspaper. The job involves taking typed stories from one section of a newspaper to another. According to Bruce Guthrie, the former editor-in-chief of the ''Herald Sun'' who began work there ...

for the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

. After an apprenticeship of eight years, Falls moved to the

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

bureau of the AP. In Detroit, Falls flourished. He was hired by the ''Detroit Times'' in 1956 to cover the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

. He continued on the Tigers' beat with the ''

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...

'' from 1960 to 1978. His final move was to the ''

Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the ''Detroit Tribune'' on Februar ...

'' where he was a columnist and eventually sports editor. During his career, Falls also had weekly columns in both ''

The Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

'' and ''

The Hockey News ''The Hockey News'' (''THN'') is a Canadian-based ice hockey magazine. ''The Hockey News'' was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Will Cote and has since become the most recognized hockey publication in North America. The magazine has a readers ...

''. It is said many young writers were so taken by his writing they wanted to become sportswriters. He also kept a statistic on

Rocky Colavito Rocco Domenico "Rocky" Colavito Jr. (born August 10, 1933) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1955 to 1968, most prominently as a m ...

during his years as a member of the Detroit Tigers. When Colavito stranded a runner, Falls would give him an RNBI (Run Not Batted In).The Final Season, p.35, Tom Stanton, Thomas Dunne Books, An imprint of St. Martin’s Press, New York, NY, 2001, This infuriated Colavito and created a tense relationship between the two for several years. Falls won several awards during his career. In 2001, he won the

J. G. Taylor Spink Award The BBWAA Career Excellence Award, formerly the J. G. Taylor Spink Award, is the highest award given by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). It is given "for meritorious contributions to baseball writing" and voted on annually by ...

from the

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

. After his retirement in 2003, he was named to the

Michigan Sports Hall of Fame The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports athletes, coaches and contributors. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, presid ...

. Falls died of complications from

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

and

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

at age 76 in Detroit.

Books

* "Man in Motion," Joe Falls (School-Tech Press, 1973) * "Detroit Tigers," Joe Falls (Macmillan, 1975) * "The Boston Marathon," Joe Falls (Collier Books, 1979) * "So you think you're a die-hard Tiger fan," Joe Falls (Contemporary Books, 1986) * "Daly Life: Every Step a Struggle: Memoirs of a World-Champion Coach," by

Chuck Daly Charles Jerome Daly (July 20, 1930 – May 9, 2009) was an American basketball head coach. He led the Detroit Pistons to two consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in 1989 and 1990—during the team's "Bad Boys" era— ...

with Joe Falls (Masters Press, 1990) * "The Detroit Tigers: An Illustrated History," Joe Falls (Random House Value Publishing, 1991) * "Steve Yzerman: Heart of a Champion," Joe Falls, Francis J. Fitzgerald (AdCraft Sports Marketing, 1996) * "A Legacy of Champions: The Story of the Men Who Built University of Michigan Football," Joe Falls, Bob Wojnowski, John U. Bacon, Angelique S. Chengelis, Francis J. Fitzgerald, Chris McCosky (CTC Productions & Sports, 1996) * "Joe Falls: 50 years of sports writing: (and I still can't tell the difference between a slider and a curve)," Joe Falls (Sports Publishing LLC, 1997) * "Greatest moments in Detroit Red Wings history," Joe Falls, Jerry Green, Vartan Kupelian (Masters Press, 1997) * "So you love Tiger Stadium too (give it a hug)," Joe Falls, Irwin Cohen
Connection Graphics
1999)

Selected articles

*
Scribe Draws Up Gold Dust Team of Top Salaried Men
" February 1950 *
For Prince Hal: A Painful Arm, Wonderful Memories
(

Hal Newhouser Harold Newhouser (May 20, 1921 – November 10, 1998), nicknamed "Prince Hal," was an American professional baseball player. In Major League Baseball (MLB), he pitched 17 seasons on the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians, from 1939 through 1 ...

), Associated Press, July 1953 *
Kid Bobo Wins 200th
(

Bobo Newsom Louis Norman "Bobo" Newsom (August 11, 1907 – December 7, 1962) was an American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Also known as "Buck", Newsom played for nine of the 16 then-existing big-league teams from 1929 through 1953 over all or ...

), Associated Press, September 1953 *
Believe Lions 'Greatest Team'
( 1954 Detroit Lions), Associated Press, November 1954 *
Tigertown Wonder-City for Young Bowen: 19-Year-Old Catcher Finds Lakeland Farm Base an Exciting Place
(Jack Bowne), ''

'', March 20, 1957 *
Lary Lived It Up While Downing Yanks: First in 42 Years to Top N.Y. 7 Times; Detroit Moundsman Mystery in Mastery Over Champs; Other Clubs Clobber Him
(

Frank Lary Frank Strong Lary (April 10, 1930 – December 13, 2017) was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers (–), New York Mets (1964, ), Milwaukee Braves (1964), and Chicago White Sox (1965). He led the American League with 21 win ...

), ''

'', March 18, 1959
Two Boys from the Bronx: Reminiscing with Rocky Colavito
(

), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1960
Meet the New Kaline
(

Al Kaline Albert William Kaline ( ; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed "Mr. Tiger", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. For most of his career, Kal ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', April 1961
A Confident Young Tiger
(

Steve Boros Stephen Boros Jr. (September 3, 1936 – December 29, 2010) was an American baseball infielder, coach, manager, scout, and administrator. Best known for his scientific approach to the sport and his use of computers, Boros' baseball career spanned ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', May 1961
The Loneliest Man in the World
" ''Baseball Digest'', June 1961
Tigers Are Armed to the Teeth: Their outfield throwing is rated best in the game
(

Bill Bruton William Havon Bruton (November 9, 1925 – December 5, 1995) was a Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder who played for the Milwaukee Braves (1953–1960) and Detroit Tigers (1961–1964). Bruton batted left-handed and threw right-handed. C ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1961
Runs Eaten In: Chicken and dumplings sometimes mean hits
" ''Baseball Digest'', July 1961
Plane Talk: Players Liven Up 25,000 Miles
" ''Baseball Digest'', August 1961
Tigers' Business on a Cash Basis
( Norm Cash), ''Baseball Digest'', August 1961
Spring Training Can Be Like This: It's sun, sand, sweat -- and peril
" ''Baseball Digest'', April 1962
Most Difficult Part of Managing: It's blasted part of changing pitchers
(

Jimmy Dykes James Joseph Dykes (November 10, 1896 – June 15, 1976) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a third and second baseman from through , most notably as a member of the Philadelph ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', May 1962
How About Orange Sweaters for Scorers?
" ''Baseball Digest'', March 1963
What Ten Years in the Majors Have Done to Kaline
(

), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1963
Polished Pro at 21
(

Bill Freehan William Ashley Freehan (November 29, 1941 – August 19, 2021) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire 15-year career with the Detroit Tigers. The premier catcher in the American League for several years from the 19 ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1963
He's Getting the Williams Treatment
(

Dick Stuart Richard Lee Stuart (November 7, 1932 – December 15, 2002), nicknamed "Dr. Strangeglove", was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman from 1958 to 1966 then, played in the Nippon Prof ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', March 1964
A Character Out of Character
(

Charlie Dressen Charles Walter Dressen (September 20, 1894Dressen's birthdate has been revised from 1898, as was commonly reported in ''The Sporting News' Baseball Register'' and ''Macmillan's Baseball Encyclopedia'', to 1894 by both Baseball Reference and Retro ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', May 1964
Alice in Tigerland
(Alice Sloane), ''Baseball Digest'', May 1964
Horatio Horton: Tigers' prize rookie had Alger-like rise
(

Willie Horton William R. Horton (born August 12, 1951), commonly referred to as "Willie Horton", is an American convicted felon who became notorious for committing violent crimes while on furlough from prison, where he was serving a life sentence without the ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1964
One Inning: 17 Runs!
(

Steve Gromek Stephen Joseph Gromek (January 15, 1920 – March 12, 2002) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the American League with the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers. In 447 career games, Gromek ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1964
A Most Forgettable Moment
(

Paul Foytack Paul Eugene Foytack (November 16, 1930 – January 23, 2021) was an American professional baseball player and right-handed pitcher who appeared in 312 games in Major League Baseball between 1953 and 1964 for two American League clubs, the Detro ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1964
Looie Is Queek In Head Too
(

Luis Aparicio Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel (born April 29, 1934), nicknamed "Little Louie", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from 1956 to 1973 for three American League (AL) teams, m ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', August 1964
Stepped-On Hand Stepping Stone to Mound for Rakow
(

Ed Rakow Edward Charles Rakow (May 30, 1935 – August 26, 2000), nicknamed "Rock", was an American professional baseball player. The right-handed pitcher appeared in 195 games in Major League Baseball during all or parts of seven seasons (1960–65; 1967 ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', September 1964
Game's Next Super Star?
(

), ''Baseball Digest'', May 1965
He's Pitched 6,750 Home Run Balls
( Spud Murray), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1965
The One Page in History That Revised Entire Book
(

Johnny Sain John Franklin "Johnny" Sain (September 25, 1917 – November 7, 2006) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was best known for teaming with left-hander Warren Spahn on the Boston Braves teams from 1946 to 1951. H ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1965
The Wall That Defies All
(

Green Monster The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. The wall is from home plate and is a popular target for right-handed hitters. Overview The wall was part ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1965
Real Cleanup Men at the Plate: Vinegar and honey help Clete Boyer's bat
(

Clete Boyer Cletis Leroy "Clete" Boyer (February 9, 1937 – June 4, 2007) was an American professional baseball third baseman — who occasionally played shortstop and second base — in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Athletics (1955–57 ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', September 1965
The Two Faces of Joe Peptitone: The Clown -- and the Pro
(

Joe Pepitone Joseph Anthony Pepitone (born October 9, 1940) is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder who played the bulk of his career for the New York Yankees. He also played several seasons with the Chicago Cubs and had short stints wi ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', October 1965
Tilt a Foul Line, Signal from Center, But Cheat? Never!
" ''Baseball Digest'', October 1965
46 Years Later -- A Visit with Ed Cicotte
(

Ed Cicotte Edward Victor Cicotte (; June 19, 1884 – May 5, 1969), nicknamed "Knuckles", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball best known for his time with the Chicago White Sox. He was one of eight players permanently ineligible f ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', February 1966
Ump GETS This Decision: Ashford 'safe' as first Negro arbiter in majors
( Emmett Ashford), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1966
Pitcher That Set Distance Records: Foytack threw world's longest homers, but was fun
(

), ''Baseball Digest'', August 1966
Yastrzemski Still Ranks No. 1 in the AL
(

Carl Yastrzemski Carl Michael Yastrzemski ( ; nicknamed "Yaz"; born August 22, 1939) is an American former Major League Baseball player. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year Major League career with the Bost ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', February 1969
Tiger Pitchers Were Patsies for Li'l Nel
(

Nellie Fox Jacob Nelson “Nellie” Fox (December 25, 1927 – December 1, 1975) was an American professional baseball player. Fox was one of the best second basemen of all time, and the third-most difficult hitter to strike out in Major League Baseball (M ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1969
Kaline, A Cinch To Be Elected to the Hall of Fame
(

), ''Baseball Digest'', September 1970
Baseball's Greatest Clutch Hitter
(

Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', August 1974
Remember Rip Sewell and the 'Ephus Ball'?
(

Rip Sewell Truett Banks "Rip" Sewell (May 11, 1907 – September 3, 1989) was a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played 13 years in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers (1932) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1938–1949). Sewell was ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1975
Hank Greenberg: The Upper Deck Was His Target
(

Hank Greenberg Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', February 1977
What's It Like Inside Major League Dugouts
" ''Baseball Digest'', November 1978
The Story of Mickey Mantle's Famous Tape-Measure Homer
" ''Baseball Digest'', December 1978
Casey Stengel: He Was One of a Kind!
(

Casey Stengel Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and manager, best known as the manager of the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, the expansion New York ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', December 1979
Here's a Memory Test for 'Old Time' Fans
" ''Baseball Digest'', February 1981
What If ...? Here's a Revised View of Baseball History
" ''Baseball Digest'', October 1981
Darrell Evans: The Making of a Home Run Hitter
(

Darrell Evans Darrell Wayne Evans (born May 26, 1947) is a former American baseball player, coach and manager. He played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), beginning his career as a third baseman with the Atlanta Braves (1969–1976, 1989), alternatin ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1986
'Characters' Have Always Brightened Baseball Scene
" ''Baseball Digest'', September 1986
Jack Morris Reflects on His Long, Varied Pitching Career
(

Jack Morris John Scott Morris (born May 16, 1955) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers. Morris won 254 games throughout his career. Armed ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1994
Hall of Famer Jim Bunning Kept a 'Book' on Batters
(

Jim Bunning James Paul David Bunning (October 23, 1931 – May 26, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher and politician who represented Kentucky in both chambers of the United States Congress. He was the sole Major League Baseball athlete to ha ...

), ''Baseball Digest'', December 1996
Why I Like Baseball
" ''Baseball Digest'', November 2002

References

External links

Baseball Hall of Fame - Spink Award recipient
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Falls, Joe 1928 births 2004 deaths Baseball writers BBWAA Career Excellence Award recipients Detroit Free Press people The Detroit News people Deaths from diabetes Sportswriters from Michigan Sportswriters from New York (state)