# Joe Falls

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{{Short description|American journalist (1928–2004)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox person
|name=Joe Falls
|image=Joe Falls.jpg
|caption=
|birth_date={{birth date|1928|5|2}}
|birth_place=
|death_date={{death date and age|2004|8|11|1928|5|2}}
|death_place= [Detroit, Michigan](/source/Detroit%2C_Michigan), U.S.
| occupation         = Sportswriter
| employer           = ''[Baseball America](/source/Baseball_America)''
| awards             = [J. G. Taylor Spink Award](/source/J._G._Taylor_Spink_Award)
}}

'''Joseph Francis Falls''' (May 2, 1928 – August 11, 2004) was an [American](/source/Americans) [journalist](/source/journalist). He began his career in his native [New York City](/source/New_York_City). At the age of 17 in 1945, he took a job as a [copyboy](/source/copyboy) for the [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press). After an apprenticeship of eight years, Falls moved to the [Detroit](/source/Detroit%2C_Michigan) bureau of the AP.

In Detroit, Falls flourished. He was hired by the ''Detroit Times'' in 1956 to cover the [Detroit Tigers](/source/Detroit_Tigers). He continued on the Tigers' beat with the ''[Detroit Free Press](/source/Detroit_Free_Press)'' from 1960 to 1978. His final move was to the ''[Detroit News](/source/Detroit_News)'' where he was a columnist and eventually sports editor.

During his career, Falls also had weekly columns in both ''[The Sporting News](/source/The_Sporting_News)'' and ''[The Hockey News](/source/The_Hockey_News)''. 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](/source/Rocky_Colavito) 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).<ref>The Final Season, p.35, Tom Stanton, Thomas Dunne Books, An imprint of St. Martin’s Press, New York, NY, 2001, {{ISBN|0-312-29156-6}}</ref> 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](/source/J._G._Taylor_Spink_Award) from the [Baseball Writers' Association of America](/source/Baseball_Writers'_Association_of_America). After his retirement in 2003, he was named to the [Michigan Sports Hall of Fame](/source/Michigan_Sports_Hall_of_Fame).

Falls died of complications from [diabetes](/source/diabetes) and [heart failure](/source/heart_failure) 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](/source/Chuck_Daly) 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](/source/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 ([http://www.connectiongraphics.com Connection Graphics], 1999)

==Selected articles==
* "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FjtPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=D1ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4994,1763200&dq=joe-falls&hl=en Scribe Draws Up Gold Dust Team of Top Salaried Men]," February 1950
* "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CspNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4276,2608501&dq=joe-falls&hl=en For Prince Hal: A Painful Arm, Wonderful Memories]" ([Hal Newhouser](/source/Hal_Newhouser)), Associated Press, July 1953
* "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0FtTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q4UDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4867,4699628&dq=joe-falls&hl=en Kid Bobo Wins 200th]" ([Bobo Newsom](/source/Bobo_Newsom)), Associated Press, September 1953
* "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aA5IAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rzwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4641,3468323&dq=joe-falls&hl=en Believe Lions 'Greatest Team']" ([1954 Detroit Lions](/source/1954_Detroit_Lions_season)), Associated Press, November 1954
* "[http://paperofrecord.hypernet.ca/paper_view.asp?PaperId=834&RecordId=8&PageId=7691467&iZyNetId={41E34377-9DC8-4385-B8DA-AA5FA5F09BC5}&iOrder=2&iOrderDir=0&iCurrentBlock=1 Tigertown Wonder-City for Young Bowen: 19-Year-Old Catcher Finds Lakeland Farm Base an Exciting Place]" (Jack Bowne), ''[The Sporting News](/source/The_Sporting_News)'', March 20, 1957
* "[http://paperofrecord.hypernet.ca/paper_view.asp?PaperId=834&RecordId=1&PageId=8500118&iZyNetId={ED8E6908-BDCA-46BF-AB90-9D6E31B89F1D}&iOrder=2&iOrderDir=0&iCurrentBlock=1 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](/source/Frank_Lary)), ''[The Sporting News](/source/The_Sporting_News)'', March 18, 1959
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=DbcDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+bronx&pg=PA24 Two Boys from the Bronx: Reminiscing with Rocky Colavito]" ([Rocky Colavito](/source/Rocky_Colavito)), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1960
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=Py4DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+kaline&pg=PA35 Meet the New Kaline]" ([Al Kaline](/source/Al_Kaline)), ''Baseball Digest'', April 1961
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=aS0DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+intitle%3Abaseball+intitle%3Adigest&pg=PA81 A Confident Young Tiger]" ([Steve Boros](/source/Steve_Boros)), ''Baseball Digest'', May 1961
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=jLYDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+intitle%3Abaseball+intitle%3Adigest&pg=PA11 The Loneliest Man in the World]," ''Baseball Digest'', June 1961
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=jLYDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+colavito&pg=PA20 Tigers Are Armed to the Teeth: Their outfield throwing is rated best in the game]" ([Al Kaline](/source/Al_Kaline)/[Bill Bruton](/source/Bill_Bruton)/[Rocky Colavito](/source/Rocky_Colavito)), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1961
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=VC0DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+intitle%3Abaseball+intitle%3Adigest&pg=PA17 Runs Eaten In: Chicken and dumplings sometimes mean hits]," ''Baseball Digest'', July 1961
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ky4DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+plane&pg=PA81 Plane Talk: Players Liven Up 25,000 Miles]," ''Baseball Digest'', August 1961
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ky4DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+cash&pg=PA21 Tigers' Business on a Cash Basis]" ([Norm Cash](/source/Norm_Cash)), ''Baseball Digest'', August 1961
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=hC0DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+billy+martin&pg=PA5 Spring Training Can Be Like This: It's sun, sand, sweat -- and peril]," ''Baseball Digest'', April 1962
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=dy8DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA5 Most Difficult Part of Managing: It's blasted part of changing pitchers]" ([Jimmy Dykes](/source/Jimmy_Dykes)), ''Baseball Digest'', May 1962
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=jS0DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA4 How About Orange Sweaters for Scorers?]," ''Baseball Digest'', March 1963
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=3S0DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+kaline&pg=PA5 What Ten Years in the Majors Have Done to Kaline]" ([Al Kaline](/source/Al_Kaline)), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1963
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=JC4DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA17 Polished Pro at 21]" ([Bill Freehan](/source/Bill_Freehan)), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1963
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=fi0DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+intitle%3Abaseball+intitle%3Adigest&pg=PA64 He's Getting the Williams Treatment]" ([Dick Stuart](/source/Dick_Stuart)), ''Baseball Digest'', March 1964
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=OTIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+characters&pg=PA83 A Character Out of Character]" ([Charlie Dressen](/source/Charlie_Dressen)), ''Baseball Digest'', May 1964
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=OTIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA68 Alice in Tigerland]" (Alice Sloane), ''Baseball Digest'', May 1964
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=TTIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+horton&pg=PA43 Horatio Horton: Tigers' prize rookie had Alger-like rise]" ([Willie Horton](/source/Willie_Horton)), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1964
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=TTIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+gromek&pg=PA55 One Inning: 17 Runs!]" ([Steve Gromek](/source/Steve_Gromek)), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1964
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=bTIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+foytack&pg=PA73 A Most Forgettable Moment]" ([Paul Foytack](/source/Paul_Foytack)), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1964
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=kzIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+aparicio&pg=PA47 Looie Is Queek In Head Too]" ([Luis Aparicio](/source/Luis_Aparicio)), ''Baseball Digest'', August 1964
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=QTIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+intitle%3Abaseball+intitle%3Adigest&pg=PA41 Stepped-On Hand Stepping Stone to Mound for Rakow]" ([Ed Rakow](/source/Ed_Rakow)), ''Baseball Digest'', September 1964
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=OjIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA7 Game's Next Super Star?]" ([Bill Freehan](/source/Bill_Freehan)), ''Baseball Digest'', May 1965
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=fTIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+maris&pg=PA81 He's Pitched 6,750 Home Run Balls]" ([Spud Murray](/source/Spud_Murray)), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1965
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=fTIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+intitle%3Abaseball+intitle%3Adigest&pg=PA85 The One Page in History That Revised Entire Book]" ([Johnny Sain](/source/Johnny_Sain)), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1965
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=azIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+intitle%3Abaseball+intitle%3Adigest&pg=PA21 The Wall That Defies All]" ([Green Monster](/source/Green_Monster)), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1965
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=1zEDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA75 Real Cleanup Men at the Plate: Vinegar and honey help Clete Boyer's bat]" ([Clete Boyer](/source/Clete_Boyer)), ''Baseball Digest'', September 1965
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=2jEDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+intitle%3Abaseball+intitle%3Adigest&pg=PA65 The Two Faces of Joe Peptitone: The Clown -- and the Pro]" ([Joe Pepitone](/source/Joe_Pepitone)), ''Baseball Digest'', October 1965
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=2jEDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+tilt+cheat&pg=PA43 Tilt a Foul Line, Signal from Center, But Cheat? Never!]," ''Baseball Digest'', October 1965
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=yTEDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA53 46 Years Later -- A Visit with Ed Cicotte]" ([Ed Cicotte](/source/Ed_Cicotte)), ''Baseball Digest'', February 1966
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=XDIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+intitle%3Abaseball+intitle%3Adigest&pg=PA84 Ump GETS This Decision: Ashford 'safe' as first Negro arbiter in majors]" ([Emmett Ashford](/source/Emmett_Ashford)), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1966
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=IDIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+foytack&pg=PA69 Pitcher That Set Distance Records: Foytack threw world's longest homers, but was fun]" ([Paul Foytack](/source/Paul_Foytack)), ''Baseball Digest'', August 1966
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=_i0DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA72 Yastrzemski Still Ranks No. 1 in the AL]" ([Carl Yastrzemski](/source/Carl_Yastrzemski)), ''Baseball Digest'', February 1969
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=dTIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA27 Tiger Pitchers Were Patsies for Li'l Nel]" ([Nellie Fox](/source/Nellie_Fox)), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1969
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=ijMDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+intitle%3Abaseball+intitle%3Adigest&pg=PA18 Kaline, A Cinch To Be Elected to the Hall of Fame]" ([Nellie Fox](/source/Nellie_Fox)), ''Baseball Digest'', September 1970
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=IzMDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA62 Baseball's Greatest Clutch Hitter]" ([Mickey Mantle](/source/Mickey_Mantle)), ''Baseball Digest'', August 1974
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=gzIDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA73 Remember Rip Sewell and the 'Ephus Ball'?]" ([Rip Sewell](/source/Rip_Sewell)), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1975
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=OTMDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+greenberg&pg=PA26 Hank Greenberg: The Upper Deck Was His Target]" ([Hank Greenberg](/source/Hank_Greenberg)), ''Baseball Digest'', February 1977
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=1jMDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+dugouts&pg=PA48 What's It Like Inside Major League Dugouts]," ''Baseball Digest'', November 1978
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=kDQDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+intitle%3Abaseball+intitle%3Adigest&pg=PA30 The Story of Mickey Mantle's Famous Tape-Measure Homer]," ''Baseball Digest'', December 1978
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=1jQDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA52 Casey Stengel: He Was One of a Kind!]" ([Casey Stengel](/source/Casey_Stengel)), ''Baseball Digest'', December 1979
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=rDQDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA61 Here's a Memory Test for 'Old Time' Fans]," ''Baseball Digest'', February 1981
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=HjQDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+revised+view&pg=PA30 What If ...?  Here's a Revised View of Baseball History]," ''Baseball Digest'', October 1981
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=di8DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA25 Darrell Evans: The Making of a Home Run Hitter]" ([Darrell Evans](/source/Darrell_Evans)), ''Baseball Digest'', July 1986
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=ei8DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+characters+always&pg=PA50 'Characters' Have Always Brightened Baseball Scene]," ''Baseball Digest'', September 1986
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=KisDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA44 Jack Morris Reflects on His Long, Varied Pitching Career]" ([Jack Morris](/source/Jack_Morris)), ''Baseball Digest'', June 1994
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=wy0DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22&pg=PA86 Hall of Famer Jim Bunning Kept a 'Book' on Batters]" ([Jim Bunning](/source/Jim_Bunning)), ''Baseball Digest'', December 1996
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=4i4DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22joe+falls%22+%26+%22like+baseball%22&pg=PA72 Why I Like Baseball]," ''Baseball Digest'', November 2002

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://baseballhall.org/discover/awards/j-g-taylor-spink/joe-falls Baseball Hall of Fame - Spink Award recipient]

{{2002 Baseball HOF}}
{{J. G. Taylor Spink Award}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Falls, Joe}}
Category:1928 births
Category:2004 deaths
Category:Baseball writers
Category:BBWAA Career Excellence Award recipients
Category:Detroit Free Press people
Category:The Detroit News people
Category:Deaths from diabetes in the United States
Category:Sportswriters from Michigan
Category:Sportswriters from New York (state)
Category:Detroit Tigers

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Joe Falls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Falls) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Falls?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.