Remembering Pat Caputo

• Pat Caputo, longtime Detroit sports writer, radio host and frequent television guest, died Thursday, May 7, at his home in Lake Orion, MI after a tough battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 67.

Caputo was originally hired by The Oakland Press in suburban Detroit in May 1983 — and stayed there for nearly four decades. He covered the Detroit Tigers from 1986 to 1998 and the Detroit Lions from 1998 to 2002, before transitioning to become the paper’s sports columnist — until budget cuts forced him out in 2020.

Caputo began his second career as a radio host at then Sports WDFN-AM 1130 in 1996. In 2001, he segued over to their competitor, WXYT (97.1 The Ticket) as the host of The Book on Sports on weeknights and weekends. He continued to host The Pat Caputo Show as well as the Detroit Tigers’ radio show, TigerTalk, the Red Wings’ Inside Hockeytown, and Pistons Tonight. He did it all.  In 2022, Caputo launched a podcast called Bustin’ Balls, which examined draft prospects for all four major sports leagues and their possible benefit for local Detroit teams.

Caputo was also a frequent guest on the WJBK (FOX 2)/Detroit local discussion show, SportsWorks. He was remembered by FOX 2 Sports Director Dan Miller in a segment posted HERE.

Caputo’s family also shared a farewell message from Caputo to his colleagues, friends, listeners, and readers in a heartfelt passage posted by The Detroit News.

[Special thanks, as always, to “Radio’s Best Friend,” Michigan’s own Art Vuolo]