You knew him by the sound of his voice, as trusted as it was familiar. He knew you by the state of your teams.
Known affectionately as The Book for his deep knowledge of Detroit sports, distinguished by his passion for his childhood teams that he covered across his career, Pat Caputo passed away Thursday, surrounded by his family, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 67 years old.
Caputo joined 97.1 The Ticket as an on-air host more than two decades ago, while continuing as a sports columnist for the Oakland Press. He was loyal to both crafts, as well as to his TV appearances on Fox2 Detroit. He did shows along the way with fellow Detroit sports staples Bob Wojnowski and Mike Stone.
"He was the most knowledgeable and unique media person I have ever known," said Stoney. "He was the epitome of the lovable curmudgeon."
"With Pat 'The Book' Caputo, you truly couldn’t judge the book by the cover," said Wojo:
Beneath the gruff exterior was a funny, fascinating man who knew more about Detroit sports than anyone I’ve ever known. He knew so much because he cared so much, about the teams and their connection to the city and the fans. I’ll miss his bluntness. I’ll miss his voice, the most-imitated grumble in Detroit media history. I’ll miss his insight and strong opinions, a rare, classic book indeed.
Born and raised in Metro Detroit, Caputo attended Birmingham Groves High School and graduated from Michigan State. He was never shy about sharing his opinions of our teams. His love for baseball -- and "disdain for Canadian hockey arrogance," Stoney said with a laugh -- went down to his core. Stoney's last text exchange with Caputo was a celebratory one after the United States beat Canada to win the gold medal in men's ice hockey at this year's Olympics.
We will miss you @patcaputo98 -- Thanks for everything!! pic.twitter.com/f5vtCYEbKY
— FOX 2 Sports (@FOX2Sports) May 7, 2026
"By the way," Stoney added, "he did famously think Charlie Batch was better than Peyton Manning."
A few weeks after revealing his cancer diagnosis in January, Caputo posted on X to thank his listeners and readers for their outpouring of compassion: "Your prayers, support and kind words truly have lifted my spirits during this difficult time. I read each comment on X and Facebook and it warmed my heart and made me realize that I am blessed."
"Thank you so very, very much," Caputo wrote. "God bless."
"He was a friend to all," said Stoney.
All of us will miss him.
