Former MLB manager and infielder Phil Garner dies at age 76

Phil Garner (YouTube)

According to Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors on Sunday, former Major League Baseball manager and infielder Phil Garner of Jefferson City, Tennessee passed away at the age of 76 due to pancreatic cancer. Garner played 16 seasons of Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1988, and then managed 15 seasons from 1992 to 2007. The primary infield positions Garner played were second base and third base.

Garner played with the Oakland Athletics from 1973 to 1976, with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1977 to 1981, with the Houston Astros from 1981 to 1987, with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1987, and with the San Francisco Giants in 1988. A three-time All-Star, Garner was honoured by the American League while with the Athletics in 1976, and by the National League while with the Pirates in 1980 and Pirates and Astros in 1981. While with the Pirates in 1979, Garner won a World Series.

In Garner’s playing career, he batted .260 with 109 home runs and 738 runs batted in. During 1860 games, 6136 at bats, and 6861 plate appearances, he scored 780 runs and had 1594 hits, 299 doubles, 82 triples, 225 stolen bases, 564 walks, 2384 total bases, 67 sacrifice bunts, and 59 sacrifice flies, with an on base percentage of .323 and a slugging percentage of .389.

While as a manager, Garner was with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1992 to 1999, the Detroit Tigers from 2000 to 2002, and the Houston Astros from 2004 to 2007. Garner had an overall record of 985 wins and 1054 losses with a winning percentage of .483. In 2005, Garner managed the Astros to a World Series appearance. However, in the October Classic 21 years ago, the Astros were swept in four games by the Chicago White Sox. This was the first World Series title for the White Sox since 1917.