Phil Garner, a notable baseball player who celebrated a World Series win with the Pirates and later guided the Astros to the World Series as their manager, passed away on Saturday after a lengthy struggle with pancreatic cancer.
He was 76 years old.
“Phil Garner passed away peacefully last night, April 11th, surrounded by his family and love, after a more than two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.” His family shared in a statement. “Phil never lost the spark of life he was known for and his love of baseball. A special thank you to Houston Medical Center, MD Anderson, Baylor St. Luke’s and all the doctors and nurses for their wonderful care and support.”
Garner’s major league career spanned from 1973 to 1988, during which he had significant tenures with teams like the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros.
He played with the Pirates between 1977 and 1981, contributing to their 1979 World Series championship.
His two All-Star Game selections came in 1980 and 1981 with the Pirates, after an initial appearance in 1976 with the Athletics.
After hanging up his cleats, Garner took on managerial roles in MLB.
He managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 1992 to 1999, the Detroit Tigers from 2000 to 2002, and the Houston Astros from 2004 to 2007.
Jeff Bagwell, who played under Garner with the Astros, remarked, “He was competitive. He was honest. He told the truth. He held people accountable. All the great things a leader does. I think Gar did a great job in that regard. You could tell how much he cared about the players, winning, and our organization. It was a real pleasure to play for him and be his friend.”
Garner’s most notable success as a manager was with the Astros, where he led the team to the World Series in 2005, although they fell short against Ozzie Guillen’s Chicago White Sox.
He ended his managerial career with a record of 277 wins and 252 losses, along with a 13-13 playoff record.
As a player, Garner finished with a career batting average of .260, totaling 1,594 hits, 299 doubles, 225 stolen bases, 109 home runs, and 738 RBIs.
