HOUSTON — Phil Garner, a three-time All-Star infielder who went on to manage the Astros to their first World Series appearance, has died. He was 76.
Garner’s family issued a statement Sunday saying he had died Saturday after a two-plus-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
“Phil never lost his signature spark of life,” Garner’s son, Ty, said in a statement. “He was so well known for his love for baseball, which was with him until the end.”
Nicknamed “Scrap Iron” for his blue-collar approach to the game, Phil Garner had a 16-year playing career with the Oakland Athletics (1973-76), Pittsburgh Pirates (1977-81), Astros (1981-87), Los Angeles Dodgers (1987) and San Francisco Giants (1988).
He played 150 games and had an .800 OPS for Pittsburgh during the Pirates’ 1979 World Series championship season. He batted .417 in the National League Championship Series sweep of the Cincinnati Reds and hit .500 (12-for-24) in the World Series as the Pirates rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Baltimore Orioles.
Garner made All-Star teams with Oakland in 1976 and Pittsburgh in 1980 and 1981.
“Phil Garner was a fierce competitor, a respected leader, and a cherished part of the Pirates family,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “His contributions to the 1979 World Series championship team will forever be part of Pirates history. We always appreciated welcoming Phil back to Pittsburgh, and it was evident how deeply this city, this team, his teammates, and our fans meant to him.
“He will be remembered not only for the grit, passion, and heart he brought to the game, but also for the way he carried himself as a devoted family man and respected member of the baseball community.”
Garner hit .260 with 109 homers, 738 RBIs and 225 steals in 1,860 regular-season games while being versatile enough to make over 700 starts at both second base and third base.
He managed in the majors for 15 years, compiling a 985-1,054 record with the Milwaukee Brewers (1992-99), Detroit Tigers (2000-02) and Astros (2004-07). He held the Brewers record for managerial wins until Craig Counsell surpassed him in 2022.
“He was a very highly respected and beloved individual who was known for his caring nature, wisdom and sense of humor,” the Brewers said in a statement.
Garner took over the Astros midway through the 2004 season after the firing of Jimy Williams and led them to a 48-26 record the rest of the way. They finished 92-70 and beat the Atlanta Braves in the NL Division Series but wasted a 3-2 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Championship Series.
The following year, Garner got the Astros to the World Series. They bounced back from a 15-30 start to finish 89-73 and beat Atlanta in the NLDS and St. Louis in the NLCS before the Chicago White Sox swept them.
“Phil Garner’s contributions to the Houston Astros, the city of Houston and to the game of baseball will not be forgotten,” Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane said in a statement.
Garner was a Tennessee native who starred for the Volunteers, who retired his No. 18 in 2009.