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Former MLB and World Series All-Star Phil Garner has died, his family announced Sunday. He was 76 years old.
Garner died Saturday after battling pancreatic cancer for more than two years, his family said.
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Tim Foli and Phil Garner, members of the 1979 World Championship Pittsburgh Pirates, attend a pregame ceremony honoring the team’s achievements before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Pittsburgh on July 20, 2019. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)
“Phil never lost his spark of life,” Ty Garner, Phil’s son, said in a statement. “He was well known for his love of baseball, which stayed with him until the end.”
The Oakland Athletics selected Garner in the first round of the secondary phase of the 1971 MLB draft. He was called up more than two years later, making his major league debut in September 1973.
Garner played four seasons with the A’s, earning his first All-Star selection in 1976 before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates during the offseason preceding the 1977 season. He was then traded to the Houston Astros in August 1981.
The versatile infielder earned two more All-Star selections while with the Pirates. He helped the team win a World Series title in 1979 against the Baltimore Orioles. He hit .500 in the seven-game series against Baltimore. He had four doubles and five RBIs.
Phil Garner of the Houston Astros scores the winning run as Luis Pujols greets him during the 11th inning of Game 2 of the National League West playoffs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Houston on October 7, 1981. (F. Carter Smith/AP)
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“Phil Garner was a fierce competitor, a respected leader and a valued member of the Pirates family,” Pirates president Bob Nutting said in a statement. “His contributions to the 1979 World Series championship team will forever be a part of Pirates history. We always enjoyed welcoming Phil to Pittsburgh, and it was evident how much this city, this team, his teammates and our fans meant to him.
“He will be remembered not only for the courage, passion and heart he brought to the game, but also for the way he conducted himself as a dedicated family man and respected member of the baseball community.”
He played part of the 1987 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, then appeared in 15 games for the San Francisco Giants before his playing career ended.
Garner was a lifetime .260 hitter with 109 home runs and 738 RBIs.
He made his debut as an MLB manager with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1992 and managed them until 1999. He then managed the Detroit Tigers from 2000 to 2002.
Pirates player Phil Garner dives to recover a ball hit by Al Bumbry of the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning of Game 3 of the World Series in Pittsburgh on October 12, 1979. (AP Photo)
Garner had great success managing the Astros. He was their skipper from 2004 to 2007, guiding them to their first World Series appearance in 2005 – only to lose to the Chicago White Sox.
He was 985-1,054 as manager.
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“He was a well-respected and well-liked person, known for his caring nature, wisdom and sense of humor,” the Brewers added.
