Phil Garner, three-time baseball All-Star lifer, died at the age of 76 in The Woodlands, Texas, on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
Garner, a three-time All-Star infielder, led the Astros to their first World Series appearance as manager.
Garner had been battling pancreatic cancer for more than two years, according to his son Ty, in a statement released by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“Phil never lost his spark of life. He was so well known for his love of baseball, which stayed with him until the end,” said Garner’s son Ty.
Phil Garner devoted 16 years of his career to baseball, playing for the Oakland Athletics (1973-76), then the Pittsburgh Pirates (1977-81), the Astros (1981-87), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1987) and the San Francisco Giants (1988).
Pirates President Bob Nutting paid tribute to Garner, saying, “Phil Garner was a fierce competitor, a respected leader and a valued member of the Pirates family. »
“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,” Nutting added.
Garner made All-Star teams with Oakland in 1976 and Pittsburgh in 1980 and 1981.
As a player, he made appearances in 150 games and had an .800 OPS for Pittsburgh during the Pirates’ 1979 World Series championship season.
He posted a .417 average in the Reds’ sweep of the National League Championship Series and hit .500 in the World Series, helping the Pirates overcome a 3-1 hole to beat the Orioles.
Garner spent a decade and a half managing in the big leagues, posting a 985-1,054 record with the Milwaukee Brewers (1992-99), Detroit Tigers (2000-02) and Astros (2004-07).
He held the Brewers franchise record for most managerial wins until Craig Counsell surpassed it in 2002.
