Phil Garner
Philip Mason Garner, known as "Scrap Iron," is an American former professional baseball player and manager who had a 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career as an infielder from 1973 to 1988, followed by a 16-season managerial tenure from 1992 to 2007.[1][2] Born on April 30, 1949, in Jefferson City, Tennessee, Garner earned a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Tennessee, where he was an All-Southeast Conference selection and led the NCAA in home runs per game (0.36) during his 1969 junior year.[1] His nickname "Scrap Iron" reflected his gritty, tough playing style, and he is best remembered for his contributions to the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates as a second baseman, where he batted .500 (12-for-24) in the World Series.[1][2] Garner's playing career spanned five teams: the Oakland Athletics (1973–1976), Pittsburgh Pirates (1977–1981), Houston Astros (1981–1987), Los Angeles Dodgers (1987), and San Francisco Giants (1988), primarily at second base and third base.[2] Over 1,860 games, he compiled a .260 batting average with 109 home runs, 738 RBIs, and 225 stolen bases, earning three All-Star selections (1976 with Oakland, 1980 and 1981 with Pittsburgh).[2] Notable highlights include hitting grand slams in consecutive games in 1978—one of only seven players to achieve this feat—and leading his league in games played at second base three times (1975 and 1976 in the AL, 1980 in the NL).[1][2] After retiring as a player, Garner transitioned to coaching, serving as the Astros' first base coach from 1989 to 1991 before entering management.[1] As a manager, Garner led three franchises: the Milwaukee Brewers (1992–1999, 563–617 record, .477 winning percentage), Detroit Tigers (2000–2002, 145–185, .439), and Houston Astros (2004–2007, 277–252, .524).[3] His most notable achievement came with the Astros in 2005, when he guided the team to a franchise-first World Series appearance after a 89–73 regular season and an NL pennant, though they lost to the Chicago White Sox in four games; that year marked his only postseason managerial record of 7–7 (.500).[1][3] Overall, Garner's managerial career yielded a 985–1,054 record (1 tie, .483 winning percentage) across 2,040 games, with his sole winning season as a skipper being 92–70 in 1992 with Milwaukee.[3] Post-retirement, he ventured into the oil and gas business and served as a special adviser for the Oakland Athletics in 2011.[1]Early life and education
Childhood and family
Philip Mason Garner was born on April 30, 1949, in Jefferson City, Tennessee, and grew up in the rural community of Rutledge, located about 15 miles away in Grainger County.[1] He was the son of Drew Garner, a Baptist minister, and Mary Francis Helton Garner; his grandfather was also a Baptist minister, reflecting a family tradition of religious service.[1][4] The small-town rural setting of Rutledge, with its emphasis on community and hard work, shaped Garner's early years.[5] His early interest in baseball developed through local play in this environment, supported by his family, before the family relocated to Knoxville during his teenage years to access better athletic programs.[5] These formative experiences in East Tennessee contributed to the toughness and work ethic that later defined his career, earning him the nickname "Scrap Iron" for his gritty, resilient style of play.[1]High school and college baseball
Phil Garner attended Bearden High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, after transferring there during his junior year to access a more robust athletic program. He participated in football as the starting quarterback for two seasons (1965–1966), while also playing defensive back, in addition to basketball and baseball. His multi-sport involvement at Bearden honed his competitive skills and led to a baseball scholarship offer from the University of Tennessee upon graduation in 1967.[6][7][5] Garner enrolled at the University of Tennessee in 1968, where he played college baseball for the Volunteers from 1968 to 1970 as a second and third baseman. Majoring in business administration, he balanced his athletic pursuits with academics, ultimately earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1973. During his tenure, Garner batted .323 as a freshman in 1968, improved to .351 in 1969, and posted a career-high .396 average in 1970, demonstrating consistent offensive prowess with 103 runs scored, 145 hits, and 62 RBIs over three seasons. In 1969, he led the NCAA in home runs per game (0.36) with 12 total home runs, earning first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors that year and again in 1970, when he was also named a first-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association and The Sporting News.[8][5][9][1] Garner had been selected by the Montreal Expos in the 8th round of the 1970 MLB June Amateur Draft but did not sign.[2] Following his junior season, he was selected by the Oakland Athletics as the second overall pick in the first round of the secondary phase of the 1971 MLB January draft.[10]Professional playing career
Draft, minors, and MLB debut
Following his standout college career at the University of Tennessee, where he earned All-SEC recognition as a third baseman, Phil Garner was selected by the Montreal Expos in the eighth round of the 1970 MLB June amateur draft but did not sign.[1] He re-entered the draft pool and was chosen by the Oakland Athletics in the first round (third overall pick) of the secondary phase on January 13, 1971, after which he signed a professional contract and was assigned to the A's Class A affiliate, the Burlington Bees of the Midwest League.[11][1][8] Garner's minor league progression began swiftly in 1971 with the Bees, where he appeared in 116 games, batting .278 with 11 home runs and 70 RBIs while committing 29 errors at third base for a .918 fielding percentage.[1][12] Promoted to Double-A in 1972, he played 71 games for the Birmingham A's in the Southern League, hitting .280 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs, before advancing to Triple-A with the Iowa Oaks, where he batted .243 over 70 games with 9 home runs and 22 RBIs, showing defensive improvement.[1][12] In 1973, Garner spent the season at Triple-A with the Tucson Toros of the Pacific Coast League, posting a .289 average in 138 games with 14 home runs and 73 RBIs, though he struggled defensively with 35 errors and a .913 fielding percentage.[1][12] This steady advancement through the A's system highlighted his power-hitting potential and adaptability across infield positions. Garner earned a late-season call-up to the majors and made his MLB debut on September 10, 1973, against the Kansas City Royals at age 24, going 0-for-1 with a strikeout in his only at-bat that day.[2][1] Over the final three weeks of the season, he appeared in nine games for the Athletics—winners of the 1973 World Series—primarily as a utility infielder, batting 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and no fielding chances.[1][2] Early in his professional career, Garner faced challenges adjusting to the faster pace of play and honing his positional versatility, starting primarily at third base but training at shortstop and second base to increase his value; he later noted that frequent shifts between these roles required professional adaptability, though they occasionally impacted his defensive consistency.[1]Key teams and achievements
Garner was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 15, 1977, in a blockbuster deal that sent him from the Oakland Athletics along with Chris Batton and Tommy Helms in exchange for Tony Armas, Doug Bair, Dave Giusti, Rick Langford, Doc Medich, and Mitchell Page.[2] He quickly established himself as the starting second baseman for the Pirates from 1978 through 1981, showcasing strong defensive skills and consistent contact hitting.[1] During his five seasons with Pittsburgh, Garner batted .267 overall, with a career-high .293 average in 1979 accompanied by 11 home runs and 59 RBIs.[2] Garner's tenure with the Pirates coincided with the team's "We Are Family" era, a nickname inspired by the Sister Sledge song adopted as the clubhouse anthem, symbolizing the close-knit camaraderie that fueled their success.[1] As a vocal leader in the infield, he contributed to the 1979 National League East title and World Series championship, providing stability at second base with 116 double plays turned that year.[1] He earned three All-Star selections during his career, including appearances in 1980 and 1981 as the National League's starting second baseman for Pittsburgh, where he hit .259 with 32 stolen bases in 1980.[2] His earlier 1976 All-Star nod came with Oakland.[2] On August 31, 1981, Garner was traded to the Houston Astros for infielder Johnny Ray and other considerations, marking his return to the franchise where he had begun his professional career in the minors.[2] With Houston from 1981 to 1987, he transitioned primarily to third base, adapting to a more power-oriented role in the lineup.[1] In 1982, his first full season with the Astros, Garner posted a .274 batting average, a career-high 13 home runs, and 83 RBIs while stealing 24 bases.[2] The Astros reached the National League Championship Series in 1986, where Garner appeared in three games, going 2-for-9 with a double as Houston fell to the New York Mets in a memorable seven-game series.[13] Garner's later playing years saw diminishing roles due to age and emerging talent. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 19, 1987, for a player to be named later, where he hit .206 with five home runs in 65 games before being released.[2] Signing as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants for 1988, he played sparingly in 78 games, batting .197 with one home run, before retiring at age 39 following the season on October 2, 1988.[2] Throughout his 16-year major league career, Garner's versatility across second and third base was evident in 1,860 games played, a .260 batting average, 109 home runs, and 738 RBIs, underscoring his reliability as a utility infielder and team contributor.[4]World Series contribution
The Pittsburgh Pirates clinched the National League East division title in 1979 before sweeping the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 in the National League Championship Series to advance to the World Series.[14] In the NLCS, second baseman Phil Garner batted .417 with five hits in 12 at-bats, including a solo home run in Game 1 that helped secure a 5-2 extra-innings victory.[14] Facing the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, Garner delivered a standout performance, batting .500 (12-for-24) with four doubles and five RBI over seven games, with his 12 hits.[15] His contributions proved crucial in the Pirates' comeback from a 3-1 series deficit to win in seven games. In Game 3, a 3-1 victory at Three Rivers Stadium, Garner collected two hits to help even the series. In Game 4, despite an eventual 9-6 loss that put Pittsburgh on the brink, he singled in the second inning and scored on Omar Moreno's hit, contributing to an early 4-0 lead. Game 5 saw Garner notch another single in the eighth inning to drive in Willie Stargell, extending the Pirates' lead to 5-1 in a 7-1 rout that forced a return to Baltimore.[16][17][18] Defensively, Garner anchored the infield with key plays, including a highlight-reel scoop and backhanded flip to initiate a 1-4-6-3 double play in the eighth inning of Game 5, thwarting a potential Orioles rally.[18] His steady presence at second base complemented the team's "We Are Family" ethos, bolstered by clubhouse leadership from Stargell, who rallied teammates during the deficit with motivational speeches emphasizing unity and resilience.[19] Garner's World Series heroics solidified his legacy as a clutch performer under pressure, with his high batting average and timely hits exemplifying the Pirates' collective grit that overcame Baltimore's early dominance.[20] He later reflected on the profound team chemistry fostered by Stargell, crediting the veteran's guidance for transforming the group into champions during critical moments.[19]Playing statistics and honors
Regular season statistics
Phil Garner's MLB career spanned 16 seasons from 1973 to 1988, during which he appeared in 1,860 games, accumulating 1,594 hits, 109 home runs, 738 runs batted in, and 225 stolen bases while batting .260 with a .323 on-base percentage and .388 slugging percentage.[2] These totals reflect his role as a versatile infielder who provided consistent contact hitting and speed, particularly in the 1970s and early 1980s.[2] In his peak years, Garner demonstrated offensive reliability, notably in 1979 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he hit .293 with 161 hits, 11 home runs, 59 RBI, and an .800 OPS across 150 games.[2] Other strong seasons included 1977 (.255 average, 99 runs scored, 32 stolen bases) and 1982 (.273 average, 13 home runs, 83 RBI), highlighting his transition from second base early in his career to third base later, with 1,058 games at second and 832 at third.[2] His batting profile emphasized doubles and triples, peaking at 21 doubles in 1979, though he maintained a steady presence without extreme power output.[2] Defensively, Garner excelled at second base, posting a .975 career fielding percentage over 1,058 games, with strong range factors and error rates below league averages for the era; in 1979, he led National League second basemen in Total Zone Runs with +15, underscoring his glove work despite no formal Gold Glove awards.[2] Advanced metrics further illustrate Garner's value as a dependable middle infielder, with a career OPS of .712 and 29.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), placing him among solid contributors of his era like Davey Lopes or Willie Randolph, though below elite peers in power and on-base skills.[2] His WAR peaked at 4.1 in 1979, reflecting balanced contributions in batting, baserunning, and defense.[2]| Year | Team | G | AB | H | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | OAK | 35 | 89 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 2 | .202 | .517 | -0.2 |
| 1974 | OAK | 63 | 171 | 38 | 1 | 14 | 5 | .222 | .583 | 0.1 |
| 1975 | OAK | 143 | 467 | 118 | 5 | 41 | 13 | .253 | .662 | 2.0 |
| 1976 | OAK | 157 | 601 | 162 | 8 | 54 | 19 | .269 | .725 | 3.3 |
| 1977 | PIT | 148 | 563 | 145 | 17 | 77 | 32 | .258 | .731 | 3.7 |
| 1978 | PIT | 139 | 527 | 140 | 6 | 50 | 25 | .266 | .688 | 2.5 |
| 1979 | PIT | 150 | 549 | 161 | 11 | 59 | 19 | .293 | .800 | 4.1 |
| 1980 | PIT | 139 | 533 | 137 | 7 | 61 | 12 | .257 | .694 | 2.7 |
| 1981 | PIT | 88 | 310 | 81 | 5 | 30 | 8 | .261 | .715 | 1.9 |
| 1982 | HOU | 140 | 589 | 161 | 13 | 83 | 14 | .273 | .746 | 3.5 |
| 1983 | HOU | 153 | 615 | 152 | 9 | 65 | 22 | .247 | .657 | 2.4 |
| 1984 | HOU | 140 | 553 | 140 | 11 | 59 | 18 | .253 | .707 | 2.5 |
| 1985 | HOU | 140 | 514 | 128 | 11 | 44 | 18 | .249 | .711 | 2.0 |
| 1986 | HOU | 130 | 479 | 110 | 3 | 40 | 15 | .230 | .605 | 0.8 |
| 1987 | HOU/LAD | 114 | 388 | 93 | 2 | 36 | 3 | .240 | .612 | 0.9 |
| 1988 | SFG | 9 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .154 | .368 | -0.2 |
| Career | -- | 1,860 | 6,136 | 1,594 | 109 | 738 | 225 | .260 | .712 | 29.7 |