Phil Garner

Garner was born on April 30, 1949, in Jefferson City, Tennessee, and grew up in Rutledge, Tennessee.{{Cite web |title=Phil Garner MLB Manager Stats {{!}} Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/manager.php?p=garneph01 |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=Burgess |first=Mark |date=February 18, 2009 |title=Humble Garner touches home again |url=https://archive.knoxnews.com/sports/vols/other/humble-garner-touches-home-again-ep-410352864-359580751.html |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=www.knoxnews.com |language=en}} After a year of high school in Rutledge, which did not have a football team, Garner's father moved the family to Knoxville so Garner could attend Bearden High School which had an athletic program with both football and baseball. Garner played football and baseball, and going to Bearden gave him an opportunity to play both sports, increasing his chance of obtaining an athletic scholarship to college which would otherwise be unaffordable for the family.{{Cite web |title=Garner, Phil « Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame |url=https://tshf.net/halloffame/garner-phil/ |access-date=2025-01-02 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Steve |title='Scrap Iron' Phil Garner made Bearden proud {{!}} The Knoxville Focus |url=https://www.knoxfocus.com/archives/this-weeks-focus/scrap-iron-phil-garner-made-bearden-proud/ |access-date=2025-01-02 |language=en-US}} He was Bearden's starting quarterback in 1965-66.

Bearden's baseball facility is now named Phil Garner Ballpark, and the school dedicated a bronze bust of Garner in front of the facility in 2003.

He attended the University of Tennessee on a baseball scholarship, playing second and third base on the baseball team from 1968-70. In 1969, he led the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in home runs (12), and twice led his team in runs batted in (RBI). He was selected All-Southeastern Conference twice, and was named an All-American in 1970. Two years after being drafted into professional baseball, in 1973, Garner graduated with a Business Administration degree.

In 2002, he was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. In 2009, the University of Tennessee retired his number 18.

Garner was originally drafted out of Tennessee by the Montreal Expos in the eighth round of the 1970 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign. Seven months later, he was the second overall pick by the Oakland Athletics in the secondary January 1971 draft.{{Cite web |title=1971 MLB Draft Results - Round #1 - Jan-Sec Phase - The Baseball Cube |url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/draft_round/1971~1~Jan-Sec |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=www.thebaseballcube.com}}{{Cite web |title=1971 MLB January Secondary Draft Pick Transactions |url=https://prosportstransactions.com/baseball/DraftTrades/1971JanSec.htm |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=prosportstransactions.com}} Garner was in the A's minor league system from 1971 to 1974, playing almost all of his games as a third baseman.{{Cite web |title=Phil Garner Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=garner001phi |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

In 1973, he played for the Tucson Toros of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, with a .289 batting average, 14 home runs, 73 RBI and 87 runs scored. He came up to the A's for nine games at the end of the year, but was back at Tucson for the majority of the following year in 1974. He was even better at Tucson in 1974, batting .330, but again played sparsely when called up to the A's later in the year. The A's won two World Series in 1973 and 1974, but Garner was not on the World Series roster either year.{{Cite web |title=1973 World Series - Oakland Athletics over New York Mets (4-3) |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1973_WS.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1974 World Series - Oakland Athletics over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-1) |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1974_WS.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} Garner's problem was the A's had an All-Star third baseman in Sal Bando, and there was no place for Garner to play.{{Cite web |last=King |first=Norm |title=Phil Garner, Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/phil-garner/ |website=SABR.org}}

During spring training in 1975, the A's released second baseman Dick Green, and converted Garner into a second baseman. He started 159 games at second base for the A's in 1975, and had a .968 fielding percentage.{{Cite web |title=Phil Garner Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/garneph01.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} This was the first time since 1972, however, that the A's did not win the World Series. Among other things, the A's lost future hall of fame pitcher Catfish Hunter to the New York Yankees in one of the earliest free agency signings in modern baseball.{{Cite web |title=1975 Oakland Athletics Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/1975.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Hunter helped usher in free agency era {{!}} Baseball Hall of Fame |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/hunter-declared-free-agent |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=baseballhall.org}} On June 27, 1975, he got the A's 10,000th hit against the Angels, on a double off Andy Hassler in Anaheim.{{Cite web |title=Phil Garner Baseball Stats | Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=garneph01}} Garner had a breakout year for Oakland in 1976 in which he hit 8 home runs and had 74 RBI's. He was named an All Star that year, the first of his career. He stole a career high 35 bases that year.{{Cite web |title=1976 All-Star Game Box Score, July 13 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1976-allstar-game.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

Before the 1977 season, the Athletics traded Garner, Chris Batton, and Tommy Helms to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Tony Armas, Rick Langford, Doug Bair, Dave Giusti, Doc Medich, and Mitchell Page.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/17/archives/pirates-as-swap-9-players-garner-and-medich-key-men.html |title=Pirates, A's Swap 9 Players; Garner and Medich Key Men |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press|date=March 17, 1977 |access-date=July 5, 2017}} Garner's best year as a player was in {{baseball year|1977}} when he hit 17 HR's, had 77 RBI's, stole 32 bases, hit 35 doubles, and scored 99 runs. On September 15, 1978, Garner became one of only seven Major League players to hit a grand slam in consecutive games (including Babe Ruth twice), though as of 2024 the number is near 30.{{Cite web |title=St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score: September 14, 1978 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT197809140.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Montreal Expos vs Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score: September 15, 1978 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT197809150.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=MLB Grand Slam Records {{!}} Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_grsl.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com |language=en-us}}

In {{baseball year|1979}}, he was a member of the World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates, batting .417 in the 1979 National League Championship Series and .500 (12 for 24) in the World Series.{{Cite web |title=1979 World Series - Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles (4-3) |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1979_WS.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1979 NLCS - Pittsburgh Pirates over Cincinnati Reds (3-0) |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1979_NLCS.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

Garner was nicknamed "Scrap-Iron" due to his gritty style of play. After being traded to Pittsburgh, the team's announcer, Milo Hamilton, asked Pirates Hall of Fame outfielder Willie Stargell about Garner. Stargell said the tough and competitive Garner was like an old piece of scrap metal that can be beaten and bent, but not broken. Hamilton then gave Garner the name "Scrap-Iron". His icon at the time was the scrappy, similarly mustachioed cartoon hero, Yosemite Sam.{{Cite web |title=Phil Garner Stats, Height, Weight, Research & History {{!}} Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=garneph01 |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com |language=en-us}} He was named an All Star again in 1980, batting .259 while hitting 5 home runs, with 58 RBI and stealing 32 bases.{{Cite web |title=1980 All-Star Game Box Score, July 8 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1980-allstar-game.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} He was named an All Star again for a third and final time in his career the next season in 1981, though his stats declined from previous years.{{Cite web |title=1981 All-Star Game Box Score, August 9 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1981-allstar-game.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} He hit just 1 home run while having 26 RBI on the year and had just 10 stolen bases.

On August 31, 1981, Garner was traded from the Pirates to the Astros for second baseman Johnny Ray and pitcher Randy Niemann.{{Cite web |title=Phil Garner Trades and Transactions by Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/trades.php?p=garneph01 |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=www.baseball-almanac.com}} He would play with Houston until 1987. He helped the Astros reach the 1986 NLCS where they lost in six games to New York Mets.{{Cite web |title=1986 NLCS - New York Mets over Houston Astros (4-2) |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1986_NLCS.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} In game 6, on October 15, {{Baseball year|1986}}, Garner was the Astros starting third baseman in a 16-inning loss, going 1-for-3, before being replaced by a pinch-hitter.{{Cite web |title=1986 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 6, New York Mets vs Houston Astros: October 15, 1986 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU198610150.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

This would be the final postseason action he would see of his playing career. He was traded in 1987 to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who granted him free agency after the season, and then spent a year with San Francisco Giants in 1988. He went through 1989 without signing with anybody and announced his retirement a year later in 1990.

On October 30, 1991, Garner was named manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, replacing Tom Trebelhorn. Garner was hired by general manager Sal Bando, his former A’s teammate. The Brewers chose him over Tony Muser, Don Baylor, Gene Tenace (another A's teammate), Mike Cubbage, Tommy Sandt, and Gene Lamont. He was one of several former players being named manager of a major league team without previous major league managing experience.{{cite web |date=October 31, 1991 |title=Garner becomes Brewers manager |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1991/10/31/garner-becomes-brewers-manager/ |website=tampabay.com}} He quickly installed a running-focused style of play as every starter that year stole at least 10 bases. Standing out were 1992 AL Rookie of the Year Pat Listach,{{Cite web |title=Rookie of the Year Award Winners {{!}} History |url=https://www.mlb.com/awards/rookie-of-the-year |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=MLB.com |language=en}} who stole 54 bases, veteran Paul Molitor stealing 31 (doing so in his final season with the team), and outfielder Darryl Hamilton stealing 41.{{Cite web |title=1992 Milwaukee Brewers Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIL/1992.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

He led the team to a nine-game improvement from the previous year and led the Brewers to second place in the American League East Division, losing out by four games to the eventual world champion Toronto Blue Jays.{{Cite web |title=1992 MLB Standings and Records: Regular Season |url=https://www.mlb.com/standings/1992 |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Milwaukee Brewers Team History & Encyclopedia |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIL/index.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} He finished second in voting for American League Manager of the Year.{{Cite web |title=1992 Awards Voting |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1992.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} However, it would be the last time until 2007 that the team would finish above .500. Garner would lead them to more than 80 losses in four of his six full seasons spent with the team, which saw icons such as Paul Molitor and Robin Yount leave (the former in free agency and the latter due to retirement). He was fired in the midst of a 1999 season that saw them at 52-60 (Jim Lefebvre would replace him and go 22-27 to close out the year).{{cite web |last=McCalvey |first=Adam |date=June 9, 2022 |title=Counsell closing in on 'Scrap Iron' in record books |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/craig-counsell-nears-phil-garner-for-brewers-history |website=MLB.com}}

A 1993 game saw Garner refer to Chicago White Sox broadcasters Ken Harrelson and Tom Paciorek as "idiots" for their on-air insinuation that Garner was advising his pitcher to hit Frank Thomas. Garner challenged them to a fight, but they eventually resolved their differences.{{Cite web |last=Reaves |first=Joey |date=1993-07-26 |title=HE'S FIGHTING MAD AT 'HAWK,' 'WIMPY' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/07/26/hes-fighting-mad-at-hawk-wimpy/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Radcliffe |first=J. R. |title=Phil Garner oversaw a challenging era of Brewers baseball but still accrued the most wins in franchise history |url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2022/06/03/phil-garner-is-the-brewers-all-time-wins-leader-but-manager-craig-counsell-is-about-to-pass-him/9928520002/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Journal Sentinel |language=en-US}} During a July 22, 1995, game against the Chicago White Sox, Garner was involved in a bench-clearing brawl, exchanging blows with White Sox manager Terry Bevington in a rare skipper-on-skipper fistfight. Garner, along with Bevington, was suspended four games for the fracas.{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/07/27/brawl-earns-4-game-ouster/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222045301/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-07-27/sports/9507270086_1_bench-clearing-incidents-boston-manager-butch-hobson-budig |archive-date=February 22, 2018 |title=Brawl Earns 4-game Ouster - tribunedigital-chicagotribune|website=Chicago Tribune |date=July 27, 1995 }}Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/OyuoZW2pS6w Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140807004005/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyuoZW2pS6w Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyuoZW2pS6w| title = Coaches get into a fight near third base | website=YouTube| date = July 29, 2014 }}{{cbignore}} With a record of 563-617 as manager, Garner led the Brewers for most wins and losses as a manager. Craig Counsell passed him in wins in 2022.{{cite web | url=https://news.yahoo.com/phil-garner-oversaw-challenging-era-172513453.html | title=Phil Garner oversaw a challenging era of Brewers baseball but still accrued the most wins in franchise history | date=June 3, 2022 }}

In 2000, Garner was hired to manage the Tigers,{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=L. A. Times |date=1999-10-15 |title=Tigers Hire Garner as Their New Manager |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-15-sp-22635-story.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} in their inaugural season at Comerica Park after being a candidate to manage the Chicago Cubs. The Tigers were in contention for the American League Wild Card berth for much of the season but faded and finished 79-83. Garner didn't manage a winning season in his years in Detroit, owing to a lack of competitive payroll, and when his 2002 team began the season 0-6, he and general manager Randy Smith were fired, with Luis Pujols as Garner's replacement. Pujols would lose 100 games in his only season. Garner was the fastest manager fired to start a season since Cal Ripken Sr. of the 1988 Baltimore Orioles. Garner was only the second manager to manage ten consecutive years where his team had a losing record.{{Cite web |title=ESPN.com: MLB - Tigers clean house, fire manager Garner, GM Smith |url=http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/news/2002/0408/1364856.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=static.espn.go.com}}

The 2004 season was different for Garner. After the Houston Astros had a mediocre start under then-manager Jimy Williams having a 44–44 record in the first half of the season, Garner was brought in after the All-Star break to replace Williams. General manager Gerry Hunsicker was cited as saying the team believed that Garner would provide "decisive action" as a manager that could provide a spark to a team mired in hitting woes and an abundance of expectations with their free agent signings (Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte) that offseason.{{cite web |last=Chen |first=Albert |date=July 26, 2004 |title=Last Ditch After free agents and trades didn't help, the Astros change managers (Sports Illustrated) |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/2004/07/26/last-ditch-after-free-agents-and-trades-didnt-help-the-astros-change-managers |website=vault.si.com}}

Undaunted, he led the Astros to a National League Wild Card berth, going 48-26 with Garner at the helm. The Astros won a total of 92 games and clinched a Wild Card berth on the final day of the season.{{Cite web |title=2004 Houston Astros Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2004.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Jenkins |first=Lee |date=October 4, 2004 |title=Giants Just Watch as Astros Clinch N.L. Wild Card |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/04/sports/baseball/giants-just-watch-as-astros-clinch-nl-wild-card.html |work=New York Times}} The Astros won the 2004 National League Division Series over the Atlanta Braves after having lost to them in the postseason three times from 1997 to 2001,{{Cite web |title=2004 NL Division Series - Houston Astros over Atlanta Braves (3-2) |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2004_NLDS2.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} and it was their first postseason series victory in franchise history.{{Cite web |title=Houston Astros Team History & Encyclopedia |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/index.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} They met the 105-win St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series. The Astros led the series 3-2 going into St. Louis, but they lost Game 6 and 7 in late innings to lose the series.{{Cite web |title=2004 NLCS - St. Louis Cardinals over Houston Astros (4-3) |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2004_NLCS.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=2004 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 6, Houston Astros vs St. Louis Cardinals: October 20, 2004 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN200410200.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=2004 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 7, Houston Astros vs St. Louis Cardinals: October 21, 2004 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN200410210.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

The team experienced another slow start in 2005, losing 30 of their first 45 games, but made a run once again late in the season and came back to win another National League Wild Card, bolstered by the pitching talents of Clemens and Pettitte, to go along with 20 game winner Roy Oswalt. This time, Houston would beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series in six games, with Oswalt the series MVP, and win the pennant only to be swept by the Chicago White Sox in the World Series.{{Cite web |title=Houston Astros history - 2005 season |url=https://www.astrosdaily.com/history/2005/index.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=www.astrosdaily.com}}

In the 2005 NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, Garner was the Astros' manager in their 18-inning victory on October 9, {{Baseball year|2005}}.{{Cite web |title=Game to Remember: Brad Ausmus |url=https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/game-to-remember-brad-ausmus/c-37215124#:~:text=Game%20to%20Remember:%20Oct.,Braves%206,%2018%20innings). |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=MLB.com |language=en}} Two weeks later in the 2005 World Series, Garner managed the Astros for the longest World Series game in length of time to that point (five hours and forty-one minutes). The Chicago White Sox won the game, 7–5 in the 14th inning. This was later surpassed in both time (seven hours and twenty minutes) and innings (eighteen) by Game 3 of the 2018 World Series, in which the Dodgers prevailed over the Red Sox 3–2.{{Cite web |last=Mammon |first=Robby |title=October 25, 2005: Geoff Blum, White Sox beat Astros in 14-inning Game 3 thriller, Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-25-2005-geoff-blum-white-sox-beat-astros-in-14-inning-game-3-thriller/ |website=SABR.org}}{{Cite web |agency=Associated Press |date=2024-10-26 |title=Today in Sports History: The longest World Series game held |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/10/26/today-in-sports-history-the-longest-world-series-game-held/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}

Under his leadership in the last twelve games of the 2006 season, the Astros won ten of twelve but lost out on a division title by a game and half. Garner's contract was extended through the end of the 2008 season by the Astros, but his coaches were replaced.{{Cite web |title=Houston Astros history - 2006 season |url=https://astrosdaily.com/history/2006/index.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=astrosdaily.com}} As manager of a pennant winning team the year before, Garner managed the 2006 National League All-Star Team in Pittsburgh on July 11, {{Baseball year|2006}}.{{Cite web |title=2006 All-Star Game Box Score, July 11 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/2006-allstar-game.shtml |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} Garner named his former Pirates manager Chuck Tanner as one of the National League All Star team coaches.{{Cite web |date=2006-06-23 |title=ALL-STAR GAME: Chuck Tanner selected as National League coach |url=https://www.ncnewsonline.com/sports/all-star-game-chuck-tanner-selected-as-national-league-coach/article_c3c87c96-28ff-5a42-9dab-d6da17bd5b6d.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=New Castle News |language=en}} Garner cited Tanner as one of his biggest coaching influences.{{Cite web |last=Cook |first=Ron |date=June 24, 2006 |title=Cook: Garner's All-Star move puts Tanner in dugout |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2006/06/24/Cook-Garner-s-All-Star-move-puts-Tanner-in-dugout/stories/200606240153 |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |language=en}}

The Astros went into a tailspin in 2007, owing to the aging talent on their roster (Jeff Bagwell had retired in 2005 while Craig Biggio played his last season in 2007 to go with no Clemens or Pettitte, who each left for New York after 2006). On August 27, {{Baseball year|2007}}, Phil Garner was released by the Astros along with general manager Tim Purpura with the team having a record of 58-73. Cecil Cooper was named interim manager for the remainder of the season.{{Cite web |url=http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070827&content_id=2173196&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou |title=The Official Site of The Houston Astros: News: Houston Astros News |access-date=August 27, 2007 |archive-date=August 31, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831030657/http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070827&content_id=2173196&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |last=Kleeman |first=Robert |date=October 21, 2009 |title=Houston Astros Plans Should Not Include Former Manager Phil Garner |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/275706-houston-astros-plans-should-not-include-former-manager-phil-garner |access-date= |website=Bleacher Report |language=}}{{Cite web |title=Houston Astros history - 2007 season |url=https://astrosdaily.com/history/2007/index.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=astrosdaily.com}} Team owner Drayton McLane stated on the firing, "This was two years in the process. I've observed things, watched things, talked to literally hundreds of people as I go through. I went through the stands yesterday, and every game. I ask people, 'What do you think?' It's amazing what people will tell you. It's the impact others had on me, over a period of time."{{cite web | url=https://www.crawfishboxes.com/2012/8/21/3257263/a-look-back-at-the-previous-three-astros-mid-season-firings | title=A Look Back at the Previous Three Astros Mid-Season Firings | date=August 21, 2012 }} In 2009, Garner was interviewed as a candidate for the managerial job of the Astros when Cooper was fired, but Brad Mills was hired.{{cite news | url=https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/Astros-to-interview-Garner-nine-others-for-1734387.php | title=Astros to interview Garner, nine others for skipper's job | newspaper=Chron | date=October 12, 2009 }}

Garner is one of only seven managers to have won a league pennant without ever having won a division title (Clint Hurdle, Dave Martinez, Jack McKeon, Torey Lovullo, Rob Thomson, and Bobby Valentine are the others).{{Cite web |title=Major League Managers |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/}} He is one of three managers to have lost 1,000 games while not winning 1,000.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} With 2,040 games managed, he ranks as having the most games managed for anyone without 1,000 wins.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

In 1,860 games over 16 seasons, Garner posted a .260 batting average (1594-for-6136) with 780 runs, 299 doubles, 82 triples, 109 home runs, 738 RBI, 225 stolen bases, 564 bases on balls, .323 on-base percentage and .389 slugging percentage. He finished his career with an overall .965 fielding percentage playing at second and third base and shortstop. In 21 postseason games, he batted .309 (21-for-68) with 10 runs, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, 8 RBI and 8 walks.

In 2008, Phil Garner served as interim head coach for the UHV Jaguars baseball team of the University of Houston–Victoria.{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/news/story?id=3267661 |title=Former Astros manager Garner stepping in as coach at UH-Victoria |date=February 27, 2008 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=May 15, 2010}} Garner temporarily replaced former Astros teammate Terry Puhl while he fulfilled his obligation as manager of the Canada National baseball team.

On August 11, 2011, Garner agreed to re-join the Athletics as a Special Adviser.{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/6857148/oakland-athletics-hire-phil-garner-special-adviser |title=Phil Garner hired as special adviser |date=August 12, 2011 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=March 10, 2012}} He returned for the 2012 season in the same position.{{cite web |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/athletics/ci_19936855 |title=Phil Garner returning to A's as special advisor

|date=February 10, 2012 |access-date=March 10, 2012}}

In 2010, Garner admitted to using a corked bat against pitcher Gaylord Perry and that he hit a home run with it.{{Cite book |last=Meltzer |first=Peter E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TtZk_KJg2toC&q=phil+garner+corked+bats&pg=PA51 |title=So You Think You Know Baseball?: A Fan's Guide to the Official Rules |date=June 10, 2013 |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |isbn=978-0-393-34667-1 |pages=51 |language=en}} Perry himself was notorious for throwing the illegal spitball.{{Cite book |last=Vaught |first=David |title=Spitter, Baseball's Notorious Gaylord Perry |date=November 17, 2022 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |isbn=978-1-64843-064-0}} In 2012, Garner was asked to testify as a witness at the perjury trial of Roger Clemens, which involved him detailing the intense work ethic of Clemens as an athlete (such as working out in a flak jacket with 60 pound weights) that were done without performance-enhancing drugs.{{cite web |date=May 31, 2012 |title=Garner testifies Clemens 'outsmarted' batters |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/7992580/roger-clemens-perjury-trial-ex-houston-astros-manager-phil-garner-testifies}}

{{Reflist}}

{{notelist}}

{{Baseballstats|mlb=114625|espn=378|br=g/garneph01|fangraphs=1004541|brm=garner001phi}}, or [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/G/Pgarnp001.htm Retrosheet]

• [https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/garneph01.shtml Career managerial record] Baseball-Reference.com

{{1979 Pittsburgh Pirates}}

{{Milwaukee Brewers managers}}

{{Detroit Tigers managers}}

{{Houston Astros managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garner, Phil}}

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