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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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Phil Garner, whose 16-year MLB career as an infielder included three All-Star Game appearances, died April 11. He was 76.
Garner played for five teams — the Oakland A's, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants — and slashed .260/.323/.389. He made the American League All-Star team with the A's in 1976, and the NL All-Star team with the Pirates in 1980 and 1981.
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Later, as a manager, Garner piloted the Astros to their first-ever World Series appearance in 2005. Garner also managed the Milwaukee Brewers (1992-99), Detroit Tigers (2000-02), before finding his greatest success with the Astros (2004-07).
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Garner retired with a 563-617 record as a manager, making his only postseason appearance with the Astros.
The third overall pick in the 1971 MLB Draft out of the University of Tennessee by the A's, Garner didn't break in as a regular with a star-laden Oakland team until 1975. In his second full season as the A's everyday second baseman, Garner made his first All-Star team.
In March 1977, Garner was the headliner in a nine-player trade that also sent Chris Batton and Tommy Helms to Pittsburgh for Tony Armas, Doug Bair, Dave Giusti, Rick Langford, Doc Medich and Mitchell Page.
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Two years later, Garner helped the Pirates defeat the Baltimore Orioles in a seven-game World Series. He had at least one hit in each game, and set a World Series record for second basemen with seven double plays.
In August 1981, the Pirates traded Garner to the Houston Astros, where he would reach the postseason twice as a player (1981 and 1986). Garner ended his playing career with the Giants as a September call-up in 1988.
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Garner immediately joined the Astros' coaching staff in 1989, before getting his first managerial post with the Brewers in 1992.
After he was fired by the Astros in August 2007, Garner joined the A's a special advisor.
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According to MLB.com, Garner had been battling pancreatic cancer since 2024. In August 2025, Garner threw out the first pitch before a game in Houston between the Astros and Tigers.
“He means so much to so many people,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said of Garner at the time. “As he has gone through the things in life that he has, he’s always put other people in front of him. It’s good to be able to share a day that’s about him.”
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