Billy Gardner
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Billy Gardner | |
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Second baseman / Manager | |
Born: Waterford, Connecticut | July 19, 1927|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 22, 1954, for the New York Giants | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 11, 1963, for the Boston Red Sox | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .237 |
Home runs | 41 |
Runs batted in | 271 |
Managerial record | 330–417 |
Winning % | .442 |
Teams | |
As player
As manager | |
Career highlights and awards | |
William Frederick Gardner (born July 19, 1927) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager. During his ten-season active career in the major leagues, Gardner was a scrappy, light-hitting second baseman for the New York Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. His only significant time on any team was with Baltimore, where he spent four straight full seasons from 1956 to 1959. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 170 pounds (77 kg). After retiring as a player, he spent over 20 years as a coach or manager, and managed the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals during the 1980s.
MLB playing career[]
Born in Waterford, Connecticut, Gardner was signed by the Giants in 1945 and came up with them on April 22, 1954, but he could not break into the contending team's lineup. In early 1956, he was purchased by the Orioles. Gardner picked up a career-high of 10 steals, but in his best season of 1957, he led the league in doubles with 36, and at bats with 644. He played in every one of the 154 games that season, batting .262 with 6 home runs and 55 RBIs. In his career, Gardner also came in the top 10 in hit by pitches twice (1956 and 1957), with a career-high of 8 in 1957 (fifth in the league).
He wound up as a utility infielder with 1961 Yankees, winning the 1961 World Series with them against the Cincinnati Reds. In his one and only at bat of the post-season, he lined out to shortstop in the ninth inning of Game 2. The Yankees lost the game 6–2. Gardner ended his career with two years on the Red Sox, picking up 70 hits with them in 283 at bats. Nicknamed "Shotgun" for his rifle arm,[1] Gardner led American League second basemen in fielding percentage in 1957 (.987), including 55 consecutive errorless games, and finished with a .976 fielding mark all-time. In all or parts of ten seasons, Gardner batted .237 with 41 home runs and 271 RBIs in 1,034 games played. He picked up 841 hits, with 159 doubles and 18 triples in 3,544 career at bats. He finished with 19 career steals.
As a manager and coach[]
After finishing his career with the Red Sox, Gardner stayed in the Boston organization for eight more seasons as a minor league coach and manager (1964; 1967–71) and Major League third-base coach (1965–66).[2] He then managed in the Kansas City Royals farm system from 1972 to 1976, coached at first base for the Montreal Expos in 1977–78, and was a skipper in the Montreal farm system in 1979–80.
Gardner rejoined the Twins as a third-base coach for the 1981 season. He was promoted to manager on May 23, 1981, replacing Johnny Goryl, and served until June 21, 1985, never leading Minnesota to the playoffs and avoiding a losing record only once (1984, at 81–81). Gardner incorporated young players such as Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett, Frank Viola and Tim Laudner into the Twin lineup, beginning the foundation of the club's two World Series clubs to come. After a 268–353 record with Minnesota, Gardner received a second chance to manage with the 1987 Royals. Gardner initially signed as the Royals' 1987 third-base coach, but terminally ill Royals manager Dick Howser, diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor during the summer of 1986, was forced to retire during spring training, and Gardner was promoted to fill the vacancy. He was fired on August 28 of that year after going 62–64, and John Wathan took over. His career record as a manager was 330–417, a .442 winning percentage.
Family[]
Gardner's son, Billy Jr., a former minor league infielder, is a manager in the Washington Nationals' organization, named to helm the 2020 Harrisburg Senators.[3] Gardner Jr. was the Nationals' minor league coordinator in 2018 and 2019;[3][4] previously, from 2014 to 2017, he was the skipper of the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League, the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate.[4][5]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Ellis, Jim, This Shotgun Protects the Birds, Baseball Digest, June 1958, pp. 25–29
- ^ "Billy Gardner Awaiting Word From Red Sox". The Day. New London, Connecticut. October 1, 1966.
- ^ a b Pickel, Greg (December 21, 2019). "Harrisburg Senators will have a new manager in 2020: Billy Gardner Jr". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ a b Kerr, Byron (March 9, 2018). "Gardner on his transition to minor league roving coordinator". Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ Hughes, Chase (December 20, 2013). "Washington Nationals fill out 2014 minor league staff". Nats Insider. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
External links[]
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Billy Gardner managerial career statistics at Baseball-Reference.com
- Klingaman, Mike. "Catching Up With...former Oriole Billy Gardner", The Toy Department (The Baltimore Sun sports blog), Sunday, August 14, 2011.
- Billy Gardner Biography. SABR Biography Project. Ash, Tyler; Nowlin, Bill. Retrieved on January 24, 2016.
- Venezuelan Winter League statistics. Pura Pelota. Retrieved on January 24, 2016.
- 1954–55 Cangrejeros de Santurce – Don Zimmer en Puerto Rico (Spanish). Béisbol 101. Colón, Jorge (2014). Retrieved on January 24, 2016.
Sporting positions | ||
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Preceded by | Boston Red Sox third-base coach 1965–1966 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Pittsfield Red Sox manager 1967–1969 |
Succeeded by Franchise relocated
|
Preceded by | Louisville Colonels manager 1970 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Pawtucket Red Sox (Eastern League) manager 1971 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Jacksonville Suns manager 1972–1974 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Omaha Royals manager 1975–1976 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by Larry Doby
|
Montreal Expos first-base coach 1977–1978 |
Succeeded by Felipe Alou
|
Preceded by Felipe Alou
|
Memphis Chicks manager 1979 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by Jack McKeon
|
Denver Bears manager 1980 |
Succeeded by Felipe Alou
|
Preceded by Karl Kuehl
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Minnesota Twins third-base coach 1981 |
Succeeded by Karl Kuehl
|
- 1927 births
- Living people
- Baltimore Orioles players
- Baseball players from Connecticut
- Boston Red Sox coaches
- Boston Red Sox players
- Bristol Twins players
- Cangrejeros de Santurce (baseball) players
- Jacksonville Tars players
- Jersey City Giants players
- Kansas City Royals coaches
- Kansas City Royals managers
- Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente infielders
- Louisville Colonels (minor league) managers
- Major League Baseball first base coaches
- Major League Baseball second basemen
- Major League Baseball third base coaches
- Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players
- Minnesota Twins coaches
- Minnesota Twins managers
- Minnesota Twins players
- Minnesota Twins scouts
- Minor league baseball coaches
- Montreal Expos coaches
- Nashville Vols players
- Navegantes del Magallanes players
- American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
- New York Giants (NL) players
- New York Yankees players
- Ottawa Giants players
- Pawtucket Red Sox managers
- Pawtucket Red Sox players
- People from Waterford, Connecticut
- Pittsfield Red Sox players
- Seattle Rainiers players
- Sioux City Soos players
- Washington Senators (1901–1960) players