Phil Garner, baseball player, 109 home runs, 1973-1988

Phil Garner

Born: 4/30/1949 in Jefferson City, TN, USA

MLB Debut: 1973-09-10 | Final Game: 1988-10-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 175 lbs

Full name: Philip Mason Garner

Biography

Phil Garner, born in 1949, was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1973 to 1988. Renowned for his versatility on the field, Garner played primarily as a second baseman but also made contributions at third base and shortstop. Over his 16-year career, he appeared in 1,860 games, accumulating 1,594 hits, 109 home runs, and 738 RBIs, while maintaining a batting average of .260. Garner's speed on the bases was also notable, as he swiped 225 bags throughout his time in the league. His dedication and all-around skills earned him three All-Star selections, highlighting his status as one of the standout players of his era. Garner played during a transformative time in baseball, navigating the transition from the tail end of the deadball era into a more offense-focused game. His ability to produce runs and steal bases made him an essential asset to the teams he played for, including the Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Detroit Tigers. In addition to his offensive contributions, Garner was respected for his defensive prowess and leadership qualities, both on and off the field. After retiring, he remained involved in baseball as a coach and manager, further solidifying his legacy in the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1860 6136 780 1594 299 82 109 738 225 564 842 0.260 0.323 0.389 0.711 -83.0

Season-by-Season Batting

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
21 68 10 21 5 1 1 8 8 7 0.309

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1986 NLCS HOU 3 9 1 2 1 0 0 2 1 2 0.222
1981 NWDIV HOU 5 18 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 3 0.111
1979 WS PIT 7 24 4 12 4 0 0 5 3 1 0.500
1979 NLCS PIT 3 12 4 5 0 1 1 1 1 0 0.417
1975 ALCS OAK 3 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 975 921 2124 2760 129 606
3B 839 721 593 1542 127 135
SS 42 11 29 54 3 11

Season-by-Season Fielding

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 976
Third Base 839
Shortstop 42
Designated Hitter 2

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1986 Player of the Week Week of 1986-04-18
1979 Player of the Week Week of 1979-07-20
1978 Player of the Week Week of 1978-09-16
1977 Player of the Week Week of 1977-07-08

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1988 SFN NL $375,000
1987 HOU NL $450,000
1986 HOU NL $600,000
1985 HOU NL $745,000
Total Career Earnings $2,170,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
University of Tennessee Knoxville TN 1968, 1969, 1970