Phil Garner, a three-time All-Star infielder, died on Saturday from pancreatic cancer at age 76. “Phil never lost his signature spark for life. He was so well known for his love of baseball, which was with him until the end,” Garner’s son, Ty, said in a statement announcing the sports legend’s death. The Tennessee native played Major League Baseball between 1973 and 1988. He was best known for playing on the Pittsburgh Pirates when they won the 1979 World Series and making the All-Star teams with Oakland Athletics in 1976 and the Pirates in 1980 and 1981. He also had stints playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, and San Francisco Giants. The sports icon transitioned to managing in the 1990s and early 2000s after his nearly two-decade-long career on the field. He managed the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and most famously led the Astros to their first World Series in 2005. “Phil Garner’s contributions to the Houston Astros, the city of Houston and to the game of baseball will not be forgotten,” Astros owner Jim Crane said in a statement.
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