Billy Gardner
| Billy Gardner | |||
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| Second baseman / Manager | |||
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Born: July 19, 1927 Waterford, Connecticut |
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| 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 | ||
| Games managed | 747 | ||
| Managerial record | 330–417 | ||
| Winning % | .442 | ||
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As player
As manager |
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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As player
As manager
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 the Orioles, where he had four straight full seasons with them in 1956–59. 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 is notable for managing the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals during the 1980s.
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, which is where his career really began, and he would begin to secure himself as an everyday player.
Gardner was not speedy, picking up a career-high of only 10 steals, but in his best season of 1957, he did lead 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, '57), with a career-high of 8 in 1957 (fifth in the league).
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Wikipedia