Billy Gardner

[William Malone]

William Fredrick Gardner was born on July 19, 1927 in New London, Connecticut.

He was signed by the New York Giants in 1945, and made his Major League debut for them in 1954 after a long trek through their minor league system. Gardner played 121 games over parts of two seasons with the Giants, batting .207 with a .566 OPS. The Baltimore Orioles purchased him for $20,000 in 1956. He became their regular second baseman, spending four seasons in Baltimore. Gardner led the American League with 36 doubles in 1957.

The Washington Senators traded for Gardner ahead of the 1960 campaign. He was their regular second baseman that season, batting .257 with nine home runs and 56 RBI. Gardner moved with the franchise to Minnesota in 1961. He was batting eighth and playing second base on Opening Day that year, going 1-for-3 in the Twins very first game. Minnesota traded him to the New York Yankees that June, and Gardner won the World Series that fall. He spent 1962 and 1963 with the Boston Red Sox.

Gardner retired after 1963, remaining in the Red Sox organization for several seasons as a minor league coach. He left in 1972 to manage in the Kansas City Royals farm system, and became the Montreal Expos third base coach in 1977. The Twins hired him as their third base coach in 1981. Gardner was quickly promoted to manager after Johnny Goryl was fired following an 11-25 start.

In terms of wins and losses, Minnesota never had much success under Gardner. He finished with a 268-353 record over parts of five seasons at the helm. His best season was an 81-81 finish in 1984. But the Twins debuted several young stars during Gardner's time as manager, helping them lay the foundation for success in the late 80's and early 90's. This includes the debuts of Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek and Frank Viola.

After getting fired by the Twins during the 1985 season, Gardner became the Royals third base coach in 1986. He was named interim manager just days before the 1987 season when Dick Howser stepped away to treat brain cancer. Howser, who had managed Kansas City to a World Series title in 1985, sadly passed away that June at the age of 51. Gardner was replaced in August after managing the Royals to a 62-64 record.

He retired from coaching following that 1987 season, moving back home to Connecticut. He passed away on January 3, 2024 at the age of 96.

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