Garry Templeton

Garry Templeton
Templeton with the Long Beach Armada in 2009
Shortstop
Born: (1956-03-24) March 24, 1956
Lockney, Texas
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
MLB debut
August 9, 1976, for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last MLB appearance
October 5, 1991, for the New York Mets
MLB statistics
Batting average .271
Hits 2,096
Home runs 70
Runs batted in 728
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Garry Lewis Templeton (born March 24, 1956), is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets from 1976 to 1991. Templeton had good batting numbers in an era when shortstops did not provide much offense.

Playing career

Born in Lockney, Texas, Templeton was hailed by many as one of the best players in baseball early in his career, which featured All-Star Game selections in 1977 and 1979. In the latter year, Templeton made history as the first switch-hitter to collect 100 hits from each side of the plate, a feat achieved only once more by Willie Wilson. His total of 211 hits led the National League, and with 19 triples, he led the league for a third consecutive season. He led the Cardinals in hits in 1977, 1978, and 1979.[1] He caused some controversy in 1979 when, despite having better numbers than either Dave Concepción or Larry Bowa, two of the National League's premier shortstops at the time, he wasn't selected to start at shortstop for the National League All-Star team. He was named to the team as a reserve, but refused to go. He continued to hit well in 1980 and 1981; however, he was not popular with Cardinals fans. The situation with the home fans came to a head when, during an August 26, 1981 home game in St. Louis, Templeton made an obscene gesture twice to some fans who had allegedly been heckling him after he had failed to run to first on a ground ball; manager Whitey Herzog physically pulled Templeton off the field following the incident. After the end of the season the Cardinals traded him to the Padres for Ozzie Smith. The trade was welcomed by everyone involved: Smith was (then) a light-hitting defensive wizard going to a team which needed to improve its defense (and he was also embroiled in a contract dispute with Padres' management), while Templeton was a better hitter going to a team which needed to improve its offense (and who was, due to his actions, no longer popular with the fans or the team).

In his ten years with the Padres, he played in 1,286 games, while having 1,135 hits, 43 home runs, 427 RBis, and a .252 batting average, with one Silver Slugger Award win and one All-Star Game appearance in 1985. He was named team captain of the Padres by manager Larry Bowa in 1987, serving as captain for four years. 1991 was his final season in the majors. He played in 112 total games, while being traded to the New York Mets on May 31 for Tim Teufel. He hit for .221 with three home runs and 26 RBIs in the season.

Templeton was inducted into the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame on August 8, 2015.[2]

Managing career

After his retirement as an active player in 1991, Templeton remained in the game as a coach and minor league manager. From 1998 through 2001, he managed in the Anaheim Angels organization for four teams, posting a 294-272 record. From 2003 to 2004, he managed the Gary Railcats of the Northern League, moving on to manage the Golden Baseball League's Fullerton Flyers in 2005. After three years with the Flyers, he would move on to manage the Arizona Winter League's Palm Springs Chill in 2008, then would return to the GBL to manage the Long Beach Armada in 2009. He managed the Chico Outlaws to the GBL Championship in 2010.[3][4] On January 8, 2013, Templeton was named manager of the Newark Bears of the independent Can-Am League.[5]

Year-by-year managerial record

YearTeamLeagueRecordFinishPlayoffs
1998Cedar Rapids KernelsMidwest League71-698thDid not qualify
1999Erie SeaWolvesEastern League81-612ndLost in first round
2000Edmonton TrappersPacific Coast League63-7812thDid not qualify
2001Salt Lake StingersPacific Coast League79-644thDid not qualify
2003Gary SouthShore RailCatsNorthern League36-549thDid not qualify
2004Gary SouthShore RailCatsNorthern League31-6510thDid not qualify
2005Fullerton FlyersGolden Baseball League34-567thDid not qualify
2006Fullerton FlyersGolden Baseball League43-372ndLost league finals
2007Fullerton FlyersGolden Baseball League37-394thDid not qualify
2008Palm Springs ChillArizona Winter League15-41stLost in first round
2009Long Beach ArmadaGolden Baseball League41-353rdDid not qualify
2010Chico OutlawsGolden Baseball League54-301stWon league finals
2011Maui Na Koa IkaikaNorth American League29-405th

Personal life

His son, Garry Templeton II played minor league baseball from 1999–2007. He managed the Hawaii Stars in 2012[6] and the Vallejo Admirals from 2014-15, winning the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs Manager of the Year Award in 2014. He is now a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jim Tommey and Kip Ingle, ed. (1987). St. Louis Cardinals 1987 Media Guide. St. Louis National Baseball Club. p. 151.
  2. ↑ Lin, Dennis (July 9, 2015). "Santiago, Templeton elected to Padres HOF". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Templeton to manage Na Koa". The Maui News. December 17, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-02-10. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  5. ↑ "The Newark Star Ledger January 9, 2013".
  6. ↑ Templeton has eyes on solid season for Hawaii Stars
Preceded by
Joe Calfapietra		 Manager of the
Gary SouthShore RailCats
2003 – 2004		 Succeeded by
Greg Tagert
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