Billy Gardner, Jr.

William Frederick Gardner, Jr. (born September 25, 1966, at New London, Connecticut) is an American minor league baseball manager. On December 20, 2013, he was appointed skipper of the 2014 Syracuse Chiefs of the International League, Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball and returned as manager for 2015–16 campaigns.^[1] Through 2016, his cumulative record as a manager was 1,470–1,471, for a .499 winning percentage.

Background

Gardner is the son of former Major League Baseball second baseman, coach and manager Billy Gardner.

Professional baseball player

A third baseman, Billy Gardner, Jr., played two seasons of professional baseball in the Kansas City Royals organization (1987–88), batting .279 in 190 at bats at the Rookie, Short Season-A and High A levels. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall and weighed 185 pounds (84 kg).^[2]

Minor league manager

The 2014 campaign marked Gardner's 20th consecutive year as a minor league manager, his first Triple-A assignment, and his first year in the Nationals' organization. In 2013, he spent his seventh consecutive season as skipper of the Montgomery Biscuits, Double-A Southern League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.^[3] He has managed in the farm systems of the Royals, Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds, as well as with Tampa Bay. He began his post-playing career in 1990 as a coach at the Short Season-A and Class A levels in the New York Mets' organization, and also coached for unaffiliated Class A and Rookie-level teams through 1994.

Championships, honors and awards

His 2007 Montgomery club won the Southern League championship, and his work with the 2012 Biscuits earned him the Southern League Manager of the Year Award.^[4] With Billy, Sr., having earned the same honor in 1973, the Gardners became the only father-son duo to win the SL's top manager award.

In 2014, he won the International League Manager of the Year award for his work with the Syracuse Chiefs, having led the team to an 81–62 first-place finish being their best end of season result in 16 years.

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• "Billy Gardner Jr.", Baseball-Reference.com
• Kramer, Lindsey. (2013, December 20). "Billy Gardner Jr. will make Triple-A managing debut for the Syracuse Chiefs," The Post-Standard