HOUSTON — Phil Garner, the former Major League Baseball player and manager nicknamed "Scrap Iron" for his blue-collar approach to the game, died Saturday in Houston after a more than two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 76.

His family issued a statement on Sunday announcing his death. Garner's son Ty Garner said his father "was so well known for his love for baseball, which was with him until the end."

A native of Tennessee who played collegiate baseball at the University of Tennessee, Garner played in the majors from 1973 through 1988. He suited up for the Oakland Athletics (1973–1976), Pittsburgh Pirates (1977–1981), Houston Astros (1981–1987), Los Angeles Dodgers (1987), and San Francisco Giants (1988). He was named to All-Star teams in 1976, 1980, and 1981.

Over 1,860 regular-season games, Garner batted .260 with 1,594 hits, 299 doubles, 109 home runs, 738 RBIs, and 225 stolen bases. He made more than 700 starts at both second base and third base during his career. The University of Tennessee retired his No. 18 jersey in 2009.

Garner's finest postseason came in 1979. He played 150 games for the Pirates during that championship season and recorded an .800 OPS. He batted .417 in the National League Championship Series sweep of the Cincinnati Reds and then hit .500, going 12-for-24, in the World Series as Pittsburgh rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Baltimore Orioles. Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said Garner "will be remembered not only for the grit, passion, and heart he brought to the game, but also for the way he carried himself as a devoted family man and respected member of the baseball community." Nutting added, "His contributions to the 1979 World Series championship team will forever be part of Pirates history."

After his playing career, Garner managed three MLB clubs. He led the Milwaukee Brewers from 1992 to 1999, holding the franchise record for managerial wins until Craig Counsell surpassed it in 2022. He then managed the Detroit Tigers from 2000 to 2002 before taking over the Astros midway through the 2004 season following the firing of Jimy Williams. He compiled a career managerial record of 985 wins and 1,054 losses.

Garner guided the Astros to a 48-26 record for the remainder of 2004, and the team finished 92-70. Houston beat the Atlanta Braves in the 2004 National League Division Series before losing the NLCS to the St. Louis Cardinals after holding a 3-2 series lead. In 2005, the Astros started 15-30 but finished 89-73, beat the Braves again in the NLDS, and defeated the Cardinals in the NLCS to reach the franchise's first World Series. The Chicago White Sox swept Houston in that Fall Classic. Garner managed the Astros through 2007.

Former MLB player Jeff Bagwell said of Garner: "He was competitive. He was honest. He told you the truth."