Former Phillies part-owner, team president, and general manager Bill Giles passed away on Friday at age 92. Giles has served as the honorary president of the National League since 2001, but is best remembered for his long association with the Phillies.
“Bill was the heart and soul of the organization for over two decades,” Phillies legend Mike Schmidt said in a statement. “He was a close personal friend to so many of us. He will always be a big part of Phillies history. Prayers go to the Giles family in this time of mourning.”
Giles’ father Warren was also president of the NL from from 1951-69, and a former GM and team president of the Reds (Warren Giles’ legacy carries on today since the Warren Giles Trophy is awarded to the winner of the NLCS). The younger Giles followed in his father’s footsteps in the Reds organization before moving onto the expansion Houston Colt .45s — now the Astros — in 1962 as the new franchise’s traveling secretary and publicist.
That latter role was an underlying part of Giles’ career, as he was known for spearheading countless creative promotions to bring fans to the ballpark. The most enduring of Giles’ fan-friendly ideas came after he was hired as the Phillies’ VP of business operations in 1969, as about a decade into his tenure, Giles helped conceive of the Phillie Phanatic. Longtime broadcaster Harry Kalas was also hired away from Houston by Giles in 1971.
Of course, nothing attracts fans like a winning team, and the Phillies finally started to deliver some consistent on-field success in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The era was highlighted by the franchise’s first World Series title in 1980, and MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki notes that Giles played a key role in bringing Pete Rose to that championship roster. Rose signed with the Phillies on a four-year, $3.2MM free agent deal prior to the 1979 campaign, with Giles convincing local outlet WPHL-TV to spend an extra $200K in broadcast rights to help the team afford Rose’s contract. As per Zolecki, Giles also helped lure Rose to Philadelphia by appealing to Rose’s “ego and sense of history,” as Giles observed that signing with an AL team would hurt Rose’s chances of being the NL’s all-time leader in hits and other statistical categories.
Already a major voice in the organization, Giles was part of an ownership group that bought the Phillies in 1981, and he became the team president that year. Giles continued in this role until 1997, and he was also the Phillies’ general manager from 1984-87. After David Montgomery became team president in 1997, Giles was later named the Phillies’ chairman, and chairman emeritus in 2015. Giles also helped the Phillies’ push for a new baseball-only ballpark, resulting in the opening of Citizens Bank Park in 2004.
We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Giles’ family, friends, and loved ones.
Shame his last views of the Phillies was watching Mattingly prove just how dumb he is and the players prove they just dont care.
One of the nicest, most decent men I ever met. We worked together when baseball teams were abandoning spring training sites left and right. As our city negotiated with Bill and the Phils for a much needed new stadium, there was never any threat of moving the club that has been in Clearwater since 1947 – simply an attitude of teamwork to get the project done. Baseball needs more people like Bill Giles.
Baseball does need more people like Bill Giles who cared for the game and fewer people like Rob Manfred
Remember Bill Giles well. Phillies nation definitely in mourning today.
RIP. Condolences to his family and friends.
RIP Mr. Giles. Hopefully your Phils advance in the playoffs. Going to hard to get passed the Dodgers.
RIP Bill…..
A good man who orchestrated the acquisition from the Carpenter family.
RIP