Henry Eugene Garber(born November 13, 1947) is an American formerprofessional baseballsidearmrelief pitcherwho played for fourMajor League Baseball(MLB) organizations from1969to1988.
| Gene Garber | |
|---|---|
 Garber in 1986. | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:November 13, 1947 Lancaster, Pennsylvania,U.S. | |
Batted:Right Threw:Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 17, 1969, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 1, 1988, for the Kansas City Royals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 96–113 |
| Earned run average | 3.34 |
| Strikeouts | 940 |
| Saves | 218 |
| Teams | |
Playing career
editGarber was selected by thePittsburgh Piratesin the 20th round of the1965 amateur draft.Over the course of his MLB career, he pitched for the Pirates,Kansas City Royals(on two occasions),Philadelphia Phillies,andAtlanta Braves.In1977,Garber won his only postseason game, becoming the first Phillies pitcher to win a postseason game in 62 years. While pitching for the Braves against theCincinnati Redson August 1, 1978, Garber helped preventPete Rosefrom setting a newNational League(NL)hitting streakrecord. With the Braves winning 16–4 in the top of the ninth inning, Rose was 0 for 4 when he came to bat with two outs. Rose struck out swinging, on a 2–2change-up,ending the consecutive game streak still tied withWillie Keeler.[1]
While pitching for the1979 Braves,Garber recorded 25 saves, but also 16 losses, an unusually high number for acloser.His best season came for the1982 Braves' NL West division-winning team. That year, Garber recorded a career-high 30 saves, along with a 8–10 won-lost record, and he finished seventh in theNL Cy Young Awardballoting. Garber's most effective pitch was a change-up, which he effectively delivered from an unusual, herky-jerky motion, turning his back to the batter before delivering the ball in a side-arm, "submarine-style" manner. With 141 games saved for the Braves, Garber ranks third on the team's all-time saves list as of 2020, behind onlyCraig Kimbrel(186) andJohn Smoltz(154).[2]
Upon his retirement following the1988season, Garber’s 931 career pitching appearances ranked fifth in MLB history, trailingHoyt Wilhelm(1070),Kent Tekulve(1013),Lindy McDaniel(987), andRollie Fingers(944).
Personal life
editGarber attendedElizabethtown Area High School.He went on to graduate fromElizabethtown Collegein 1969. Garber is a farmer inElizabethtown, Pennsylvania,where he and his sons raise poultry for eggs, emu foremu oil,and they grow corn, wheat, soybeans, and barley. Prior to the 2009 season, he was invited by the Braves to be a guest instructor for a week during spring training, working with fellow side-armerPeter Moylan.[3]
Garber is the Chairman of the Lancaster County Agricultural Preservation Board and is a member of the Lancaster Farmland Trust, which combined have protected more than 1,000 farms and 75,000 acres (300 km2) of farmland from development, more than any other county in the United States.[4]
References
edit- ^Garber, Braves end Rose threat to Dimaggio record
- ^"Atlanta Braves Player Career Pitching Register".Baseball Reference.RetrievedApril 6,2020.
- ^What ever happened to Gene Garber?
- ^"Agricultural Preserve Board | Lancaster County, PA - Official Website".Archived fromthe originalon September 13, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 7,2016.
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information fromMLB,orESPN,orBaseball Reference,orFangraphs,orBaseball Reference (Minors),orRetrosheet
- Gene Garberat Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League)
- Gene Garberat Baseball Gauge
- Gene Garberat Hall of Stats