Garry Templeton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Garry Templeton |
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Templeton with the Long Beach Armada in 2009
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| Shortstop | |||
| Born: March 24, 1956 Lockney, Texas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 9, 1976, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last 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 | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Garry Lewis Templeton, born on March 24, 1956, is a former American professional baseball player. He was a talented shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB). Templeton played for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets. His career in MLB lasted from 1976 to 1991. Later, he was honored by being inducted into the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame.
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Garry Templeton's Baseball Career
Garry Templeton was born in Lockney, Texas. Many people thought he was one of the best players in baseball early in his career. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was chosen for the All-Star team in 1977 and 1979.
Making History as a Switch-Hitter
In 1979, Garry Templeton made baseball history. He was the first switch-hitter to get 100 hits from both the left and right sides of the plate. This was a very rare achievement. Only one other player, Willie Wilson, has done it since. Templeton led the National League with 211 hits that year. He also led the league in triples for the third year in a row, with 19. He was the Cardinals' top hitter in 1977, 1978, and 1979.
Challenges with the Cardinals
Even though Templeton was a great hitter, he faced some challenges with the Cardinals. Some fans felt his playing style looked uninterested. He also made many errors while fielding. Between 1977 and 1979, he averaged 35 errors each year. These fielding issues led to disagreements with the team's management. Templeton felt his fielding was better than it seemed. He believed his wide range meant he was charged with more errors. His hitting and base running were still very strong.
During the 1981 season, things became difficult between Templeton and the team. There was an incident where he did not run to first base on a dropped third strike. Fans booed him, and he had a disagreement with his manager, Whitey Herzog.
The Trade to San Diego
After the 1981 season, the Cardinals traded Garry Templeton to the San Diego Padres. In return, the Cardinals received Ozzie Smith. This trade was good for both teams. The Cardinals needed to improve their defense, and Ozzie Smith was known as an amazing defensive player. The Padres needed to improve their offense, and Templeton was a strong hitter.
The trade was a big success for the Cardinals. Ozzie Smith became a Baseball Hall of Famer. Interestingly, Ozzie Smith's hitting improved a lot with the Cardinals. At the same time, Templeton's defense improved in San Diego, but his hitting became less strong.
Success with the Padres
Garry Templeton played for the Padres for ten seasons. He played in 1,286 games for the team. During his time with the Padres, he got 1,135 hits, 43 home runs, and 427 RBIs. His batting average was .252. He also won one Silver Slugger Award and was an All-Star in 1985.
In 1984, Templeton was a very important part of the Padres team. They won their first-ever National League West title and the National League pennant. Before Game 3 of the 1984 National League Championship Series, Templeton encouraged the crowd by waving his cap. The Padres won Game 3, and then won Games 4 and 5 to complete an amazing comeback. In 1987, he was named team captain of the Padres by manager Larry Bowa. He served as captain for four years.
His final season in MLB was 1991. He played 32 games for the Padres before being traded to the New York Mets on May 31. He played 80 more games for the Mets that year. On August 8, 2015, Garry Templeton was inducted into the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame.
Managing Career
After he stopped playing baseball in 1991, Garry Templeton continued to be involved in the game. He became a coach and a minor league manager. From 1998 to 2001, he managed four teams in the Anaheim Angels organization. He had a good record of 294 wins and 272 losses.
He later managed other teams in independent leagues. These included the Gary Railcats (2003-2004), the Fullerton Flyers (2005-2007), and the Palm Springs Chill (2008). In 2009, he managed the Long Beach Armada. In 2010, he led the Chico Outlaws to win the Golden Baseball League Championship. In 2013, Templeton became the manager of the Newark Bears.
Personal Life
Garry Templeton has a son named Garry Templeton II. His son also played minor league baseball from 1999 to 2007. Garry Templeton II later became a manager himself. He managed the Hawaii Stars in 2012 and the Vallejo Admirals from 2014 to 2015. He won the Pacific Association Manager of the Year Award in 2014. Today, he works as a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
Images for kids
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Templeton with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980
