Baltimore Orioles infielder and Minnesota Twins manager Billy Gardner died on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. He was 96 years old.

Gardner was born on July 19, 1927, in Waterford, Connecticut. He made his Major League Baseball debut in 1954 with the New York Giants and was part of the World Series winning team during his rookie year.

From there, the second basemen played four seasons with the Orioles, then he played for the Washington Senators, the Twins, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox. His best season was in ’57 when he led the league in doubles with 36 and at-bats with 644. Gardner’s career batting average was .237, he hit 41 home runs, and 271 RBIs.

After he retired from playing in 1963, Gardner started coaching. He spent eight years with the Red Sox farm system, and the Kansas City Royals and Montreal Expos’ minor league teams. In 1981, he became the Twins’ manager, eventually helping to develop players like Kirby Puckett, Tim Laudner, and Frank Viola.