Garry Templeton
Garry Lewis Templeton (born
March 24,
1956 in
Lockney, Texas) was a
Major League Baseball player for the
St. Louis Cardinals,
San Diego Padres, and
New York Mets from
1976 to
1991. Templeton was primarily a
shortstop with good batting numbers in an era when that position did not provide much offense.
He was hailed by many as one of the best players in baseball early in his career, which featured
All-Star Game appearances in
1977 and
1979. In the latter year, Templeton made history as the first
switch-hitter to collect 100 hits from each side of the plate, a feat achieved only once more since then. His total of 211 hits led the
National League, and with 19
triples, he led the league for a third consecutive season.
He continued to hit well in
1980 and
1981, but wasn't popular with Cardinals fans. During the 1981 season, Templeton made an obscene gesture to some fans who had allegedly been heckling him. This proved to be too much for Cardinals management to accept – insulting fans isn't a good idea for any team, and even more so in St. Louis, where Cardinals' fans are considered to be among baseball's most knowledgeable and loyal – thus, Manager
Whitey Herzog pulled Templeton off the field, and after the end of the season traded him to the Padres for
Ozzie Smith. The trade was welcomed by everyone involved, as Smith was (then) a light-hitting defensive wizard and the Cardinals needed to improve their defense. He was also embroiled in a contract dispute with Padres' management. Templeton, while not as strong afield, was a much better hitter going to a team with a struggling offense.
Unfortunately for Templeton and the Padres, Smith developed into a better hitter with the Cardinals. Meanwhile, Templeton played well enough to keep the starting shortstop job in San Diego for many years, but knee problems diminished his ability as a hitter. As a result, Templeton is unfairly maligned for being part of what was considered a lopsided trade.
Ironically, Templeton, who began his career as an unpopular player in St. Louis, went on to become one of the most popular players in Padres history, and was considered an emotional leader on the
1984 National League championship team.
After his retirement as an active player in 1991, Templeton stayed in the game as a coach and minor-league manager. From
1998 through
2001, he managed the
Salt Lake Stingers of the Triple-A
Pacific Coast League, posting a 294-272 record. From
2003 to
2004, he managed the
Gary Railcats of the
Northern League, moving on to manage the
Golden Baseball League's
Fullerton Flyers in
2005.
He went to school at Valley High School in Santa Ana, CA.
