Former Royals manager Billy Gardner died on January 3 at the age of 96. Gardner enjoyed a ten-year career in the big leagues as an infielder before managing in the minors with the Royals. He would eventually serve as manager of the Minnesota Twins for six seasons, and skipped the Royals in 1987.
Gardner grew up on a farm in Connecticut, signing with the New York Giants out of high school. He spent a year in the military, and didn’t reach the big leagues until age 26. In 1956, he was sold to the Baltimore Orioles and became a starter at second base.