Pat Devlin

Bill Giles, Phillies chairman emeritus and long-time club executive, passed away at his home in Gladwyne, Pa., this afternoon. He was 92 years old. Known for his immense contributions to the Phillies, City of Philadelphia and Major League Baseball, Giles began his Phillies career in 1969 as vice president, business operations, and was promoted to executive vice president three years later. In 1981, he organized a group that purchased the club, serving as president until 1997 and then chairman before being named chairman emeritus in 2015. Giles was instrumental in opening Veterans Stadium, and later Citizens Bank Park, drawing fans with clever marketing ideas, including the creation of the legendary Phillie Phanatic. He expertly balanced the business and baseball needs of the club, which won two National League East titles and National League pennants during his time as president. As one of Philadelphia’s more civically involved citizens, Giles served on several boards for various organizations, some of which included the Philadelphia Convention and Tourism Bureau, Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Philadelphia Sports Congress, Police Athletic League and Salvation Army. He was also a past president of the Boy Scouts of America and Corporate Alliance for Drug Education. Giles, the son of former National League president Warren C. Giles, was named honorary president of the NL in 2001 and was a recipient of the Bud Selig Executive Leadership Award for lifetime achievement in baseball in 2010. He was part of a council that expanded the league to 30 teams, incorporated interleague play and re-structured the playoff format with a wild card slot, among other significant contributions. Born in Rochester, N.Y., in 1934, Giles began his baseball career as a teenager working various jobs in the Cincinnati Reds’ public relations department. He went on to advance his career in Houston, serving as traveling secretary, publicity director and promotions director before joining the Phillies following the 1969 season. Reflecting on his life in the game, Giles authored the book Pouring Six Beers at a Time: And Other Stories from a Lifetime in Baseball and co-authored another on the business of baseball, titled Bill Giles and Baseball. In 1999, the Phillies established the Bill Giles Award to honor minor league players who share the same attributes as the namesake: a love and respect for the game of baseball, an outstanding work ethic and pride in being a member of the Phillies organization. Giles was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy, and is survived by his three sons, Michael, Joseph and Christopher, and eight grandchildren, Lowell, Will, Caroline, Dana, Molly, Max, Eliza and Warren. Details on funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.