Highlighted Year: Billy Gardner, 1957

Second Baseman, Baltimore Orioles

Age: 30 (July 19)

2^nd season with Orioles

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height:6’0”    Weight: 170 

Prior to 1957:

A native of Waterford, Connecticut, Gardner grew up on a farm. He played football as well as baseball at Chapman Technical High School, which he attended for two years before signing with the New York Giants in 1945 at age 17. Assigned to Bristol of the Class D Appalachian League, he played third base and over 74 games batted .329 with 16 doubles, 6 triples,5 home runs, 56 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, a .389 on-base percentage, and a .470 slugging percentage. Finishing the season with Jersey City of the International League, in 49 games he hit .273 with 20 RBIs and a .306 OBP. Joining the Army at the end of 1945 he missed the 1946 season but returned in 1947 with the Jacksonville Tars of the Class A South Atlantic (or Sally) League. Gardner batted .262 with 18 doubles, 5 triples, one home run, 41 RBIs, and a .307 OBP. Returning to Jacksonville in 1948 he hit .255 with 26 doubles, 3 home runs, 66 RBIs, and a .295 OBP. Injuries limited him to two 17-game stints in Class AAA with Jersey City of the International League and Minneapolis of the American Association. He ended up batting a combined .219 with a .296 OBP. Back in Class A in 1950 with Sioux City of the Western League Gardner hit .303 with 32 doubles, 7 triples,22 home runs, 118 RBIs, a .377 OBP, and a .496 slugging percentage. Returning to the International League with the Ottawa Giants in 1951 he batted .231 with 19 doubles, 6 triples, 3 home runs, and a .294 OBP. Gardner returned to Minneapolis in 1952 and hit .259 with a .303 OBP. He also married Barbara Carnaroli, a star women’s baseball and basketball player in Connecticut who also won the Miss New London beauty contest. In 1953 he played for the Nashville Volunteers of the Class AA Southern Association and batted .308 with 42 doubles, 5 triples, 10 home runs, 71 RBIs, a .345 OBP, and a .447 slugging percentage. Gardner made it to the Giants in 1954 and was a utility infielder, primarily appearing at third base, and over the course of 62 games played he performed well defensively while hitting only .213 with a .261 OBP and 7 RBIs. He didn’t play in the World Series for the pennant-winning club. Returned to Minneapolis early during the 1955 season, Gardner hit .310 with 15 doubles, 17 home runs, 48 RBIs, and a .367 OBP before being recalled to the Giants in August where he again performed in a utility role, seeing considerable action at shortstop due to an injury to Alvin Dark. He appeared in 59 games for the Giants and batted .203 with a .261 OBP. In 1956, the Giants sold Gardner to the Orioles for $20,000. Installed at second base by his new club, he hit .231 with 16 doubles, 11 home runs, 50 RBIs, and a .281 OBP. He placed third among AL second basemen in putouts (274) and assists (331). His 76 double plays ranked fourth. He also obtained the nickname “Shotgun” for his outstanding throwing arm and was also called “Slick” for reasons that may, or may not, have pertained to his fielding prowess.

1957 Season Summary

Appeared in 154 games

2B – 148, SS – 9

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 718 [1, tied with Nellie Fox]

At Bats – 644 [1]

Runs – 79 [13]

Hits – 169 [8]

Doubles – 36 [1, tied with Minnie Minoso]

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 6

RBI – 55

Bases on Balls – 53

Int. BB – 2

Strikeouts – 67 [16]

Stolen Bases – 10 [10]

Caught Stealing – 7 [7, tied with Al Pilarcik & Jim Lemon]

Average - .262

OBP - .325

Slugging Pct. - .356

Total Bases – 229 [16]

GDP – 13 [17, tied with seven others]

Hit by Pitches – 8 [5, tied with Chico Carrasquel]

Sac Hits – 11 [5, tied with Johnny Kucks]

Sac Flies – 2

League-leading at bats were +10 ahead of runner-up Frank Malzone

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 19, HR - 4, RBI - 30, AVG - .293, OBP - .359

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Boston 5/29

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

HR at home – 1

HR on road – 5

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at Washington 8/13

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Cleveland 8/28

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding (2B)

Chances – 828

Put Outs – 393

Assists – 424

Errors – 11

DP – 96

Pct. - .987 

Awards & Honors:

12^th in AL MVP voting (22 points – 7% share)

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The Orioles went 76-76 to finish fifth in the AL, 21 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees while leading the league in fewest doubles (191), fewest home runs (87), lowest slugging percentage (.353), and fewest total bases (1856). The rebuilding Orioles benefited from improved pitching and defense which allowed them to rise from a 15-24 record at the end of May. Thanks to a 19-win June and a 30-23 August and September tally they scratched out a break-even season. Gardner put together a 55-game errorless streak in May and June. As a team, the Orioles played a total of 82 errorless games during the season.

After 1957:

In 1958 Gardner’s batting production dropped to .225 with a .271 OBP although he still totaled 28 doubles and his defense remained effective. In 1959 his average fell off to .217 with a .284 OBP and 13 doubles, 6 home runs, and 27 RBIs and he faced competition for playing time from veterans Chico Carrasquel and Bobby Avila as well as the up-and-coming Jerry Adair. Prior to the 1960 season, Gardner was dealt to the Wahington Senators. Bringing his hustle and defensive skill to Washington in 1960, he also batted .257 with 26 doubles, 5 triples, 9 home tuns, 56 RBIs, and a .313 OBP. The franchise moved to Minnesota and became the Minnesota Twins in 1961 but Gardner wasn’t with them for long, being traded to the New York Yankees in June for LHP Danny McDevitt. As a utility infielder for the Tankees during their drive to a pennant, he filled in mostly at third base and for the year batted a combined .225 in 86 games with 14 doubles, 2 home runs, 13 RBIs, and a .279 OBP. Gardner made only one appearance in the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds and lined out as a pinch-hitter to end the only game the Yanks lost. It marked the only postseason action of his career. Riding the bench for the Yankees in 1962, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox in June where he remained a reserve and in 53 games for the Bosox he hit .271 with a .310 OBP. After seeing scant action with Boston in 1963 he was released, thus ending his major league playing career. He spent 1964 back in Class AAA with the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League. For his major league career Gardner batted .237 with 841 hits that included 159 doubles, 18 triples, and 41 home runs. He scored 356 runs and compiled 271 RBIs, a .292 OBP, and a .327 slugging percentage. With the Orioles, where he had his greatest success, he batted .236 with 198 runs scored, 501 hits, 93 doubles, 9 triples, 26 home runs, 165 RBIs, a .293 OBP, and a .325 slugging percentage. He was never an All-Star and 1957 marked the only season in which he received MVP votes. Gardner coached for the Red Sox and also was a minor league manager for several seasons, where he enjoyed some success. He later became a major league manager with the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals, compiling an overall record of 330-417. The life-long Connecticut resident died in 2024 at age 96. His son Billy Jr. spent two years playing in the Kansas City Royals system before entering into a long career as a minor league manager.  

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.