Gary Wagner, who pitched in Major League Baseball for six seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox, passed away on March 11 at the age of 85. Over his MLB career, Wagner appeared in 162 games—primarily as a reliever—posting a 15-19 record with a 3.70 ERA.
He spent the 1965-69 seasons with Philadelphia and 1969-70 with Boston, later splitting 1971 between the Red Sox and Montreal Expos organizations, though he never returned to the majors.
A native of Bridgeport, Illinois, Wagner made history as the first Eastern Illinois University player to reach the major leagues, and only the sixth from the school to play professional baseball.
Originally a shortstop in college, Wagner transitioned to pitching when his coach, short on arms, allowed him to fill in on the mound.
He threw a no-hitter in his first collegiate start and went on to pitch five more games, winning three.
Wagner signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in September 1961 and spent three seasons in the minors before debuting in the majors in 1965.
As a rookie, he pitched 105 innings in 59 relief appearances, finishing 7-7 with a 3.00 ERA and seven saves.
He spent much of 1966 and 1967 with the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate before returning to the majors in 1968, recording a career-high eight saves and a 3.00 ERA in 44 games.
Philadelphia traded Wagner to Boston in September 1969 for minor leaguer Mike Jackson. In his final MLB season in 1970, he notched seven saves and a 3.35 ERA over 38 appearances.
Wagner is survived by his wife Freddie, his brother, three sons, and seven grandchildren.
