Bill Giles | |
|---|---|
 Giles in 2008 | |
| Born | (1934-09-07)September 7, 1934 (age 91) Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Baseball executive |
| Known for | Chairman Emeritus and former part-owner of thePhiladelphia Phillies |
William Yale Giles (born September 7, 1934) is an Americanbaseball executive who currently serves as the honoraryNational League (NL) President. He is also the chairman emeritus and former part-owner ofMajor League Baseball (MLB)'sPhiladelphia Phillies.[1]
Giles is the son ofBaseball Hall of Fame executiveWarren C. Giles,[2] who was the general manager and president of theCincinnati Reds (1937–1951) before becoming president of theNational League (1951–1969). His mother Jane Mabel Skinner was the granddaughter of architectMerton Yale Cady, and a member of the family ofJohn Deere, founder ofJohn Deere Co., and ofLinus Yale Sr. of theYale Lock Company.[3][4]
Bill Giles was born inRochester, New York, during his father's term as president ofRochester Red Wings of theInternational League. His baseball career began in the Cincinnati organization during the 1950s, and he was among a group of Reds' executives (including former Cincinnatigeneral managerGabe Paul and MLB executiveTal Smith) who helped to found theHouston Astros when they debuted as theColt .45s in 1962.[5]
Sporting News'1962 Official Baseball Guide and Record Book, published in the Colt .45s' maiden season, lists Giles as the club's traveling secretary and publicity director.[6] Subsequently, he became promotions director, and focused on that role after the renamed team moved into theAstrodome in 1965.
Giles started with thePhillies as the vice president of business operations in 1969. He worked his way up in the organization, with stops as executive vice president and president, before becoming the chairman in 1997.[7] He was succeeded as chairman byDavid Montgomery and became chairman emeritus in 2015.[8]
Giles was also part of the ownership group that bought the Phillies from theCarpenter family in 1981, heirs of theDu Pont family fortune.[9][2] The group was composed of Giles, Claire S. Betz, Tri-Play Associates (Alexander K. Buck, J. Mahlon Buck Jr. and William C. Buck), and Double Play Inc. (John S. Middleton).[10] Mahlon Buck died in 2011.[11] Claire S. Betz died in 2014.[12] The group reportedly purchased the team for $30 million.[13] In 2023, the team was valued at 2.8 billion dollars.[14][15]
Around 2012 or 2013, Giles sold his last shares of the Phillies.[1] He owned at one point about 20% of the team.[1]
Giles is also honorary president of theNational League—the same job his father held on an official full-time basis. One of the honorary president's tasks is to present theWarren C. Giles Trophy, named after his father, to theNational League Championship Series winner.[16]
Other duties of the honorary league president include representing the league at theAll-Star Game and thepostseason.[17]
In 2001, a new tournament for the Division II baseball teams in the Philadelphia area, theBill Giles Invitational, was named in his honor.
His wife, Nancy, died on April 12, 2020.[18]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Philadelphia Phillies President 1982–1997 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Philadelphia PhilliesGeneral Manager 1984–1987 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
