There are baseball lifers. Then, there are iconic baseball lifers such as Bill Giles. Sadly, Mr. Giles died today (September 25), at age 92.
His father, the late Warren C. Giles, was president and general manager of the Cincinnati Reds (1937-51) and president of the National League (1951-69). Bill spent much of his childhood with his father at Crosley Field in Cincinnati and got his first job in baseball as a teenager doing odds and ends in the Reds’ public relations department.
Following graduation from Denison University, Giles spent three years in the U.S. Air Force as a navigator in the Strategic Air Command. His baseball career took on full-time status in 1959 when he was named GM of the Nashville Vols, a Cincinnati Minor League team. From there, he moved to the expansion Houston Colt .45s, for whom he served as traveling secretary, publicity director, director of public relations and promotions, and vice president.
Phillies roots
Following the 1969 season in which the Phillies lost 99 games and drew only 519,414 fans at ancient Connie Mack Stadium (their lowest total since 1945), owner Bob Carpenter made one of his greatest hires. With Veterans Stadium on the horizon, Carpenter brought Bill to Philadelphia as the vice president of business operations. Three years later, he was promoted to executive vice president.
In his Phillies position, he would oversee marketing, sales, public relations, promotions, broadcasting, stadium operations and Veterans Stadium, which was scheduled to open in 1970 but delayed a year for many reasons. He brought a philosophy of creating family fun at the ballpark. The front office expanded and became a family, an atmosphere Dave Montgomery would continue when he succeeded Bill in 1997.
His footprint
A new logo and uniforms were introduced in 1970, ushering in a badly needed image change of a stagnant organization.
With the opening of Veterans Stadium (1971) came usherettes known as the Hot Pants Patrol, ball girls, a giant Liberty Bell located on the center-field façade next to a Philadelphia Phil and Phyllis home run display, mascots Phil and Phyllis, bullpen carts, the relocation of the Connie Mack statue at 21st & Lehigh Ave to the south Philly stadium.
He quickly made a bold and unpopular broadcasting move by bringing a young Harry Kalas to Philadelphia, replacing the legendary Bill Campbell.
A lesser-known hire in 1971 was David Montgomery in the sales office. “Monty” advanced in the business side under Giles and became a minority owner and president.
Tuesday morning staff meetings served as an incubator for endless promotions, including a unique way to deliver the first ball for the home openers. Kiteman topped that list with five stunt appearances. Among the many promotions were old-timers’ games, the introduction of the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame, Alumni weekends, first uniform number retirement ceremonies, giveaways for kids, women and men, and press caravans in the tri-state area. Easily the most impactful idea was a new mascot, Phillie Phanatic in 1978.
The incubator also produced the likes of the highest-jumping Easter bunny, cash scramble, cow-milking contest, honoring the famous hot dog vendor (Doggie Man), ostrich races, wheelbarrow races, the great Karl Wallenda, postgame fireworks, pregame and postgame concerts, to name a few. All were designed to entertain fans.
When Pete Rose was a free agent following the 1978 season, the Phillies were interested. Knowing the Phillies' offer was short, Giles went to work and convinced WPHL TV to increase their fee on the basis that advertising rates would increase with Rose in the lineup. The Phillies signed Rose to a four-year, $3.24 million contract (1978), the highest in baseball. Two years later, they won their first World Series championship.
Giles was instrumental in bringing the All-Star Game to Philadelphia to be part of the city’s bicentennial celebration in 1976. Wanting to showcase the city, the Phillies hosted a giant tent party for all of baseball on Independence Square near the Liberty Bell. The party, held the evening before the game, became an MLB tradition. Penn’s Landing was the 1996 ASG party site.
Prior to Giles’ arrival, Bob Carpenter, at the urging of son Ruly, brought Paul Owens in from scouting to be the director of Minor Leagues and scouting in 1965. Seven years later, Owens became the general manager. Under Owens-Giles leadership, the Phillies became one of most respected and successful organizations.
Living a dream
Giles had always dreamed of owning and operating a team. When the Carpenters put the team up for sale in the spring of 1981, Giles organized a limited partnership to purchase the club on October 29, 1981. The investors included the Taft Broadcasting Company; F. Eugene Dixon; Rochelle Levy; J.D.B. Associates, led by John Drew Betz, chairman of the Betz Laboratories, Robert D. Hedberg, a financial consultant, and Tri-Play Associates (brothers Alexander, James and William Buck).
Under Giles presidency, the Phillies won the 1983 and 1993 National League pennants. Attendance (3,137,674) in 1993 was the highest in Veterans Stadium history.
In 1984, Bill and Nancy Giles adopted the Philadelphia ALS Association as the Phillies’ official charity, a partnership that continues. Players became active in the community. Phillies fans flocked to Cooperstown for a parade of Hall of Fame inductions, Steve Carlton (1994). Richie Ashburn and Mike Schmidt (1995) and Jim Bunning (1996).
As president, Giles promoted Montgomery to executive vice president. Bill remained president until 1997, when he moved up to chairman as Montgomery became the president. After attending a game at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Bill felt a similar ballpark was needed in Philadelphia. Veterans Stadium was beginning to show its age. With Montgomery leading the way, the Phillies did something no other franchise had done, open two new ballparks in two months, one in Clearwater and Citizens Bank Park in 2004.
Major League Baseball
Between 1986 and 2003, Bill was heavily involved: Executive Council, Player Relations Committee, National-American Insurance Limited Board of Directors, Long Range Planning Committee, Jackie Robinson Committee (Ad hoc), Official Playing Rules Committee, Baseball Operations Committee, Television Committee, Audit and Budget Subcommittee, National League Executive Committee, National League Expansion Committee, Joint League Expansion Committee and Expansion Subcommittee, Expansion Committee, Schedule Format Committee, Game Schedule Committee, Oversight Committee, Superstation Committee, Major League Baseball Enterprises/Properties Board, Realignment Committee.
National League
In the summer of 2001, Bill was nominated to serve as honorary president of the National League, a role in which he represented the NL at the All-Star Game and postseason play. One of the tasks was to present the Warren C. Giles Trophy, named after his father, to the championship clubs.
Hall of Fame
Served on the Expansion Era Committee (2010). ... He remains a potential candidate for the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for Managers/Executives/Umpires. The next meeting is in 2026.
Civic accomplishments
Chairman emeritus of the board, Philadelphia Convention and Tourism Bureau; member of the Executive Committee, Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and Philadelphia Sports Congress; past president of the Boy Scouts of America and the Corporate Alliance for Drug Education; on the boards of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce, the Police Athletic League and the Salvation Army; and a member of the Union League, Rotary Club and the visitors boards of the Temple University Medical School and Temple University Journalism School.
Among the awards: Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Boy Scouts of America; Garry Maddox Award by the Philadelphia Child Guidance Center; Police Athletic League Man of the Year (1993); Philadelphia Boys Choir Man of the Year (1994); Anti-Defamation League Man of the Year (1994); American Red Cross Man of the Year (1996); Vision of Philadelphia Award (1996) by Philadelphia Hospitality, Inc.; the American Heart Association’s Man of the Year; the Team Leadership Award from the Tug McGraw Foundation (2006); Crescent Award from Rosemont College (2010); Man of the Year by Chamounix (2010); Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame induction (2023); Living Legend Award by Philadelphia Sportswriters Association (2025).
He was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame three years ago. Strangely, he’s not in the Phillies Wall of Fame, an honor roll he started in 1978.