Bill Giles, longtime Philadelphia Phillies executive and former owner, died Friday at his home in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, at 92. During his tenure, the team won its first World Series in 1980 and captured the National League East six times in eight years.
Giles joined the Phillies after the 1969 season as vice president of business operations, as the club prepared to move from Connie Mack Stadium to Veterans Stadium. He became executive vice president in 1972 and organized the limited partnership that bought the team on Oct. 29, 1981. He was team president through 1997, then chairman, and was named chairman emeritus in 2015.
Giles emphasized entertainment and promotion at games, helped bring broadcaster Harry Kalas to the Phillies and helped introduce the Phillie Phanatic, which debuted in 1978. His Major League Baseball work included serving as honorary National League president and participating in committees on interleague play, expansion and the wild-card format. He received the Bud Selig Executive Leadership Award for lifetime achievement in 2010.
