Phil Regan, a former Major League Baseball pitcher and coach, died on Wednesday at the age of 89. His death was confirmed by his attorney, Matthew Blit, who stated Regan died peacefully of natural causes.
Regan, nicknamed 'The Vulture' by teammate Sandy Koufax for his timely bullpen appearances, had a 13-year playing career across four major league teams. He broke into the league with the Detroit Tigers in 1960. He was named an All-Star in 1966 during his tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he recorded a 14-1 record with a 1.62 ERA and 21 saves in 65 games.
Following his playing career, Regan embarked on a five-decade career in coaching and managing. He served as the head baseball coach at Grand Valley State University for nine years and managed in the Dominican and Venezuelan winter leagues for over two decades. He also had stints as a pitching coach for four MLB teams: the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets. He coached for Team USA at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Regan's managerial experience included a season as the manager of the Baltimore Orioles in 1995. During that strike-shortened season, he led a team that included future Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr., Mike Mussina, and Harold Baines, and finished with a 71-73 record.
He later returned to the Mets organization, serving as a pitching coach for their Class A affiliate St. Lucie and contributing to the development of pitchers such as Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. Regan was promoted to interim major league pitching coach at the age of 82 in 2019. He remained with the organization as a senior advisor of pitching development before his departure.
Regan is survived by his four children and numerous grandchildren. His attorney noted Regan's dedication to both the game and his family, highlighting his significant impact on players in Venezuela where he met his second wife.