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The Giles family left its mark on professional baseball. Starting with Hall of Fame executive Warren, and continuing through to Phillies chairman emeritus son Bill, the family had a nearly century-long reign in baseball.

Warren was elected president of the Class B Moline, Illinois, Plowboys in 1919 at age 23. From there he ascended up the baseball ladder. After that he joined the Cardinals organization rising to president of their two top farm teams in Syracuse and Rochester. In 1936 he spent the last half of the season as president of the International League.

From there it was a long stay in the Major Leagues.

Cardinals chief Branch Rickey recommended Giles to Reds owner Powel Crosley Jr. On November 1, 1936, Warren was appointed Cincinnati’s general manager and president. In his first season the reds improved by 26 games. Even better things were in store for Giles and the Reds.

In 1938 he hired Bill McKechnie as the team’s pilot. The skipper would solidify his Hall of Fame managerial career in Cincinnati, winning his third and fourth NL pennant and second World Series title.

Giles also made his most successful trade in ’38, acquiring pitcher Bucky Walters from the Phillies. Walters earned the NL MVP Award in his first full season with the Reds and made the All Star team five times from 1939-1944. Behind Walters’ mound work, the Reds made consecutive appearances in the World Series starting in 1939. In the ’40 Fall Classic Walters went 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA to help Cincinnati win their second World Series title.

In 1951, Giles became the president of the National League. During his reign Giles oversaw Major League Baseball’s westward expansion to San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as the addition of Mets, Padres, Expos, and Astros franchises.

Giles was elected to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in ’69 and to Cooperstown a decade later. Today two awards are named in his honor, the National League Championship Series trophy and the Warren Giles Award given to the outstanding minor league president each year.

In the collection are these two baseball cards or Warren Giles signed by his son Bill.

 

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Bill Giles’ baseball career started as a gopher and errand boy for the Cincinnati Reds. He got his start in his teens while his father Warren was the club’s GM. Soon the younger Giles went out on his own to minor league Nashville.

Bill was one of the former Cincinnati executives that formed a group to found the Houston Colt .45s, later renamed the Astros. Giles was Houston’s traveling secretary and publicity director in its first year of operation in 1962. He later became promotions director, helping the team move into the Astrodome in 1965.

Four years later Giles became Vice President of Business Operations with the Phillies. He remained with Philadelphia until 2015. Along the way Giles worked as Executive VP before becoming chairman in 1997. Giles was with the club for both World Series titles in 1980 and 2008. He was succeeded as the club’s chairman in 2015 but kept the title of chairman emeritus.

In the collection is this handwritten note signed by Bill Giles. A member of the Phillies’ front office for for almost a half century, Giles is asked his to identify his greatest baseball accomplishment.

He writes, “Building Citizens’ Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia. I am mostly retired but still give speeches for the Phillies & work for many charities”. Giles has signed the bottom of the paper.

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Warren Giles served as National League president from 1951-1969. Fifty years after he took the post his son Bill Giles was named honorary president of the league. Today the younger Giles represents the league in the All Star game and in the postseason.

During the postseason, Bill can be found presenting the Warren C. Giles Trophy to the NL pennant winner. Shown here is an All Star ring receipt from 2011 for Bill Giles. His ring size is listed as 10 1/2. One can imagine all the rings from the Mid Summer Classic that reside with Giles.