Phil Regan, born in 1937 in Otsego, is the definition of a baseball lifer. He was still coaching baseball at age 83 in 2020 despite announcing a retirement in 2015. He served as an interim pitching coach for the New York Mets.
The three-sport standout at Wayland High in the 1950s pitched in the Major Leagues for 13 seasons, including his first five with the Detroit Tigers and was one of baseball’s top relief pitchers with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.
He then started his long coaching career in West Michigan leading Grand Valley State University’s program for 10 years (1973-82), managed the Baltimore Orioles for one strike-shortened season and also managed the West Michigan Whitecaps for two seasons (85-57 in 2002 and 67-72 in 2003) after being a pitching coach for Team USA in the Olympic Games (2000 Sydney, Australia).
Regan, who in 1955 played baseball for Western Michigan University before signing with the Tigers in ’56, had an overall MLB record of 96-81 and a 3.84 earned run average while doing most of his work as a reliever. He appeared in 551 games, 105 as a starter and earned 92 saves with 1,372.2 innings pitched.
He earned the nickname “The Vulture” from legendary Dodgers teammate Sandy Koufax, who noted Regan’s ability to appear in the late innings in relief and pick up wins. Regan said it came during the 1966 season with the Dodgers after he entered and picked up the win in a second consecutive 1-1 game being pitched by Koufax. “He said I swooped in to get the win,” Regan said.
Regan had been traded from Detroit in December of 1965 at his request to the Dodgers. With the Dodgers set in the starting rotation, he went to the bullpen where he was 14-1 with a 1.62 ERA, 88 strikeouts, 116 innings pitched and a National League-leading 21 saves as the Dodgers won the NL pennant. He was an All-Star that year but did not appear in the game. He did appear in two of the 1966 World Series games (Baltimore swept the Dodgers 4-0) facing six batters total, walking one and retiring five. He also won Reliever of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year awards.
He was traded in 1968 with Jim Hickman to the Cubs, two days after winning both games of a doubleheader against the Mets in relief. The Cubs lost a big lead late in 1969, but Regan led all of Major League baseball with 25 saves and again won Reliever of the Year awards. He finished his playing career pitching one season with the Chicago White Sox.
Regan went into coaching at Grand Valley in 1973 and stayed through 1982. Twice his Lakers won the GLIAC title and twice won NAIA district championships.
The Seattle Mariners came calling in 1983 and he was promoted in 1984 to the major league club’s pitching coach slot. He resigned that spot following the 1986 season and worked in the Dodgers organization for the next six years.
He managed in the Majors just one season, 1995, and was 71-73 that strike-shortened year and was fired. He was manager when Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s record of consecutive games played at 2,131. (See Wally Pipp for another GRSHOF connection).
He kept coaching however, winning a Caribbean World Series with Leones del Escogido in 1988 as manager, managed in the Venezuelan Winter League, went back to manage in the Dodgers organization in 1996, was the Cubs’ pitching coach in 1997 and ’98, then with Cleveland, coached in the 2000 Olympics, spent two years with the Whitecaps, worked more years with the New York Mets organization and into 2020 was the pitching coach for Toros del Este, the Dominican champions.
The baseball field at Wayland High is named for him.