Carl Barger

Carl F. Barger (born in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, August 18, 1930 – December 9, 1992) was a high-powered Pittsburgh attorney and baseball executive.

Biography

Barger became the President of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, serving from 1987 through the beginning of 1991. He became the first president of the Florida Marlins (now the Miami Marlins) on July 8, 1991. However, he suffered an aneurysm during the MLB's Winter Meetings in 1992 in Louisville, Kentucky and later died. On April 5, 1993, the day that the Marlins played their first-ever regular-season game, the Marlins retired the number 5 in Barger's memory, as his favorite player was Joe DiMaggio (who wore number 5 in his career). The only other person to have his number retired by the Marlins was Jackie Robinson, whose number 42 jersey was retired throughout Major League Baseball to honor his achievement of breaking baseball's color barrier.

However, on February 11, 2012, the Marlins unretired #5, as that that number was requested to be worn by Logan Morrison, a player for the Marlins from 2012-2014. He is currently honored with a plaque with #5 depicted on it honoring Barger.

Additionally, the Marlins designated the practice areas and fields next to Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida, as the Carl F. Barger Baseball Complex.

External links

• Florida Marlins: History: Marlins Retired Numbers

Preceded by Malcolm Prine	President of the Pittsburgh Pirates 1989–1991	Succeeded by Mark Sauer
Preceded by first President	President of the Florida Marlins 1992	Succeeded by Don Smiley