Feb. 7, 2011

John W. Garner Hall of Fame Bio
Portland Press Herald: Former ace pitcher Garner dies at 98
The Sun: On fields of springtime, he threw the heat

John W. "Zeke" Garner, who was a standout pitcher at Lowell Textile School from 1929-34, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 1, from declining health. He was 98 years old.

During his time at Lowell Textile, Garner compiled a won-loss record of 23-19 and held the program record for career wins until it was matched by Kevin Rourke in 1995 and surpassed by Ryan Kearney (26) in 1998. The feat is all the more remarkable considering Textile only played between 12-15 games per year.

Garner, who pitched every game in the four years he played at Textile, was coached by the legendary Waldo W. "Rusty" Yarnall, who arranged a tryout for Garner with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1934. Garner turned down the offer to work in the family business in Kezar Falls, Maine.

Garner was inducted into the UMass Lowell (then the University of Lowell) Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985. He was also inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.