Phil Regan, who pitched 13 seasons in the major leagues and spent more than five decades coaching and developing talent across every level of professional baseball, died on July 8, 2026, of natural causes. He was 89.
Matthew Blit, Regan’s attorney, confirmed the death.
A lawsuit filed by Regan in 2023 alleged age discrimination and wrongful termination after the New York Mets declined to retain him following the 2019 season. The suit claimed that former general manager Brodie Van Wagenen told Regan he would not return because he was “too old.”
From Starting Pitcher to Relief Ace
The Michigan native began his major league career with the Detroit Tigers in 1960, spending six years as a starter with 101 starts before reinventing himself as a reliever after moving to the National League. The shift proved transformative: his ERA as a reliever was 3.30, compared to 4.44 as a starter.
Teammate Sandy Koufax dubbed him “The Vulture” with the Los Angeles Dodgers for his talent at swooping into games at the perfect moment and claiming victories. In 1966, Regan justified the moniker with a stellar season, posting a 14-1 record with a 1.62 earned run average (ERA) across 65 games while leading the National League with 21 saves and earning his only All-Star selection.
After stints with the Cubs beginning in 1968 and a 10-game appearance with the White Sox in 1972, Regan concluded his playing career with a 96-81 record, a 3.84 ERA, and 92 saves across 551 games. He accumulated 58 wins over 446 relief appearances.
Coaching Across Continents and Decades
Regan’s post-playing life proved even more expansive. He spent nine years as head baseball coach at Grand Valley State University and over two decades managing in the Dominican and Venezuelan winter leagues. His coaching positions included pitching coach roles with the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Cubs and Mets, as well as with Team USA at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Regan managed the Baltimore Orioles for one season in 1995, stepping in after Johnny Oates during a strike-shortened campaign. He led a roster featuring three future Hall of Famers — Cal Ripken Jr., Mike Mussina and Harold Baines — to a 71-73 record before Davey Johnson assumed control the next year.
Coming out of retirement at the Mets’ request in 2009, Regan worked in the organization’s minor league system as an assistant minor league pitching coordinator and as pitching coach for Single-A Port St. Lucie from 2009-15. During that time, he played a key role in developing Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler, along with Seth Lugo, Steven Matz and Paul Sewald.
A Contentious Final Season
At 82 years old, Regan was named interim pitching coach for the Mets in 2019 after the franchise fired Dave Eiland. Following three additional years as a senior advisor of pitching development, the organization let him go. The Mets hired Jeremy Hefner, who was 33 at the time, to fill the pitching coach role in 2020. Regan subsequently sued the Mets and Van Wagenen.
Regan and his first wife, Carol, raised four children before her death in 2004. He met his second wife, Lissette, while coaching in Venezuela. Blit said Regan coached for many years in Venezuela and earned the respect of countless Venezuelan players, but that Regan always said his greatest reward from coaching there was his wife.
A Life Devoted to Baseball
He is survived by 18 grandchildren.
Regan’s career stretched from 1960 through the 2019 season, carrying him from Otsego, Michigan, to Dodger Stadium and Wrigley Field, from the Baltimore dugout to Venezuelan winter ball. Few in modern baseball can match the breadth of his resume or the depth of his commitment to the game.
