How former Pirates star Phil Garner earned the nickname 'Scrap Iron'

"Stargell answered, 'Well, he's a little feller and he's tough and he'll compete,'" the 5-foot-10 Garner said. "He's like an old piece of scrap metal. You know, you can bend him and beat on him, but you can't break him. And Milo responded, 'Well, Scrap Iron, then. That's who he'll be.'"

Garner added that former Pirates right fielder Dave Parker tried to take credit for the nickname, saying "the ball sounded like it was hitting the lid of a garbage can" whenever it hit his glove, and the team began calling him that because of it. He insists the first version of the story is the true one. 

The nickname stuck and suited the undersized infielder, who was a key member of the Pirates' 1979 World Series-winning squad. During the postseason, he batted .472 and drove in six RBI. But his impact went far beyond the numbers. 

"Phil Garner was the heart and soul of what our team was about," Pirates pitcher Kent Tekulve said, via MLB.com's Jason Mackey. "He brought grit and a little arrogance. He rounded out the clubhouse and our attitude on the field. Just a special player and person."

Garner's mindset endeared him to Pittsburgh fans, who want their sports heroes to be shatterproof, like "Scrap Iron."