Jimy Williams, A.L. Manager of the Year in Boston in ’99, Dies at 80

Jimy Williams, the 1999 American League Manager of the Year for Boston who gained 910 video games over a dozen seasons that included stints with Toronto and Houston, died on Friday in Tarpon Springs, Fla. He was 80.

The Red Sox stated his demise, in a hospital, got here after a quick, unspecified sickness. He lived in close by Palm Harbor, on Florida’s west coast about 25 miles from Tampa.

Williams was voted A.L. Manager of the Year after main the Red Sox to their second straight playoff look. He had changed Kevin Kennedy as Boston’s supervisor after the 1996 season.

The Red Sox gained 78 video games in Williams’s first season after which greater than 90 in every of the subsequent two. In 1998, Boston made the playoffs as a wild card crew however was defeated by Cleveland within the A.L. division sequence. The subsequent yr, down 0-2 within the division sequence, once more towards Cleveland, the Red Sox rallied to win it 3-2. (Boston misplaced to the New York Yankees, 4-1, within the A.L. Championship Series.)

The Red Sox gained 85 video games in 2000, and Williams was fired in August 2001, with the crew at 65-53. He was employed that fall by the Houston Astros, however after two successful seasons with them he was fired midseason in 2004 with the crew at 44-44.

Williams was terminated a day after followers on the All-Stars Game, held at Minute Maid Park in Houston, booed when he was launched as a coach for the National League squad. (Houston joined the American League in 2013.)

Williams’s profession managing document was 910-790.

James Francis Williams was born on Oct. 4, 1943, in Santa Maria, Calif., northwest of Santa Barbara. He first spelled his identify Jimy as a prank in highschool. After graduating in 1961, he went to Fresno State, the place he earned a bachelor’s diploma in 1964 in agribusiness. He performed summer time ball that yr with the Alaska Goldpanners alongside the longer term major-league stars Tom Seaver and Graig Nettles.

An infielder, Williams signed with Boston, performed at class A Iowa and was chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1965 draft. Williams made his main league debut on April 26, 1966, putting out towards the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax in his first at-bat. He performed in 14 main league video games, going 3 for 13 (.231) with one run batted in. His first hit was on May 7, an R.B.I. single off San Francisco’s Juan Marichal, who like Koufax was a future Hall of Famer.

“I can remember my first big league hit, but when you only get three, you can remember them all,” he informed The Houston Chronicle.

He went on to play minor-league ball for the Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos organizations earlier than a shoulder damage lower quick his taking part in profession. After six seasons as a minor-league supervisor for the California Angels group, he grew to become the third-base coach with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1980.

Bobby Cox took over because the Blue Jays’ supervisor in 1982, and when Cox left in 1986 to change into normal supervisor of the Atlanta Braves, Williams changed him in Toronto’s dugout. Toronto went 86-76 in his first season and had a 3½-game A.L. East lead with seven video games left in 1987 however went 0-7 and completed two video games behind the Detroit Tigers.

The Blue Jays went 87-75 in 1988, and Williams was changed by Cito Gaston after a 12-24 begin in 1989. Williams had clashed a number of instances with the Jays star George Bell, who didn’t need to be a chosen hitter.

Williams returned to the Braves as Cox’s third base coach from 1991-96, memorably giving Sid Bream the inexperienced mild for the pennant-winning run on Francisco Cabrera’s single that beat Barry Bonds’s throw from left discipline and gained Game 7 of the 1992 N.L. Championship Series towards Pittsburgh.

After his time in Boston and Houston, Williams spent 2005 and 2006 as a roving teacher for the Tampa Bay Rays and was Manager Charlie Manuel’s bench coach for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007 and 2008, incomes a World Series ring in his second season.

His sons Shawn and Brady Williams each performed within the minor leagues. Brady is Tampa’s third-base coach; Shawn is a former minor-league supervisor.

In addition to his sons, Williams is survived by his spouse of 47 years, Peggy Williams; his daughters Monica Farr and Jenna Williams; and eight grandchildren. Monica was an All-America swimmer at Texas A&M, successful two gold medals on the World University Games.

The New York Times contributed reporting.