The Boston Red Sox announced that longtime MLB manager Jimmy Williams died Friday at the age of 80.
Williams died at AdventHealth North Pinellas Hospital in Tarpon Springs, Florida, after a brief illness. Williams lived in Palm Harbor.
After a brief stint as a major leaguer (his life cut short by a shoulder injury), Williams quickly landed a coaching job and eventually became manager of the Toronto Blue Jays.
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Portrait of manager Jimmy Williams #22 during Houston Astros media day at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Florida (M. David Lees/Getty Images)
This was the first stop in his managerial career, which began with the California Angels in the minor leagues with the Midwest League’s Class A Quad Cities.
Williams replaced Bobby Cox in Toronto in 1982, but joined Cox as the Atlanta Braves’ third base coach after Cito Gaston replaced him in 1998. Williams continued to do so from 1991 to 1996, with his most famous moment being Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Williams got the win in the bottom of the ninth inning after Francisco Cabrera singled, sending Sid Bream home and beating Barry Bonds’ left field throw.
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Williams returned to the manager’s chair in 1997, taking over the Red Sox job from Kevin Kennedy. Although he won only 78 games in his first season, it was a good start in Boston.
The Red Sox went 92-70 in Williams’ second year with the team, and in 1999 he won the American League Manager of the Year Award after going 94-68.
“I might look at life a lot differently than I did when I was in Toronto. I might not be as excited about it in terms of always having to say something,” said Williams, who won the Coach of the Year award. I can’t do it,” he said.
Boston Red Sox manager Jimmy after his team’s 12-8 victory over the Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of Game 11 of the American League Davison Series in Cleveland, Ohio in October 1999. Williams walks around the locker room with champagne. The Red Sox advance to the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. (Jeff Kowalski/AFP via Getty Images)
Williams then spent two more seasons with the Sox and was fired in August 2001 before being hired by the Houston Astros.
The Astros kept him with him for two and a half years before firing him in 2004 with a 44-44 record.
Although Williams did not win a World Series ring as a manager, he was able to earn a World Series ring after his coaching period ended. After serving as a traveling instructor with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2005 and 2006, Williams joined Charlie Manuel’s staff with the Philadelphia Phillies as a bench coach.
He won the World Series in 2008, his second year with the club, and could have won it twice had the New York Yankees not defeated the Phillies in 2009.
Jimmy Williams of the Philadelphia Phillies poses during photo day at Brighthouse Networks Field on February 24, 2007 in Clearwater, Florida. (Albero/Getty Images)
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He spent four seasons north of the border, compiling a 281-241 record in 523 games.
