Top Blue Jays Manager #4: Jimy
Williams
Years Managed: 4
(1986-1989)
Win/Loss Record: 281-241
Best Season: 1987
(96-66, 2nd Place)
Jimy Williams had the unenviable
task of replacing Bobby Cox as manager of the Toronto Blue Jays when Cox left
the club after the division championship season of 1985 to take the General
Manager’s job for the Atlanta Braves. The team that was laden with talented
players, under-achieved in 1986, and the blame fell to the new skipper. But
after a sluggish start, Williams guided Toronto into a second-half resurgence
that saw them challenge eventual division champion Boston until the penultimate
weekend of the season.
The strong second half encourage
Jays’ fans as the 1987 season began. Toronto was in a dog-fight with the New
York Yankees for most of the season. But as the Yankees faded as August moved
along, the Jays got a new challenge from the Detroit Tigers. Both Toronto and
Detroit would battle deep into September, with the Jays suffering a
season-ending collapse to cost them the division. A seven-game losing streak
turned a 3 ½ game lead with a week to go, into a two-game deficit by season’s
end. It didn’t help Williams that he lost two key players—shortstop Tony
Fernandez and catcher Ernie Whitt—in the midst of the pennant race. However,
much more was expected in 1988.
Williams caused controversy
during Spring Training in 1988 when he announced rookie phenom, Sylvestre
Campusano would be the new centre fielder, moving the incumbent, Lloyd Moseby,
to left fielder, meaning reigning American League MVP George Bell would be
confined to the designated hitter’s role. Bell was not thrilled and had no
trouble speaking his mind about it. In the end, Campusano wasn’t good enough to
maintain an everyday MLB job and Moseby moved back to centre and Bell to left.
But the distraction was obvious
and the team finished in third place, two games behind the Red Sox. The
negative energy followed the team, and Williams, into 1989 and when they
struggled out of the gate to a 12-24 start, Williams was fired, ending his
frustrating tenure as the Toronto skipper.
Williams would re-join Bobby Cox
in Atlanta as the third-base coach when Cox took over the managerial role.
After several years with the Braves, he would manage the Boston Red Sox from
1997 to 2001, leading the team to the postseason in 1998 and 1999. He also won
the American League’s Manager of the Year in 1999. He would then move on to
Houston from 2002 to 2004, being relieved of his duties after 88 games in 2004.
His playing career in the Majors
only lasted two seasons. He played in only 14 games over those years with the
St. Louis Cardinals (1966 and 1967), collecting only three big league hits. A
shoulder injury cut short his playing career and he began coaching and managing
in the California Angels minor league system from 1974-1979. He became the
third base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1980, under manager Bobby
Mattick, and continued that role when Bobby Cox became manager in 1982.
Follow us on Twitter at @topofthethird
No comments:
Post a Comment