Dick Williams
Encyclopedia
Richard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams (May 7, 1929 – July 7, 2011) was an American left fielder
, third baseman
, manager
, coach
and front office consultant in Major League Baseball
. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League
pennants, one National League
pennant, and two World Series
triumphs. He is one of seven managers to win pennants in both major leagues, and joined Bill McKechnie
in becoming only the second manager to lead three franchises to the Series. He and Lou Piniella
are the only managers in history to lead four teams to seasons of 90 or more wins. Williams was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
in 2008
following his election by the Veterans Committee
.
, and Pasadena, California
, Williams signed his first professional contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers
in 1947, and played his first major league game with Brooklyn in 1951. Initially an outfielder
, he separated a shoulder making a diving catch early in his career, weakening his throwing arm. As a result, he learned to play several positions (he was frequently a first baseman
and third baseman
) and became a notorious "bench jockey
" in order to keep his major league job. He appeared in 1,023 games over 13 seasons with the Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles
, Cleveland Indians
, Kansas City Athletics
and Boston Red Sox
. A right-handed batter and thrower, Williams had a career batting average
of .260 with 70 home run
s.
He was a favorite of Paul Richards
, who acquired Williams four different times between 1956 and 1962 when Richards was a manager or general manager
with Baltimore and the Houston Colt .45s
. Williams' stay in Houston during the 1962–63 offseason was brief, because he was soon traded to the Red Sox for another outfielder, Carroll Hardy
.
His two-year playing career in Boston was uneventful, except for one occasion. On June 27, 1963, Williams was victimized by one of the greatest catches in Fenway Park
history. His long drive to the opposite field was snagged by Cleveland right fielder Al Luplow
, who made a leaping catch at the wall and tumbled into the bullpen
with the ball in his grasp.
during which Williams hit a career-low .159, the Red Sox gave him his unconditional release. At 35, Williams was at a career crossroads: Richards gave him a spring training
invitation but no guarantee that he would make the 1965 Astros'
playing roster; the Red Sox offered Williams a job as playing coach with their Triple-A farm team, the Seattle Rainiers
of the Pacific Coast League
. Looking to begin a post-playing career in baseball, Williams accepted the Seattle assignment. Within days, a shuffle in 1965 affiliations forced Boston to move its top minor league team to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League
. This caused Boston's Triple-A manager, Edo Vanni
, a Seattle native, to resign in order to remain in the Pacific Northwest. With an unexpected opening for the new Toronto job, Williams was promoted to manager of the 1965 Leafs. As a novice pilot, Williams adopted a hard-nosed, disciplinarian style and won two consecutive Governors' Cup
championships with teams laden with young Red Sox prospects. He then signed a one-year contract to manage the 1967 Red Sox
.
Boston had suffered through eight straight seasons of losing baseball, and attendance had fallen to such an extent that owner Tom Yawkey
was threatening to move the team. The Red Sox had talented young players, but the team was known as a lazy "country club." Williams decided to risk everything and impose discipline on his players. He vowed that "we will win more ballgames than we lose" – a bold statement for a club that had finished only a half-game from last place in 1966
. In spring training he drilled players in fundamentals for hours.
The Red Sox began 1967 playing better baseball and employing the aggressive style of play that Williams had learned with the Dodgers. Williams benched players for lack of effort and poor performance, and battled tooth and nail with umpires. Through the All-Star
break, Boston fulfilled Williams' promise and played better than .500 ball, hanging close to the American League's four contending teams – the Detroit Tigers
, Minnesota Twins
, Chicago White Sox
and California Angels
. Outfielder Carl Yastrzemski
, in his seventh season with the Red Sox, transformed his hitting style to become a pull-hitter, eventually winning the 1967 AL Triple Crown
, leading the league in batting average, home runs (tying Harmon Killebrew
of the Twins), and RBI.
In late July, the Red Sox rattled off a ten-game winning streak on the road and came home to a riotous welcome from 10,000 fans at Boston's Logan Airport. The Red Sox inserted themselves into a five-team pennant race, and stayed in the hunt despite the loss of star outfielder Tony Conigliaro
to a beanball
on August 18. On the closing weekend of the season, led by Yastrzemski and 22-game-winning pitcher
Jim Lonborg
, Boston defeated the Twins in two head-to-head games, while Detroit split its series with the Angels. The "Impossible Dream"
Red Sox had won their first AL pennant since 1946
. The Red Sox extended the highly talented and heavily favored St. Louis Cardinals
to seven games in the 1967 World Series
, losing to the great Bob Gibson
three times.
Despite the Series loss, the Red Sox were the toasts of New England
; Williams was named Major League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News
and signed to a new three-year contract. But he would not serve it out. In 1968
, the team fell to fourth place when Conigliaro could not return from his head injury, and Williams' two top pitchers – Lonborg and José Santiago – were injured. He began to clash with Yastrzemski, and with owner Yawkey. In September 1969, with his club
a distant third in the AL East, Williams was fired with nine games left in the season.
, Williams returned to the managerial ranks the next year
as boss of the Oakland Athletics
, owned by Charlie Finley. The iconoclastic Finley had signed some of the finest talent in baseball – including Catfish Hunter
, Reggie Jackson
, Sal Bando
, Bert Campaneris
, Rollie Fingers
and Joe Rudi
– but his players hated him for his penny-pinching and constant meddling in the team's affairs. During his first decade as the Athletics' owner, 1961
–1970
, Finley had changed managers a total of ten times.
Inheriting a second-place team from predecessor John McNamara
, Williams promptly directed the A's to 101 victories and their first AL West title in 1971
behind another brilliant young player, pitcher Vida Blue
. Despite being humbled in the ALCS
by the defending World Champion Orioles
, Finley brought Williams back for 1972
, when the "Oakland Dynasty" began. Off the field, the A's players brawled with each other and defied baseball's tonsorial code. Because long hair, mustaches and beards were now the rage in the "civilian" world, Finley decided on a mid-season promotion encouraging his men to wear their hair long and grow facial hair. Fingers adopted his trademark handlebar mustache (which he still has to this day); Williams himself grew a mustache.
Of course, talent, not hairstyle, truly defined the Oakland Dynasty of the early 1970s. The 1972 A's won their division by 5½ games over the White Sox and led the league in home runs, shutouts and saves
. They defeated the Tigers in a bitterly fought ALCS
, and found themselves facing the Cincinnati Reds
in the World Series
. With the A's leading power hitter, Jackson, out with an injury, Cincinnati's Big Red Machine was favored to win, but the home run heroics of Oakland catcher Gene Tenace
and the managerial maneuvering of Williams resulted in a seven-game World Series victory for the A's, their first championship since 1930
, when they played in Philadelphia.
In 1973, with Williams back for an unprecedented (for the Finley era) third straight campaign, the A's
again coasted to a division title, then defeated Baltimore
in the ALCS
and the NL champion New York Mets
in the World Series
– each hard-fought series going the limit. With their World Series win, Oakland became baseball's first repeat champion since the 1961
–62
New York Yankees
. But Williams had a surprise for Finley. Tired of his owner's meddling, and upset by Finley's public humiliation of second baseman Mike Andrews
for his fielding miscues during the World Series, Williams resigned. George Steinbrenner
, then finishing his first season
as owner of the Yankees, immediately signed Williams as his manager. However, Finley protested that Williams owed Oakland the final year of his contract and could not manage anywhere else, and so Steinbrenner hired Bill Virdon
instead. Williams was the first manager in A's franchise history to leave the team with a winning record after running it for two full seasons.
Seemingly at the peak of his career, Williams began the 1974 season
out of work. But when the Angels
struggled under manager Bobby Winkles
, team owner Gene Autry
received Finley's permission to negotiate with Williams, and in mid-season Williams was back in a big-league dugout. The change in management, though, did not alter the fortunes of the Angels, as they finished in last place, 22 games behind the A's
, who would win their third straight World Championship under Williams' replacement, Alvin Dark
.
Overall, Williams' Anaheim tenure turned out to be a miserable one. The Angels did not respond to Williams' somewhat authoritarian managing style and finished last in the AL West again in 1975
. They were 18 games below .500 (and in the midst of a player revolt) when Williams was fired in July 1976
. While managing the Angels, he once held a practice in the lobby of his team's hotel using only wiffle balls and bats; the point was to demonstrate that his hitters were so weak, they could not break anything in the lobby.
When Williams switched to the National League
, however, he regained his winning touch. In 1977
, he returned to Montreal as manager of the Expos, who had just come off 107 losses and a last-place finish in the NL East
. After cajoling them into improved, but below .500, performances in his first two seasons in Montreal, Williams turned the 1979
–80
Expos into pennant contenders. The team won over 90 games both years, but finished second each time to the eventual World Champion (the Pittsburgh Pirates
in 1979 and the Philadelphia Phillies
in 1980). The Expos, with a fruitful farm system and young All-Stars such as outfielder Andre Dawson
and catcher Gary Carter
, seemed a lock to contend for a long time to come.
But Williams' hard edge alienated his players and ultimately wore out his welcome. He labeled pitcher Steve Rogers a fraud with "king of the mountain syndrome" – meaning that Rogers had been a good pitcher on a bad team for so long that he was unable to "step up" when the team became good. Williams also lost confidence in closer
Jeff Reardon
, whom the Montreal front office had acquired in a much publicized trade with the Mets. When the 1981 Expos
performed below expectations, Williams was fired during the pennant drive. With the arrival of his easy-going successor Jim Fanning
, who restored Reardon to the closer's role, the inspired Expos made the playoffs for the only time in their 36-year history in Montreal. However, they fell in heartbreaking fashion to Rick Monday
and the eventual World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers
in a five-game NLCS
.
In 1982
, Williams took over another chronic loser, the San Diego Padres
. By 1984, he had guided the Padres to their first NL West Division championship. In the NLCS
, the NL East champion Chicago Cubs
– making their first postseason appearance since 1945
– won Games 1 and 2, but Williams' Padres took the next three games in a miraculous comeback to win the pennant. In the World Series
, however, San Diego was no match for Sparky Anderson
's Detroit Tigers
, a team that had won 104 games during the regular season (having gone a record 35–5 by late May) and swept the Kansas City Royals
in the ALCS
. Although the Tigers won the Series in five games, both Williams and Anderson joined Dark, Joe McCarthy, and Yogi Berra
as managers who had won pennants in both major leagues (Tony La Russa
joined this group in 2004 and Jim Leyland
followed suit in 2006).
The Padres fell to third in 1985
, and Williams was let go as manager just before 1986
spring training. His record with the Padres was 337–311 over four seasons. As of 2011, he was the only manager in the team's history without a losing season. His difficulties with the Padres stemmed from a power struggle with team president Ballard Smith and general manager Jack McKeon
. Williams was a hire of team owner (and McDonald's
restaurant magnate) Ray Kroc
, whose health was failing. McKeon and Smith (who also happened to be Kroc's son-in-law) were posturing to buy the team and viewed Williams as a threat to their plans. With his San Diego tenure at an end, it appeared that Williams' managerial career was finished.
, another perennial loser, called on Williams to be manager. When the Mariners
lost 19 of their first 28 games under Chuck Cottier
, Williams came back to the American League West for the first time in almost a decade. The Mariners showed some life that season and almost reached .500 the following season
. However, Williams' autocratic managing style no longer played with the new generation of ballplayers. Williams was fired from his last managing job with Seattle
23–33 and in sixth place in June 1988. Williams' career won-loss totals were 1,571 wins and 1,451 losses over 21 seasons.
In 1989, Williams was named manager of the West Palm Beach Tropics
of the Senior Professional Baseball Association
, a league featuring mostly former major league players 35 years of age and older. The Tropics went 52–20 in the regular season and ran away with the Southern Division title. Despite their regular season dominance, the Tropics lost 12–4 to the St. Petersburg Pelicans
in the league's championship game. The Tropics folded at the end of the season, and the rest of the league folded a year later.
He remained in the game, however, as a special consultant to George Steinbrenner
and the New York Yankees
. In 1990, Williams published his autobiography, No More Mister Nice Guy. His acrimonious departure in 1969 distanced Williams from the Red Sox for the remainder of the Yawkey ownership period (through 2001), but after the change in ownership and management that followed, he was selected to the team's Hall of Fame
in 2006.
Williams's number was recently retired by the Fort Worth Cats
. The Cats were a popular minor league team in Fort Worth and Williams played there while he was working his way through the Dodgers system. The Cats merged/disbanded around 1960 but in recent years returned as an independent minor league team. The "New" Cats retired Williams' number.
to the Baseball Hall of Fame
by the Veterans Committee in December 2007, and was inducted on July 27, 2008.
a former minor league pitcher and Major League pitching coach is currently a professional scout for the Yankees. Before Dick Williams became a Major League manager in 1967, he successfully appeared on the television quiz shows The Match Game and the original Hollywood Squares
. According to Peter Marshall's Backstage with the Original Hollywood Squares, Williams won $50,000 as a contestant on the latter show. Marshall's son, Pete LaCock
, played nine seasons (1972–1980) in the Major Leagues – but never for Williams.
charges in Florida. This occurred just weeks before the Baseball Hall of Fame
Veterans Committee's vote in that year's inductees.
"What happened to me down in Fort Myers when I was arrested evidently hurt me quite a bit," Williams told the New York Times in a telephone interview. "What came out on that in the papers was not true. I was not masturbating on the balcony. I'm going to issue a statement about it so the explanation goes across the country."
at a hospital near his home in Henderson, Nevada
on July 7, 2011.
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
, third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
, coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
and front office consultant in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
pennants, one National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennant, and two World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
triumphs. He is one of seven managers to win pennants in both major leagues, and joined Bill McKechnie
Bill McKechnie
William Boyd McKechnie was an American third baseman, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He was the first manager to win World Series titles with two different teams , and remains one of only two managers to win pennants with three teams, also capturing the National League title in 1928...
in becoming only the second manager to lead three franchises to the Series. He and Lou Piniella
Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager...
are the only managers in history to lead four teams to seasons of 90 or more wins. Williams was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in 2008
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2008
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2008 proceeded according to revised rules enacted in 2001 and further revamped in 2007. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to select from among recent players...
following his election by the Veterans Committee
Veterans Committee
The Veterans Committee is the popular name of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players, a committee of the U.S...
.
Playing career
After growing up in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, and Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, Williams signed his first professional contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in 1947, and played his first major league game with Brooklyn in 1951. Initially an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
, he separated a shoulder making a diving catch early in his career, weakening his throwing arm. As a result, he learned to play several positions (he was frequently a first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
and third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
) and became a notorious "bench jockey
Bench jockey
A bench jockey is a slang term in American baseball to describe a player, coach or manager with the talent of annoying and distracting opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout with verbal repartee...
" in order to keep his major league job. He appeared in 1,023 games over 13 seasons with the Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. A right-handed batter and thrower, Williams had a career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .260 with 70 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s.
He was a favorite of Paul Richards
Paul Richards (baseball)
Paul Rapier Richards was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and executive in Major League Baseball. During his playing career, he was a catcher and right-handed batter with the Brooklyn Dodgers , New York Giants , Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers...
, who acquired Williams four different times between 1956 and 1962 when Richards was a manager or general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
with Baltimore and the Houston Colt .45s
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. Williams' stay in Houston during the 1962–63 offseason was brief, because he was soon traded to the Red Sox for another outfielder, Carroll Hardy
Carroll Hardy
Carroll William Hardy is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox , Houston Colt .45s and Minnesota Twins...
.
His two-year playing career in Boston was uneventful, except for one occasion. On June 27, 1963, Williams was victimized by one of the greatest catches in Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
history. His long drive to the opposite field was snagged by Cleveland right fielder Al Luplow
Al Luplow
Alvin David Luplow, Jr. , is a retired American professional baseball player who played outfielder in the Major Leagues from to for the Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, and Pittsburgh Pirates.Luplow attended Michigan State University, where he played varsity football, before signing...
, who made a leaping catch at the wall and tumbled into the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
with the ball in his grasp.
An "Impossible Dream" in Boston
On October 14, 1964, after a season1964 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees ; Bob Gibson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 7 at Shea Stadium: National League, 7–4; Johnny Callison, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Minnesota...
during which Williams hit a career-low .159, the Red Sox gave him his unconditional release. At 35, Williams was at a career crossroads: Richards gave him a spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
invitation but no guarantee that he would make the 1965 Astros'
1965 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros season was the franchise's first season in the Houston Astrodome, as well as its first season as the Astros after three seasons known as the Colt .45s. It involved the Houston Astros finishing in ninth place in the National League with a record of 65-97, 32 games behind the...
playing roster; the Red Sox offered Williams a job as playing coach with their Triple-A farm team, the Seattle Rainiers
Seattle Rainiers
The Seattle Rainiers, originally named the Seattle Indians and also known as the Seattle Angels, were a minor league baseball team in Seattle, Washington, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903-06 and 1919-68...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. Looking to begin a post-playing career in baseball, Williams accepted the Seattle assignment. Within days, a shuffle in 1965 affiliations forced Boston to move its top minor league team to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. This caused Boston's Triple-A manager, Edo Vanni
Edo Vanni
Edo Joe Vanni was an American player, coach, manager and front office executive in minor league baseball. A lifelong resident of the Seattle area, he was called "the face of Seattle baseball" upon his passing, at 89, of heart failure in Bellevue, Washington, on April 30, 2007.-Career:Vanni...
, a Seattle native, to resign in order to remain in the Pacific Northwest. With an unexpected opening for the new Toronto job, Williams was promoted to manager of the 1965 Leafs. As a novice pilot, Williams adopted a hard-nosed, disciplinarian style and won two consecutive Governors' Cup
Governors' Cup
The Governors' Cup is the trophy awarded each year to the champion of the International League, one of the two current Triple-A level minor leagues of Major League Baseball.-Governors' Cup history:...
championships with teams laden with young Red Sox prospects. He then signed a one-year contract to manage the 1967 Red Sox
1967 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season, often referred to as The Impossible Dream, consisted of the Red Sox shocking New England and the rest of the baseball world by winning the American League Championship and reaching the World Series for the first time since 1946...
.
Boston had suffered through eight straight seasons of losing baseball, and attendance had fallen to such an extent that owner Tom Yawkey
Tom Yawkey
Thomas Austin Yawkey, born Thomas Austin , was an American industrialist and Major League Baseball executive. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Yawkey became president of the Boston Red Sox in 1933, and was the sole owner of the team for 44 seasons, longer than anyone else in baseball history.-Early...
was threatening to move the team. The Red Sox had talented young players, but the team was known as a lazy "country club." Williams decided to risk everything and impose discipline on his players. He vowed that "we will win more ballgames than we lose" – a bold statement for a club that had finished only a half-game from last place in 1966
1966 Boston Red Sox season
The 1966 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 9th in the American League with a record of 72 wins and 90 losses, 26 games behind the Baltimore Orioles.- Offseason :* November 29, 1965: Jimy Williams was drafted from the Red Sox by the St...
. In spring training he drilled players in fundamentals for hours.
The Red Sox began 1967 playing better baseball and employing the aggressive style of play that Williams had learned with the Dodgers. Williams benched players for lack of effort and poor performance, and battled tooth and nail with umpires. Through the All-Star
1967 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1967 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 38th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 11, 1967 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. The game resulted...
break, Boston fulfilled Williams' promise and played better than .500 ball, hanging close to the American League's four contending teams – the Detroit Tigers
1967 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished tied for second in the American League with the Minnesota Twins with 91 wins and 71 losses, one game behind the AL pennant-winning Boston Red Sox.- Notable transactions :...
, Minnesota Twins
1967 Minnesota Twins season
The Minnesota Twins finished 91-73, tied for second in the American League with the Detroit Tigers. The Twins had a one-game lead with two games remaining, but lost both games to the Boston Red Sox in the season's final days...
, Chicago White Sox
1967 Chicago White Sox season
The 1967 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 67th season in the major leagues, and its 68th season overall. They finished with a record 89-73, good enough for fourth place in the American League, 3 games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox.- Offseason :...
and California Angels
1967 California Angels season
The California Angels season involved the Angels finishing 5th in the American League with a record of 84 wins and 77 losses, 7½ games behind the AL Champion Boston Red Sox.- Offseason :...
. Outfielder Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...
, in his seventh season with the Red Sox, transformed his hitting style to become a pull-hitter, eventually winning the 1967 AL Triple Crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
, leading the league in batting average, home runs (tying Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
of the Twins), and RBI.
In late July, the Red Sox rattled off a ten-game winning streak on the road and came home to a riotous welcome from 10,000 fans at Boston's Logan Airport. The Red Sox inserted themselves into a five-team pennant race, and stayed in the hunt despite the loss of star outfielder Tony Conigliaro
Tony Conigliaro
Anthony Richard Conigliaro , nicknamed "Tony C" and "Conig", was a Major League Baseball outfielder and right-handed batter who played for the Boston Red Sox and California Angels . He was born in Revere, Massachusetts, and was a 1962 graduate of St. Mary's High School...
to a beanball
Beanball
"Beanball" is a colloquialism used in baseball, for a ball thrown at an opposing player with the intention of striking him such as to cause harm, often connoting a throw at the player's head...
on August 18. On the closing weekend of the season, led by Yastrzemski and 22-game-winning pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Jim Lonborg
Jim Lonborg
James Reynold Lonborg is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies...
, Boston defeated the Twins in two head-to-head games, while Detroit split its series with the Angels. The "Impossible Dream"
1967 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season, often referred to as The Impossible Dream, consisted of the Red Sox shocking New England and the rest of the baseball world by winning the American League Championship and reaching the World Series for the first time since 1946...
Red Sox had won their first AL pennant since 1946
1946 Boston Red Sox season
During the 1946 Boston Red Sox season, the Red Sox won their sixth American League championship, with a record of 104 wins and 50 losses. In the World Series, the Sox lost in 7 games to the St. Louis Cardinals...
. The Red Sox extended the highly talented and heavily favored St. Louis Cardinals
1967 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 86th season in St. Louis, Missouri, its 76th season in the National League, and its first full season at Busch Memorial Stadium. The Cardinals went 101-60 during the season and won the NL pennant by 10½ games over the San Francisco Giants...
to seven games in the 1967 World Series
1967 World Series
The 1967 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the 1946 World Series, with the Cardinals winning in seven games for their second championship in four years and their eighth overall...
, losing to the great Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
three times.
Despite the Series loss, the Red Sox were the toasts of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
; Williams was named Major League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
and signed to a new three-year contract. But he would not serve it out. In 1968
1968 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Red Sox finishing 4th in the American League with a record of 86 wins and 76 losses.- Regular season :...
, the team fell to fourth place when Conigliaro could not return from his head injury, and Williams' two top pitchers – Lonborg and José Santiago – were injured. He began to clash with Yastrzemski, and with owner Yawkey. In September 1969, with his club
1969 Boston Red Sox season
The 1969 Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. In the first season following the split of the American League into two divisions, the Red Sox finished third in the newly-established American League East with a record of 87 wins and 75 losses.- Offseason :* October 15, 1968: Joe...
a distant third in the AL East, Williams was fired with nine games left in the season.
Two titles in a row in Oakland
After spending 1970 as the third base coach of the Montreal Expos1970 Montreal Expos season
- Offseason :* December 3, 1969: Jerry Robertson was traded by the Expos to the Detroit Tigers for Joe Sparma.- Opening Day starters :* John Boccabella* Ron Fairly* Mack Jones* Coco Laboy* Adolfo Phillips* Marv Staehle* Rusty Staub* Bill Stoneman...
, Williams returned to the managerial ranks the next year
1971 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:National League: Pittsburgh PiratesAmerican League: Baltimore Orioles1971 World Series: Pittsburgh def. Baltimore , 4 games to 3.Inter-league playoff: Pittsburgh declined challenge by Tokyo Yomiuri Giants....
as boss of the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, owned by Charlie Finley. The iconoclastic Finley had signed some of the finest talent in baseball – including Catfish Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
, Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
, Sal Bando
Sal Bando
Salvatore Leonard Bando is a former third baseman and executive in professional baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers . He batted and threw right-handed. During the A's championship years of 1971-75, he captained the team and led the club in runs batted...
, Bert Campaneris
Bert Campaneris
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco , nicknamed "Campy", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams, primarily the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics...
, Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
and Joe Rudi
Joe Rudi
Joseph Oden Rudi is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics , California Angels and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
– but his players hated him for his penny-pinching and constant meddling in the team's affairs. During his first decade as the Athletics' owner, 1961
1961 Kansas City Athletics season
The Kansas City Athletics season was a season in American baseball. The A's finished with a record of 61–100, tying the expansion Washington Senators for ninth place, last in the newly-expanded 10-team American League.- Offseason :...
–1970
1970 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's finishing secnd in the American League West with a record of 89 wins and 73 losses. In 1970, owner Charlie Finley officially changed the team name from the Athletics to the "A's"...
, Finley had changed managers a total of ten times.
Inheriting a second-place team from predecessor John McNamara
John McNamara (baseball)
John Francis McNamara is a former manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He managed six major league teams, directing the 1986 Boston Red Sox to the American League pennant, only to experience an excruciating defeat in that season's World Series at the hands of the New York Mets.-Playing,...
, Williams promptly directed the A's to 101 victories and their first AL West title in 1971
1971 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's finishing first in the American League West with a record of 101 wins and 60 losses. In their first postseason appearance of any kind since 1931, the A's were swept in three games by the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship...
behind another brilliant young player, pitcher Vida Blue
Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , and Kansas City Royals He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971...
. Despite being humbled in the ALCS
1971 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 3, 1971 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandDave McNally, a 20-game winner for the fourth season in a row, survived a rocky start to win the opener. He trailed, 3–0, after four innings pitched, giving up three doubles and a triple. The A's had McNally tottering in the...
by the defending World Champion Orioles
1972 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing third in the American League East with a record of 80 wins and 74 losses.- Offseason :...
, Finley brought Williams back for 1972
1972 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning the American League West with a record of 93 wins and 62 losses. In the playoffs, they defeated the Detroit Tigers in a five-game ALCS, followed by a seven-game World Series, in which they defeated the Cincinnati Reds for their first World...
, when the "Oakland Dynasty" began. Off the field, the A's players brawled with each other and defied baseball's tonsorial code. Because long hair, mustaches and beards were now the rage in the "civilian" world, Finley decided on a mid-season promotion encouraging his men to wear their hair long and grow facial hair. Fingers adopted his trademark handlebar mustache (which he still has to this day); Williams himself grew a mustache.
Of course, talent, not hairstyle, truly defined the Oakland Dynasty of the early 1970s. The 1972 A's won their division by 5½ games over the White Sox and led the league in home runs, shutouts and saves
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
. They defeated the Tigers in a bitterly fought ALCS
1972 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 7, 1972 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaGame 1 pitted ace pitchers Catfish Hunter for the A's and Mickey Lolich for the Tigers, and, as expected, both were brilliant...
, and found themselves facing the Cincinnati Reds
1972 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West title with a record of 95-59, 10½ games over the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1972 National League Championship Series, but lost to the Oakland Athletics in...
in the World Series
1972 World Series
The 1972 World Series matched the American League champion Oakland Athletics against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds, with the A's winning in seven games. These two teams would meet again in the fall classic eighteen years later...
. With the A's leading power hitter, Jackson, out with an injury, Cincinnati's Big Red Machine was favored to win, but the home run heroics of Oakland catcher Gene Tenace
Gene Tenace
Fury Gene Tenace , better known as Gene Tenace, is a former Italian-American professional baseball player and current coach in Major League Baseball. He was a catcher and first baseman from through . Tenace was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics from Valley High School in Lucasville, OH and...
and the managerial maneuvering of Williams resulted in a seven-game World Series victory for the A's, their first championship since 1930
1930 Philadelphia Athletics season
The Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing first in the American League with a record of 102 wins and 52 losses. It was their second of three consecutive pennants. In the 1930 World Series, they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in six games. This was the A's final World Series...
, when they played in Philadelphia.
In 1973, with Williams back for an unprecedented (for the Finley era) third straight campaign, the A's
1973 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning their third consecutive American League West title with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses...
again coasted to a division title, then defeated Baltimore
1973 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing first in the American League East with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses...
in the ALCS
1973 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 6, 1973 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandIn Game 1, Jim Palmer spent 16 minutes retiring the side in the top of the first inning. He walked the first two batters and struck out the next three. The Orioles went to work against lefty Vida Blue and his...
and the NL champion New York Mets
1973 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the 12th regular season for the Mets, who played home games at Shea Stadium. Manager Yogi Berra led the team to a National League East title with an 82–79 record, the National League pennant and a defeat at the hands of the Oakland Athletics in the World Series...
in the World Series
1973 World Series
The 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland Athletics against the New York Mets, with the A's winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions....
– each hard-fought series going the limit. With their World Series win, Oakland became baseball's first repeat champion since the 1961
1961 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 59th season for the team in New York, and its 61st season overall. The team finished with a record of 109-53, eight games ahead of the Detroit Tigers, and won their 26th American League pennant. New York was managed by Ralph Houk. The Yankees played their home...
–62
1962 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 60th season for the team in New York, and its 62nd season overall. The team finished with a record of 96-66, winning their 27th pennant, finishing 5 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins. New York was managed by Ralph Houk. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium...
New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. But Williams had a surprise for Finley. Tired of his owner's meddling, and upset by Finley's public humiliation of second baseman Mike Andrews
Mike Andrews
Michael Jay Andrews is a retired American Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics. He is currently the chairman of The Jimmy Fund, an event fundraising organization affiliated with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston,...
for his fielding miscues during the World Series, Williams resigned. George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
, then finishing his first season
1973 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 71st season for the team in New York, and its 73rd season overall. The Yankees finished with a record of 80-82, finishing 17 games behind the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees were managed by Ralph Houk. The Yankees played at old Yankee Stadium, on the south side...
as owner of the Yankees, immediately signed Williams as his manager. However, Finley protested that Williams owed Oakland the final year of his contract and could not manage anywhere else, and so Steinbrenner hired Bill Virdon
Bill Virdon
William Charles Virdon is a former outfielder, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. A premier defensive outfielder during his playing days as a center fielder for the St...
instead. Williams was the first manager in A's franchise history to leave the team with a winning record after running it for two full seasons.
California Angels
Seemingly at the peak of his career, Williams began the 1974 season
1974 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*1974 World Series: Oakland Athletics over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Rollie Fingers, MVP*All-Star Game, July 23 at Three Rivers Stadium: National League, 7-2; Steve Garvey, MVP-Other champions:...
out of work. But when the Angels
1974 California Angels season
The California Angels season involved the Angels finishing sixth in the American League West with a record of 68 wins and 94 losses.- Offseason :...
struggled under manager Bobby Winkles
Bobby Winkles
Bobby Brooks Winkles is a former baseball coach at Arizona State University. Bobby Winkles coached from 1959–1971 and was the first varsity baseball coach at Arizona State University. Winkles laid the foundation for the legacy that has become Sun Devil baseball. His overall record while head coach...
, team owner Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
received Finley's permission to negotiate with Williams, and in mid-season Williams was back in a big-league dugout. The change in management, though, did not alter the fortunes of the Angels, as they finished in last place, 22 games behind the A's
1974 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning their fourth consecutive American League West title with a record of 90 wins and 72 losses...
, who would win their third straight World Championship under Williams' replacement, Alvin Dark
Alvin Dark
Alvin Ralph Dark , nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves when he batted .322...
.
Overall, Williams' Anaheim tenure turned out to be a miserable one. The Angels did not respond to Williams' somewhat authoritarian managing style and finished last in the AL West again in 1975
1975 California Angels season
The California Angels season involved the Angels finishing sixth in the American League West with a record of 72 wins and 89 losses.- Offseason :* October 24, 1974: Paul Schaal was released by the Angels....
. They were 18 games below .500 (and in the midst of a player revolt) when Williams was fired in July 1976
1976 California Angels season
The California Angels season involved the Angels finishing fourth in the American League West with a record of 76 wins and 86 losses.- Offseason :...
. While managing the Angels, he once held a practice in the lobby of his team's hotel using only wiffle balls and bats; the point was to demonstrate that his hitters were so weak, they could not break anything in the lobby.
Montreal Expos
When Williams switched to the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
, however, he regained his winning touch. In 1977
1977 Montreal Expos season
The 1969 Montreal Expos season was a season in American baseball. The team finished fifth in the National League East with a record of 73-87, 26 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies...
, he returned to Montreal as manager of the Expos, who had just come off 107 losses and a last-place finish in the NL East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
. After cajoling them into improved, but below .500, performances in his first two seasons in Montreal, Williams turned the 1979
1979 Montreal Expos season
- Offseason :* November 28, 1978: Duffy Dyer was signed as a free agent by the Expos.* December 4, 1978: Ken Macha was drafted by the Expos from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1978 rule 5 draft....
–80
1980 Montreal Expos season
- Offseason :* December 7, 1979: Dan Schatzeder was traded by the Expos to the Detroit Tigers for Ron LeFlore.* December 6, 1979: Rowland Office was signed as a free agent by the Expos....
Expos into pennant contenders. The team won over 90 games both years, but finished second each time to the eventual World Champion (the Pittsburgh Pirates
1979 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates had 98 wins and 64 losses and captured the National League East Division title by two games over the Montreal Expos. The Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds to win their ninth National League title, and the Baltimore Orioles to win their fifth World Series title - and also...
in 1979 and the Philadelphia Phillies
1980 Philadelphia Phillies season
The 1980 Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in American baseball. The team finished with a regular-season record of 91 wins and 71 losses, which was good enough to regain the National League East title by just one game over the Montreal Expos...
in 1980). The Expos, with a fruitful farm system and young All-Stars such as outfielder Andre Dawson
Andre Dawson
Andre Nolan Dawson , nicknamed "The Hawk", is an American former center fielder and right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played for four different teams, spending most of his career with the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs .An 8-time National League All-Star, he was named the...
and catcher Gary Carter
Gary Carter
Gary Edmund Carter , nicknamed "Kid" and "Kid Carter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the National League, winning three Gold...
, seemed a lock to contend for a long time to come.
But Williams' hard edge alienated his players and ultimately wore out his welcome. He labeled pitcher Steve Rogers a fraud with "king of the mountain syndrome" – meaning that Rogers had been a good pitcher on a bad team for so long that he was unable to "step up" when the team became good. Williams also lost confidence in closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
Jeff Reardon
Jeff Reardon
Jeffrey James Reardon , nicknamed "The Terminator" for his intimidating presence on the mound and 98 mph fastball, is a former professional baseball relief pitcher from 1979-1994 who played for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati...
, whom the Montreal front office had acquired in a much publicized trade with the Mets. When the 1981 Expos
1981 Montreal Expos season
The Montreal Expos made it to the postseason for the only time in franchise history. The season was separated into two halves due to the 1981 Major League Baseball strike.- Offseason :...
performed below expectations, Williams was fired during the pennant drive. With the arrival of his easy-going successor Jim Fanning
Jim Fanning
William James Fanning is a former catcher, manager and front office executive in Major League Baseball...
, who restored Reardon to the closer's role, the inspired Expos made the playoffs for the only time in their 36-year history in Montreal. However, they fell in heartbreaking fashion to Rick Monday
Rick Monday
Robert James "Rick" Monday, Jr. is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball and is currently a broadcast announcer. From 1966 through 1984, Monday, a center fielder for most of his career, played for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics , Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers...
and the eventual World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers
1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The Los Angeles Dodgers season got off to a strong start when rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela pitched a shutout on opening day, starting the craze that came to be known as "Fernandomania." Fernando went on to win both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards.The season was divided into two...
in a five-game NLCS
1981 National League Championship Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 13, 1981 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe Dodgers took the first game of the series behind the strong pitching of starter Burt Hooton. For the first seven innings the game stayed close, with the only scoring coming in the second inning when the Dodgers got...
.
San Diego Padres
In 1982
1982 San Diego Padres season
The San Diego Padres season was the fourteenth in franchise history.-Offseason:* December 10, 1981: Ozzie Smith, Steve Mura and a player to be named later were traded by the Padres to the St...
, Williams took over another chronic loser, the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. By 1984, he had guided the Padres to their first NL West Division championship. In the NLCS
1984 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
, the NL East champion Chicago Cubs
1984 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 1984 season was the 109th season for the Cubs. The team finished with a record of 96-65 in first place of the National League Eastern Division. Chicago was managed by Jim Frey and the general manager was Dallas Green...
– making their first postseason appearance since 1945
1945 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs season was a season in American baseball. The team won the National League pennant with a record of 98-56, 3 games ahead of the second-place St. Louis Cardinals. The team went on to the 1945 World Series, which they lost to the Detroit Tigers in seven games...
– won Games 1 and 2, but Williams' Padres took the next three games in a miraculous comeback to win the pennant. In the World Series
1984 World Series
The 1984 World Series began on October 9 and ended on October 14, 1984. The American League champion Detroit Tigers played against the National League champion San Diego Padres, with the Tigers winning the series four games to one....
, however, San Diego was no match for Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
's Detroit Tigers
1984 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series, defeating the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 1. The season was their 84th since they entered the American League in 1901 and their fourth World Series championship. Detroit relief pitcher Willie Hernandez won the Cy Young Award and was chosen as the...
, a team that had won 104 games during the regular season (having gone a record 35–5 by late May) and swept the Kansas City Royals
1984 Kansas City Royals season
The Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing 1st in the American League West with a record of 84 wins and 78 losses.- Offseason :* October 17, 1983: Eric Rasmussen was released by the Royals....
in the ALCS
1984 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, MissouriGame 1 was a blowout in Kansas City, as Jack Morris pitched seven innings and allowed a single run, with Willie Hernandez pitching the final two innings. The Tigers scored eight runs...
. Although the Tigers won the Series in five games, both Williams and Anderson joined Dark, Joe McCarthy, and Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
as managers who had won pennants in both major leagues (Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
joined this group in 2004 and Jim Leyland
Jim Leyland
James Richard "Jim" Leyland is a Major League Baseball manager, currently with the Detroit Tigers.He led the Florida Marlins to a World Series championship in 1997, and previously won three straight division titles with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
followed suit in 2006).
The Padres fell to third in 1985
1985 San Diego Padres season
The San Diego Padres season was the 17th season in franchise history. Led by manager Dick Williams, the Padres were unable to defend their National League championship.-Offseason:...
, and Williams was let go as manager just before 1986
1986 San Diego Padres season
-Offseason:* January 28, 1986: Dane Iorg was signed as a free agent by the Padres.* March 25, 1986: Mario Ramírez was released by the Padres.-Regular season:* August 17, 1986: Pete Rose played in the last game of his career...
spring training. His record with the Padres was 337–311 over four seasons. As of 2011, he was the only manager in the team's history without a losing season. His difficulties with the Padres stemmed from a power struggle with team president Ballard Smith and general manager Jack McKeon
Jack McKeon
John Aloysius McKeon , nicknamed Trader Jack, is a former Major League Baseball manager. In 2003, he won a World Series with the Florida Marlins...
. Williams was a hire of team owner (and McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurant magnate) Ray Kroc
Ray Kroc
Raymond Albert "Ray" Kroc was an American fast food businessman who joined McDonald's in 1954 and built it into the most successful fast food operation in the world. Kroc was included in Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, and amassed a fortune during his lifetime...
, whose health was failing. McKeon and Smith (who also happened to be Kroc's son-in-law) were posturing to buy the team and viewed Williams as a threat to their plans. With his San Diego tenure at an end, it appeared that Williams' managerial career was finished.
Final seasons in uniform
In 1986, the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, another perennial loser, called on Williams to be manager. When the Mariners
1986 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners 1986 season was their 10th since the franchise creation, and ended the season finishing 7th in the American League West, finishing with a record of 67-95.-Offseason:* November 1, 1985: Bob Long was released by the Mariners....
lost 19 of their first 28 games under Chuck Cottier
Chuck Cottier
Charles Keith Cottier is a former second baseman, manager, coach and scout in American Major League Baseball. He is currently a special assistant to the general manager of the Washington Nationals....
, Williams came back to the American League West for the first time in almost a decade. The Mariners showed some life that season and almost reached .500 the following season
1987 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners 1987 season was their 11th since the franchise creation, and ended the season finishing 4th in the American League West, finishing with a record of 78-84.-Offseason:...
. However, Williams' autocratic managing style no longer played with the new generation of ballplayers. Williams was fired from his last managing job with Seattle
1988 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners 1988 season was their 12th since the franchise creation, and ended the season finishing 7th in the American League West, finishing with a record of 68-93.-Offseason:...
23–33 and in sixth place in June 1988. Williams' career won-loss totals were 1,571 wins and 1,451 losses over 21 seasons.
In 1989, Williams was named manager of the West Palm Beach Tropics
West Palm Beach Tropics
The West Palm Beach Tropics were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The club hired Dick Williams as manager and fielded a lineup that included slugger Dave Kingman and Rollie Fingers. The Tropics went 52-20 in the regular...
of the Senior Professional Baseball Association
Senior Professional Baseball Association
The Senior Professional Baseball Association was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over . The league began play in 1989 and had eight teams in two divisions and a 72 game schedule...
, a league featuring mostly former major league players 35 years of age and older. The Tropics went 52–20 in the regular season and ran away with the Southern Division title. Despite their regular season dominance, the Tropics lost 12–4 to the St. Petersburg Pelicans
St. Petersburg Pelicans
The St. Petersburg Pelicans were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The team went 42-30 in the regular season and won the Northern Division title. Steve Henderson hit .352 for the club, and Lenny Randle batted .349. Milt...
in the league's championship game. The Tropics folded at the end of the season, and the rest of the league folded a year later.
He remained in the game, however, as a special consultant to George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
and the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. In 1990, Williams published his autobiography, No More Mister Nice Guy. His acrimonious departure in 1969 distanced Williams from the Red Sox for the remainder of the Yawkey ownership period (through 2001), but after the change in ownership and management that followed, he was selected to the team's Hall of Fame
Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
The Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame was instituted in 1995 to recognize the careers of former Boston Red Sox baseball players. A 15-member selection committee of Red Sox broadcasters and executives, past and present media personnel, and representatives from The Sports Museum of New England and the...
in 2006.
Williams's number was recently retired by the Fort Worth Cats
Fort Worth Cats
The Fort Worth Cats are a professional baseball team based in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. The Cats are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 2002 season the Cats...
. The Cats were a popular minor league team in Fort Worth and Williams played there while he was working his way through the Dodgers system. The Cats merged/disbanded around 1960 but in recent years returned as an independent minor league team. The "New" Cats retired Williams' number.
Induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame
Dick Williams was electedBaseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2008
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2008 proceeded according to revised rules enacted in 2001 and further revamped in 2007. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to select from among recent players...
to the Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
by the Veterans Committee in December 2007, and was inducted on July 27, 2008.
Personal life
His son, Rick WilliamsRick Williams (baseball)
Richard Anthony Williams is a former Minor League Baseball pitcher and Major League Baseball coach.-Early life:Williams is the son of Dick Williams. He attended the University of South Alabama.-Playing career:...
a former minor league pitcher and Major League pitching coach is currently a professional scout for the Yankees. Before Dick Williams became a Major League manager in 1967, he successfully appeared on the television quiz shows The Match Game and the original Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
. According to Peter Marshall's Backstage with the Original Hollywood Squares, Williams won $50,000 as a contestant on the latter show. Marshall's son, Pete LaCock
Pete LaCock
Ralph Pierre "Pete" LaCock, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball first baseman/outfielder.In 1975, he hit the only grand slam of his career, on the final pitch ever thrown by St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson.-Career:LaCock was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the first round of the 1970...
, played nine seasons (1972–1980) in the Major Leagues – but never for Williams.
Arrest
In January 2000, Williams pleaded no contest to indecent exposureIndecent exposure
Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure in public or in view of the general public by a person of a portion or portions of his or her body, in circumstances where the exposure is contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. Indecent exposure laws vary in different...
charges in Florida. This occurred just weeks before the Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
Veterans Committee's vote in that year's inductees.
"What happened to me down in Fort Myers when I was arrested evidently hurt me quite a bit," Williams told the New York Times in a telephone interview. "What came out on that in the papers was not true. I was not masturbating on the balcony. I'm going to issue a statement about it so the explanation goes across the country."
Death
Dick Williams died of a ruptured aortic aneurysmAneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
at a hospital near his home in Henderson, Nevada
Henderson, Nevada
-Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...
on July 7, 2011.