Jimy Williams, former MLB manager and bench coach on 2008 Phillies World Series winner, has died at 80
Williams won 910 games as manager for the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Astros and was revered as an instructor by coaches and players.
Jimy Williams, a former major-league manager and bench coach of the World Series-winning 2008 Phillies, died Friday in Florida. He was 80.
Mr. Williams posted a 910-790 record at the helm of the Toronto Blue Jays (1986-89), Boston Red Sox (1997-2001) and Houston Astros (2002-04), and was the American League Manager of the Year in 1999. He had health issues for several years and died of a brief illness, the Red Sox said in a statement.
“RIP!” former Astros closer Billy Wagner said on X, formerly Twitter. “You were a great man. Thank you for all your wisdom and opportunities you gave me!”
Mr. Williams often appeared uneasy in the spotlight that comes with being a manager. He famously feuded with then-Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette and once scratched Pedro Martínez from a start for showing up to the ballpark only 30 minutes before the game.
But Mr. Williams was revered as an instructor by coaches and players, who appreciated his attention to detail and dedication to teaching the fundamentals of the game. He passed on those qualities to his sons. Brody Williams coaches third base for the Tampa Bay Rays; Shawn Williams is a manager in the Phillies’ farm system.
An infielder during his playing career, Mr. Williams reached the majors for 14 games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966 and 1967. He began managing in the California Angels organization in 1974.
After coaching and managing at the major-league level with the Blue Jays, he worked on Bobby Cox’s coaching staff with the Atlanta Braves, famously waving home Sid Bream on the decisive play at the plate in Game 7 of the 1991 National League Championship Series.
When the Phillies hired Mr. Williams — along with former managers Davey Lopes and Art Howe — to the coaching staff after the 2006 season, it was presumed that they were angling to fire Charlie Manuel if the team started slowly in 2007. Mr. Williams, in particular, worked with then-general manager Pat Gillick in Toronto.
But Mr. Williams addressed potential awkwardness in an introductory conference call with reporters by insisting that he wasn’t eyeing Manuel’s job, even though they had been managerial rivals in Boston and Cleveland in the late ‘90s.
“My whole focus,” Mr. Williams said, “is to be the best coach that I can be, to be the best instructor I can be, to stay within the parameters of what my responsibilities are.”
Indeed, Mr. Williams stood beside Manuel for two seasons, the Bobby Wine to Manuel’s Dallas Green. He organized spring training and oversaw bunting and fielding drills, especially for pitchers. And he rarely sought credit or attention.
To wit: The Phillies broke a 13-year postseason drought in 2007 but lost the first two games at home of a best-of-five first-round series against the Colorado Rockies. On the day off before Game 3, a reporter asked Mr. Williams if his experience in leading the Red Sox back from a two-game deficit in a best-of-five series in 1999 against Cleveland could be a road map for the Phillies.
Mr. Williams pointed to the “Phillies” lettering on the front of his jersey.
“Not here to talk about the Red Sox,” he said. “We’re focusing on the Phillies.”
Mr. Williams is survived by his wife, Peggy; sons, Shawn and Brady; daughters, Monica Farr and Jenna Williams; and eight grandchildren.