Former Royals, Cubs manager Jim Frey dies at age 88

SOMERSET, N.J. (AP) — Jim Frey, who managed the Kansas City Royals to the 1980 AL pennant and the Chicago Cubs to within one win of the 1984 World Series, has died. He was 88.

Frey died Sunday at his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, according to the Atlantic League’s Somerset Patriots, the minor league team he had been affiliated with since its launch in 1998. The Patriots did not announce a cause of death.

Born in Cleveland on May 26, 1931, Frey became friends with future major leaguer Don Zimmer at Western Hills High School in Cincinnati.

An outfielder, Frey spent 14 seasons in the minor league organizations of the Boston and Milwaukee Braves, and the St. Louis Cardinals without reaching the majors.

He scouted and managed in the minor leagues for Baltimore and coached for the Orioles under manager Earl Weaver from 1979-79.

Frey replaced Whitey Herzog as the Royals’ manager after the 1979 season. They won the AL West with a 97-65 record in 1980, finishing 14 games ahead of Oakland.

That Royals team rode an offense led by MVP George Brett, Willie Wilson, Hal McRae, Frank White and Willie Aikens, and a pitching staff headed by Dennis Leonard, Larry Gura and Dan Quisenberry, and they swept the New York Yankees 3-0 in the AL Championship Series. Kansas City lost the World Series to Philadelphia in six games.

Kansas City was 20-30 when the 1981 season was interrupted by a players’ strike and 10-10 when Frey was fired with the Royals in first place of the second-half divisions standings. He was replaced by Dick Howser, who had been jettiisoned by the Yankees after losing to the Royals.

Frey coached for the New York Mets in 1982 and ’83, then was hired by the Cubs to replace Charlie Fox. Seeking its first World Series title since 1908, Chicago went 96-65 and...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Former-Royals-Cubs-manager-Jim-Frey-dies-at-age-15199784.php