In 1980, Frey led the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB) to their first American League (AL) championship, in his first year with the team. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Truly liked Jim. The teams season came to an unfortunate end with a 4-games-to-2 World Series loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. We invite you to share condolences for Jim Frey in our Guest Book. But Williams had just one more forgettable year for the Cubs before being traded to Philadelphia in 1991, and Palmeiro and Moyer went on to have productive careers. He and his wife always attended their grandchildren's events at school. With the stats that are available on his Baseball Reference page, Frey was a lifetime .304 hitter in the minors and topped the .300 mark eight times. The family will greet friends Monday from 4-7 pm at the Bliss-Witters & Pike Funeral Home, Cedar Springs. Frey turned down the choice of manager or general manager of the Minnesota Twins in favor of working as a radio commentator with the Cubs. Frey spent 1982 and 1983 working as the hitting coach of the New York Mets. Bridget and I are here for you Carol if you need anything. Growing up in Cincinnati, he played for the American Legion Bentley post, which was the American Legion runner-up in 1946 and the national champion in 1947. The trade appeared to pay off for the Cubs with respect to the 1989 season as Williams saved 36 games, the Cubs won a division title and Moyer and Palmeiro struggled in Texas. He enjoyed great professional success, working all over Canadas North, as well as in various places throughout the world. Together they had three children, Michelle, Neal, and Wendy. He even discovered some power and hit 16 homers in 1960 with Rochester and in 1962 with Buffalo. Ill sign on the dotted line for that right now.. Published by The Oregonian on Apr. [6], During the strike-marred 1981 season, in which the Royals finished the first half with a 2030 record, Frey was criticized widely for not taking full advantage of a team built for speed and for failing to motivate his players by Kansas City vice president/general manager Joe Burke. I was the one who made him into a right-hand power hitter, he cracked. In 1980, Frey led the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB) to their first American League (AL) championship, in his first year with the team. Nicole Lee heads toward runoff, No moral victory awaits Bulls if they make play-in tournament. My family and I knew Jim and family back in Strongsville Ohio. He was hired by the Chicago Cubs for the 1984 season, and again struck paydirt as the Cubs won the division title, earning their first post-season appearance since 1945. A great & unexpected loss of a wonderful neighbor, who, yes, always kindly greeted with a warm smile his neighbors on those daily walks with loving Carol and Scout. A left-handed batting-and-throwing outfielder, Frey spent much of his career in the farm systems of the Boston/Milwaukee Braves and St. Louis Cardinals. To leave a condolence message, add photos, or add videos, please provide your name and email address, 11802 99 Avenue James "Jim" Frey, 82, of Cincinnati, Ohio, died of natural causes on October 9th, 2022. Kim, my thoughts and prayer are sent out to you and your family. Giving to charity is a meaningful way to honor someone who has died. He was the second of five children, born to Ella Mae and James Will Fraser. All that knew Jim had great things to say about being a great friend and neighbor. We spent time reminiscing about the sport teams. Private remembrance services will be held for close family. I dont think he was putting me on either, Frey later said. He was a dairy farmer. Its been exciting. He had a particular love of Northern art. Every player needs to respect the other players and the idea of the entire group of 25 trying to win together, he said. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Restaurants that opened (or closed) in February: A surprise in Middletown, 'Go find your own': Bengals' Duke Tobin on Higgins trade rumors, Bengals offer latest update on Joe Burrow contract negotiations, Tornado damage a total loss for some Butler County homes, What's the best beer in Cincy? JIM FREY OBITUARY. James served in the US Army and Army reserve until being honorably discharged in 1964. Looking at him at the age of 21, what he has done and what he can do is like a horse trainer looking at Man o War as a 2-year-old.. White Sox broadcaster Steve Stone played for Baltimore when Frey was an Orioles hitting coach in the late 1970s and was a Cubs broadcaster when Frey was with the Cubs. Haverford - James Louis Frey died on December 14, 2020. Obituaries. Frey continued to hit for a high average wherever he went in the Braves organization. Warmly, Galen & Sandy Carver. He worked for Frey Thriftway, and owned and operated five Thriftway stores until 1997. The Padres won three straight games in San Diego to head to the World Series. Dick Howser replaced him. The Cubs returned to the National League Championship Series in 1989 with Don Zimmer, Freys lifelong friend and his Cubs bench coach, as manager. They just see something white coming up there and they hit it with a stick.. 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. Frey replaced Whitey Herzog as the Royals' manager after the 1979 season. I would comment about the cubs. Mary Elizabeth Frey, 73, of Alpena, passed away after a long courageous battle with cancer on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023 surrounded by her family. Jackson and Smith flopped in their roles in 1991, and Zimmer was fired apparently on orders from Tribune Co. CEO Donald Grenesko, in May 1991. Unlike the Royals, which was already a good team, the Cubs were much closer to the NL East cellar than the playoffs. Frey had said that he wanted to remain active in baseball as a coach or manager after his playing days were over, and he got his chance when the Baltimore Orioles asked him to manage their Rookie-Level team in Bluefield, W.V., in 1964 and 1965. Free agent signee George Bell hit 25 homers in 1991, but new pitchers Danny Jackson and Dave Smith were awful. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. Ryne Sandberg cited Frey as "the one guy who was extremely instrumental in my career. He was predeceased by : his parents, Harold Frey and Betty Lou Frey; and his sister . Sandberg responded with 19 home runs on the season and won the 1984 MVP Award. Freys job philosophy was simple: get the most out of 25 players. Its been exciting to watch that happen, too.. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to the Westphalia Historical Society and the Church Rebuilding project. Frey was fired two months into the season and replaced by John Vukovich. Memorial contributions may be made to Faith Hospice. Though Frey retired from baseball after more than 40 years in the game, he became involved in the formation of the Somerset Patriots, a team in the Atlantic League, in 1996. Online donations can be made by selecting church rebuilding using following link: https://abundant.co/cofvwestphalia/give. In spite of the heroics, Frey did not make the big-league club; his ESPN obituary stated that a left shoulder injury cost him a spot on the Opening Day roster, which went to Curt Flood instead. Jim immediately embraced our older son, a fellow journeyman lineman, sharing stories and their fascination with old insulators. From November 1987 through the end of the 1991 season, Frey was the Cubs' general manager. The childhood thing is kind of a nice romantic story, Frey said, but it doesnt have a heckuva lot to do with hiring somebody to manage a ballclub. 14, 2020. He loved to travel the world to experience other cultures, and was always considering future destinations. JAMES FREY OBITUARY James A. Frey Crown Point, IN James A. Frey, age 73, of Crown Point, IN, passed away Friday, May 4, 2007. Let others know about your loved one's death. Frey didnt spend much time talking with his players; he just expected them to do the jobs they were given. I have never tried to change his swing, stance, bat, bat position, grip, any of those things. Zimmer, his old friend and third base coach, was let go as well. Frey was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Jim may have loved the game of basketball but more than that, he loved using basketball as a tool to teach kids about life and the importance of education. With the new acquisitions and good performances from the existing players, the Cubs marched to the top of the division with a 96-65 record. He retired after an injury-plagued 1963 season, when he was 32 years old. He also cracked 11 home runs in 1954, which was more than hed hit in his entire professional career to that point. James William Frey, 73 of Novato, passed away at home surrounded by his family on May 5, 2014. Read Full Obituary. Blackhawks, shaken by trades, fall flat against Coyotes, 11th Ward Ald. Mike Bielecki, product of a trade with Pittsburgh, won 18 games. Jim was raised in Chicago, IL. Write your message of sympathy today. He was a kind man.". To plant trees in memory, please visit the. His replacement was Dick Howser, who had lost his managerial job with the Yankees after the previous year's ALCS. Our kids played many different sports throughout the years and Jim coached my son and daughter, Joe III and Missy in various sports. Frey spent the 1987 season in the WGN Radio booth as an analyst on Cubs broadcasts and was the Cubs general manager from November 1987 through the 1991 season. Former Cubs manager and GM Jim Frey has died at age 88. Midway through spring training in 1984, Frey sat Sandberg down and told him to start trying to drive the ball, to swing for power and be more aggressive when ahead in the count. JIM FREY OBITUARY. Just win. He was fired during the 1986 season after a 23-33 start. Despite the crushing defeat, that season catapulted the franchise from a decadeslong drought into a new era of popularity. James is survived by his wife Zella, children James Frey Jr and wife Donna Karen, Will Frey, Clint Frey and Courtney Kieke and husband David, grandchildren Hannah, Jack, Madelyn, Cody, Gibson, Kiptyn, Peter, Bobby, and Grant, and great grandson Aiden. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Receive a notification when services are updated. & JOEL 1:11:17 ?????????????? The Cubs lost the next three games, and many critics blamed Frey for mishandling the pitching staff. No one would ever accuse Jim of being shy about sharing what he believed to be right, just or correct. The Cubs had finished last place in back-to-back seasons, and Frey said his first priority was to bring in a new manager. The season was put on hold for nearly two months because of the players strike, and when play resumed in the second half, the Royals went 10-10 in the first 20 games. I tried to change his mental approach to hitting.. The Cubs lost in the 1989 NLCS to the San Francisco Giants, and they were unable to recapture that same magic in subsequent seasons. In parts of five seasons as a manager in the majors, Frey compiled a 323-287 win-loss record for a .530 winning percentage. Not even three days after graduating from high school, he started his minor-league career as a member of the Boston Braves organization. Add a Photo Submit Your Message 22 Entries Illinois is leading the way. OBITUARY James Clifford Frey May 18, 1937 - August 17, 2022 IN THE CARE OF Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home Austin lost an original on August 17, 2022 with the passing of James Clifford Frey. (LogOut/ Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of James E. Frey to pay them a last tribute. If there were complaints over playing time, he handled things before they became problems. Checks can be mailed to (Please make note the contribution is in remembrance of James Frey):
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