Phillies Wall of Fame candidate: Jim Fregosi

The manager of the Phillies wacky wonderful ’93 team is once again a candidate for the Phillies Wall of Fame

One of most successful and surprising teams in Phillies history was the 1993 team that went from last to first and went on to win the NL Championship. The manager of that wild, throwback group of overachievers was Jim Fregosi, who had a very good playing career before going on to manage over 2100 games with the Angels, White Sox, Phillies, and Blue Jays.

Fregosi began his Major League career as a 19-year old in 1961 with the Angels. He was an All-Star with the Angels in 1964 and 1966 through 1970.  He also played with the Mets, Rangers, and Pirates before retiring as a player in 1978.

A solid all-around player, Fregosi had 20 more doubles in a season seven times, lead the league in triples in 1968 and hit 22 home runs and 82 RBI in 1970, both career highs.  He retired with a .265 average, 1728 hits, and 151 home runs while primarily playing shortstop.

Fregosi quickly transitioned from player to manager, taking over the Angels as a 36-year-old in 1978. He finished 62-54 in 116 games that season and was at the helm for the Angels through half of the 1981 season.

He resumed managing in 1986, taking over the White Sox and compiled a 193-226 record in parts of three seasons.  Fregosi took over as manager of the Phillies in 1991 and spent the next six seasons leading the club.  He won his most games in Philadelphia, including the NL pennant in 1993.

After his time in Philadelphia, Fregosi ended his managerial career following two seasons with the Blue Jays in 1999 and 2000. All told, Fregosi compiled a managerial record of 1028-1094.