Jimy Williams, the Philadelphia Phillies bench coach for the 2008 World Series champion team, passed away on Friday, Jan 26. Born Oct. 4, 1943, he was 80 years old at the time of his passing.
After the news broke, the team put out a statement on X, formerly Twitter, sending condolences to his family, including his son Shawn, who works in the Phillies organization in the player development system.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) January 29, 2024
Williams joined the Phillies as the bench coach after the 2006 season. With parts of 12 seasons of MLB managerial experience, he was invaluable for skipper Charlie Manuel through the 2007 and 2008 campaigns, which we all know ended with the franchise's second World Series title.
The team finished first in the NL East both seasons with Williams as the bench coach, with a combined record of 181-143, before he opted not to return in 2009.
Williams got his start in the majors debuting with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967. He only appeared in 14 games before spending time in the Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos organizations, but didn't play in the big leagues again.
Williams' managing career
Williams got his first MLB coaching job in 1980 as the third base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays, where he stayed for six seasons before taking over as manager in 1986. He was relieved of his duties in 1989, finishing his time in Toronto with a 281-241 record.
He joined the Atlanta Braves in 1991 as the third base coach and won a World Series in 1995 before leaving for a manager role with the Boston Red Sox in 1996. He took the Sox to the postseason twice and was named the AL Manager of the Year in 1999. He was fired in 2001 and ended his Boston tenure with a 414-352 record.
Williams' final managing gig came in Houston, where he managed the Astros from 2002 until being fired during the 2004 season, compiling a 215-197 and finishing second in the NL Central two years in a row.
His final total as an MLB skipper tallied up at 910-790 in 1,700 games, good for a .535 winning percentage.
Williams will be missed by the entire MLB and Phillies fan base, and we at That Ball's Outta Here pass on our condolences to his family.