It looks like Jimy "one M" Williams has reached the end of the road in Houston. Speculation abounds that Jimy will not be the manager come Thursday. Houston has been a major disappointment this season after many pundits forecast the Astros to win the division. Houston sits 10 and a half games back at the all-star break.
Toronto fans remember Jimy from his time here as manager and a coach. Jimy took over from Bobby Cox in 1986 when Bobby bolted to the Braves. In three complete seasons under Williams the Blue Jays won 86, 96 and 87 games while finishing 4th, 2nd and 3rd. 1987 was the year when the Jays lost their last seven games allowing Detroit to sneak in the back door and take the division title. Jimy began 1989 fighting with George Bell and was replaced by Cito Gaston after 36 games with the teams record at 12-24.
Jimy reunited with Bobby Cox in Atlanta and remained there until the end of 1996. Jimy was appointed manager of the Red Sox in 1997 and led the Sox for four full seasons with one 4th place finish, and three 2nd's. In 2001 Jimy was replaced as manager after 118 days with the RedSox record at 65-53. His replacement was Joe Kerrigan who had a brief and disastrous six weeks in charge of the Sox.
In 2002 Jimy was appointed manager of the Houston Astros. The Astros finished 2nd in 2002 and 2003.
Jimy has been manager for nine full seasons. In those nine seasons Jimy has had six second place finishes, and no firsts. Winning is all that matters, so while Jimy one M has been a winning manager, his inability to win the division is about to cost him his job for the third time.
What are your recollections of Jimy? Is Jimy getting a bum rap or does he have a fatal flaw that prevents him from winning?
To me Jimy never looked comfortable, I would describe it as a shifty look, he is not a media star. In Toronto Jimy had his famous run-in with George Bell. By all accounts this was not Jimy's fight but a front office idea that Jimy was forced to adopt. Toronto won lots of games under Jimy, just not enough. He managed some good players, Barfield, Bell, McGriff, Key, Steib. Do you think good players have allowed Jimy to persist even though he is weak tactically?
Then there was the infamous 1987 season where injuries cost the Jays over the last week. But were the injuries a mask, did you think that Jimy should have calmly brought the team through that crisis or was he really the victim?
In Houston Jimy's team leads the NL in sacrifice hits, so called small ball. Is Jimy trying to make the best of a bad roster or needlessly giving up outs?
So I put it to you Bauxites, Jimy Williams, managerial goat or misunderstood general?
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20040713115434999