Saturday, February 15, 2014

REST IN PEACE: JIM FREGOSI: 1942-2014


Six time All Star shortstop for the California Angels

Sad to hear that long time baseball man Jim Fregosi passed away after suffering a stroke at a Major League Alumni cruise.
Fregosi will always be remembered as the guy that was traded to the Mets for Nolan Ryan back in 1971, but he was so much more than the answer to some trivia question.
It's easy to forget that Fregosi was a six-time American league All-Star shortstop while with the California Angels through the 1960's, and received M.V.P. votes every year between 1963-1970.
After an admirable 18 year playing career he immediately began a 15 year run as a manager, guiding the 1979 Angels to their first post-season appearance, as well as leading the 1993 Phillies to the World Series, famously won by the Blue Jays on a Joe Carter home run off of Mitch Williams.
Today I post up his 1971 Topps card, another of my favorites from the set with it's landscape action photograph.
R.I.P. Jim Fregosi, April 4th, 1942-February 14th, 2014.

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