According to Scott Thompson of FOX News on Monday, former Toronto Blue Jays manager Jimy Williams passed away at the age of 80 on Friday. Williams managed the Blue Jays from 1986 to 1989. In that time period, the Blue Jays had a record of 281 wins and 241 losses for a winning percentage of .538.
Williams was the Blue Jays manager for the best team they have ever had that did not make the postseason. That came in 1987. Toronto had the second best record in all of Major League Baseball at 96 wins and 66 losses. However, because they did not win the American League East, they did not reach the postseason. The only team better than the Blue Jays were the Detroit Tigers, which had a record of 98 wins and 64 losses. At the time, only the division winners made the playoffs. This meant Toronto was not postseason bound.
The other thing that stands out from the 1987 Blue Jays was their self collapse in the final week of the regular season. Toronto lost their last seven games, as they were beaten four times by the Tigers and three times by the Milwaukee Brewers.
As a player, Williams was a middle infielder with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966 and 1967. He also managed the Boston Red Sox from 1997 to 2001, and the Houston Astros from 2002 to 2004. Williams was the American League Manager of the Year in 1999. The Red Sox had a record of 94 wins and 68 losses.
