So Long El Grand Orange

Williams finished his managerial career with
1571 victories.

The baseball world lost one of it's true generals Thursday with the passing of Hall of Fame manager Dick Williams. Williams died in a local hospital close to his home in Henderson, Nevada after suffering a ruptured aortic aneurysm, he was eighty-two. With his passing, Williams leaves behind quite a legacy as one of the many baseball lifers and legends.

During his twenty-one year managerial career, Williams became quite a colorful character, but more known for his hard-nosed attitude and fiery personality. He was a favorite of many with his ability to motive his teams to win and win they did.

In his first season as a big league manager, Williams led the then-still cursed Boston Red Sox to the "Impossible Dream" in 1967 with their first World Series appearance since 1946. There they would surprise many by forcing the series to seven games against the St. Louis Cardinals, but lose to the eventual World Series MVP Bob Gibson for the third time on baseball's biggest stage.

After spending only two more seasons in Fenway Park, Williams decided to head across the border and become the third base coach for the Montreal Expos, a team who would eventually manage. He did that for a season before heading back to the American League after being hired by then-Oakland Athletics' owner Charlie Finley.

There would be the place that cemented his place in baseball history.

In his first his season at the helm in Oakland, he led the A's to 101 wins and a berth to the American League Championship Series. Williams and Co. were promptly swept by the defending World Series champion Baltimore Orioles putting his job once again in doubt.

With Finley already changing managers ten times during his tenure with the club many believed Williams would suffer the same fate, but was eventually brought back for the '72 season.

He would reward Finley for his faith in him, starting a baseball dynasty. Williams led the A's to back-to-back World Series titles, becoming the first major league manager to accomplish that feat since Ralph Houk led the New York Yankees to back-to-back titles in '61 and '62.

It would be a while until Williams once again got a taste of the World Series. After the '73 season he headed south and managed the California Angels for three seasons before heading back to Montreal. He managed the Expos for five seasons, the longest tenure of his career with any one club.

In September of the 1981 season, Williams was relieved of his managerial duties, but is credited as the only manager to lead the franchise to a playoff appearance.

Then in 1982 he was hired to manage the San Diego Padres and in only his third year on the bench, Williams led a misfit group of San Diegoens to their first World Series appearance in franchise history. In one of the most entertaining World Series', Williams might be remembered for a move he decided not to make.

With the Detroit Tigers leading by a run in the bottom of the eighth inning of the eventual series-clinching Game 5, they had runners at second and third and one out, Kirk Gibson coming to the plate and Goose Gossage on the mound. Gibson, who had already homered in the game, had been dominated by Gossage throughout his career and everybody in the ballpark knew it.

Williams looked like he was going to intentionally walk Gibson to load the bases with first base open, instead his hard-throwing right-hander convinced him he could retire the power-hitting outfielder one more time.

Gibson launched a three-run home run deep into the October night, extending the Tigers lead to 8-4, putting the series on ice and giving them their first World Series title since 1968.

Gibson, left celebrates his second home run
in Game 5 of the 1984 World Series as first
basemen Steve Garvey, right shows his
obvious disappointment.

Williams spent only one more season in beautiful Southern California before landing his final managing gig. He managed the Seattle Mariners from 1986-88 before his fire finally burnt out and he retired from the game he loved.

Upon retiring, the St. Louis native had accomplished things few dare to dream. He is one of only two managers to lead three different franchises to a World Series appearance joining fellow Hall of Famer Billie McKechnie. Accomplishing that allowed Williams to join a club of only six other managers to have won a pennant in both the American and National League.

He also joins recently retired Lou Pinella as the only managers to have four different franchises win 90 or more games in a season.

For these achievements, Williams was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee back in 2008.

Known for his unmistakable mustache, red hair, and desire to win, the legacy of Williams will forever live in baseball lore and remind many how the game should be played.