Jim Fregosi dead at 71
 

I remember watching him play for the Angels in the early 60s.
As a young fellow, I collected a number of his 60s baseball cards.
He was one of my favorite shortstops.
a sad day.
My deepest condolences to family,friends, fans
Barry

Hi Barry,

I did the same. Used to drive out to Anaheim (from the SF Valley) when the Yanks came to town. Seems like not too long ago.
RIP Jim.
Paul

Sorry to learn of this.

One bit of notoriety is that Fregosi was traded for Nolan Ryan.

Got to see him play for the Rangers in the mid-1970s, and got his autograph, too. Back then, we were allowed to go down to the field level behind the home (or visitor) dugouts and get autographs while the players were playing catch. Very nice man.

I just remember the day it was announced on KDKA in Pittsburgh that he was retiring to take the manager's job for the Angels.

I remember his cards as well. Really sad to read the last sentence in his write-up on Wikipedia.

That's the only thing I think of when I hear Jim Fregosi's name. And to make it worse, the Mets had to include three other players along with Ryan, among them Leroy Stanton, who was a productive player throughout the 1970's. Worst trade ever. But sad news nonetheless.

Re: Jim Fregosi dead at 71
 

Jim Fregosi was the favorite player of Angel owner Gene Autry. He will always remind me of those Angel spring training days in Palm Springs. Thoughts and prayers to the Fregosi family.

Not the biggert Berman fan
 

but you had to love......

Jim "Bela" Fregosi

My favorite was Oddibe Young Again McDowell.

When I was a kid growing up a few miles from Angel Stadium, Jim Fregosi was not only the best player on the Angels, he was the best player they ever had. I have many great memories watching him play. Rest in peace, Jim, and prayers to your family ...

I've heard and read this comment from several people the last couple days and it makes me a little bit sad. While Jim himself often joked about this topic, it also shows the type of player he was and how he was regarded within the game at that time.

But also, I don't think a lot of people realize who he was a person and what an amazing baseball mind he had. From his early days of reaching the big leagues a year out of high school to becoming an All-Star player, then a well-liked manager and finally, a highly-respected talent evaluator and scout - he was a legend within the game.

Jim was also a true "man's man" and someone you'd want to have a beer with and listen to for hours on end as he told stories of his career. Can you imagine being a Major League ballplayer in your early 20s and playing in Hollywood/Southern California in the 1960s? He did it and was happy to talk about it.

When you look at his career stat lines, you see decent numbers and 5 or 6 All-Star appearances, but a number of baseball people have told me that when you run today's advanced metrics on Jim's career, he truly stands out among the shortstops of his generation. (I'd never stopped to think about that before, but it's true.)

Jim was a larger-than-life personality who ALWAYS took the positive approach to things. He was a gem of a person in the baseball community and will very much be missed.

Agreed.
God assuage the family's grief.

Rip
 

I got to know Jim a little when he managed the Jays and lived briefly at the SkyDome Hotel. I worked as a Concierge at the hotel and assisted Jim and has family with a few requests. Very nice man; always smiling and generous with a kind word. Sad loss.

I will never forget Dizzy Dean doing the play-by-play back then....Pee Wee was his color man........I can hear him now.........."And Freg-OSO slud into second......."

Me too. I split time between the Angels and Dodgers, but in the day it was Fregosi (and maybe Alex Johnson) who were the studs for the Angels. RIP Jim.

Although Fregosi won the N.L. pennant with the Phillies in '93, he always had a rather, um, acrimonious relationship with the sports media while in Philadelphia, especially the city's all-sports radio station in town (WIP). Even years after Fregosi was fired by the Phillies, his famous comment to some Phillies beat writers about the city's all-sports station and its listening base took on a life of its own.

As much as even winning the pennant, Fregosi became known in town for this quote. :D

"People who listen to WIP are a bunch of guys in South Philly that **** their sisters, and the people that work at WIP **** their mothers." :eek:

http://the700level.com/sports/today-...line-one-1994/

Which part of that was wrong? :)