Former Red Sox Manager Jimy Williams Dies At 80 Years Old

Former Red Sox manager Jimmy Williams died Friday in Florida after a brief illness, the organization announced Monday. He was 80 years old.

Williams' connection to Boston dates all the back to 1964 when he signed with the club as an amateur free agent before joining the St. Louis Cardinals via the Rule 5 Draft in 1965. Thirty-one years later, Williams was hired as Red Sox manager to replace Kevin Kennedy.

After a 78-win debut season in 1997, Williams led Boston to three consecutive campaigns of 85-plus wins. Two of those seasons featured win totals north of 90 as well as playoff appearances, including a march to the American League Championship Series in 1999. Williams was named AL Manager of the Year that season.

A two-time World Series champion -- one as the Atlanta Braves third base coach in 1995 and another as Philadelphia Phillies bench coach in 2008 -- Williams managed in Boston through the 2001 campaign. He helped usher in a wildly successful run for the franchise which saw the Red Sox reach four ALCS and win two World Series between 2003 and 2008.

In addition to Boston, Philadelphia and Atlanta, Williams spent time in Toronto and Houston working as a big league coach.