Hall of Fame baseball manager Dick Williams dies
Former major-league manager Dick Williams talks to reporters during Hall of Fame Weekend in 2008.
July 8th, 2011
10:49 AM ET

Hall of Fame baseball manager Dick Williams dies

Dick Williams, who managed in four World Series and won two of them, died Thursday, Major League Baseball announced. He was 82.

"I know that every one of those players that played for him is very sad," former Oakland A's catcher Ray Fosse told MLB.com. "He was very well respected, and what more can you say about playing for someone that you want to play hard for."

Williams managed the A's to the first two of their three consecutive World Series championships in the early 1970s. He also led the Boston Red Sox to the American League pennant in 1967 and the San Diego Padres to the National League crown in 1984. He also helmed the Montreal Expos, California Angels and Seattle Mariners during a 21-year managing career that ended in 1988, according to Baseball-reference.com.

"It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Dick Williams today," A's managing partner Lew Wolff said Thursday in a statement. "He was a brilliant and feisty leader, and universally recognized as one of the greatest managers in Major League history. ... A's fans and our franchise will always have a warm spot in their hearts for Dick Williams."

Williams was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. His son Mark told MLB.com the family will scatter his ashes on the hall's Doubleday Field.

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Filed under: Baseball • Sports
soundoff (21 Responses)
  1. ben dover

    i miss dick already.

    July 8, 2011 at 10:58 am | Report abuse |
  2. ben dover

    " A's fans and our franchise will always have a warm spot in their hearts for Dick "

    July 8, 2011 at 10:59 am | Report abuse |
  3. RUFFNUTT

    DICK was a good ball manager.. dick wont be forgot..

    July 8, 2011 at 11:04 am | Report abuse |
  4. darth vader (walmart corparate enforcer)

    I wont forget the first time i seen DICK.. he was a good guy..

    July 8, 2011 at 11:05 am | Report abuse |
  5. utu horn honking henchman

    i'm going to honk my horn all night at a silent crossing in memory of DICK.

    July 8, 2011 at 11:07 am | Report abuse |
  6. CARL GLASS (OWNER KANSAS CITY ROYALS)

    I remember when i looked at dick the first time. i told myself i want to be as big as dick one day.

    July 8, 2011 at 11:09 am | Report abuse |
  7. STEWART RAYMOND WEAVER

    I remember when i was little and seen dick, he was the biggest dick i had ever seen. i grabbed a hold of dick and shook his hand. he was real nice.

    July 8, 2011 at 11:14 am | Report abuse |
  8. Oakland A's catcher Ray Fosse

    dick will be missed.

    July 8, 2011 at 11:16 am | Report abuse |
  9. cnn reporter Jim Kavanagh

    i love dick, and will miss him.

    July 8, 2011 at 11:19 am | Report abuse |
  10. Common Sense Inc.

    Dick, hehehe. Dick, hehehehehehe. Ball, hehehehehe.

    July 8, 2011 at 11:29 am | Report abuse |
  11. Ted Williams

    Look forward to seeing dick again, put his frozen head next to mine.

    July 8, 2011 at 11:33 am | Report abuse |
  12. Ted Williams

    Fosse said he always wanted to play hard for dick.

    July 8, 2011 at 11:35 am | Report abuse |
    • cnn reporter Jim Kavanagh

      it'll be hard to beat dick..

      July 8, 2011 at 11:36 am | Report abuse |
  13. A's fan

    Will always have a warm spot for Dick.

    July 8, 2011 at 11:37 am | Report abuse |
  14. Mekell

    Grow up, will ya'?

    July 8, 2011 at 11:47 am | Report abuse |
  15. Gailya

    I remember seeing Dick Williams play as an 18 year old center fielder for the Fort Worth Cats. He was a great player then and always as well as being a great manager.

    July 8, 2011 at 12:22 pm | Report abuse |
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