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Kindred spirits Fellow managers surprised by Williams' firing
Updated: Thursday August 16, 2001 9:21 PM
BOSTON (AP) -- Jimy Williams drew praise from his colleagues and predictions that he would soon have a new job after he was fired Thursday as manager of the Boston Red Sox. "I'm disappointed, very disappointed," Minnesota manager Tom Kelly said. "I always enjoyed managing against him. It was always a challenge. He always had his team right there. He'll have no trouble getting a job." Five other AL managers -- from Oakland, Toronto, Kansas City, Cleveland and the New York Yankees -- pointed to Williams' managerial skills after his firing in his fifth season with Boston. Atlanta manager Bobby Cox, who had Williams as a coach from 1990 to 1996, was bothered by the firing of his longtime friend. "It surprised me, but I did expect it because things hadn't been going well there," Cox said. "I will call him and tell him to take the rest of the year off, relax and get in line for all of the jobs next year." Boston's inability to overtake the Yankees was one reason Williams was fired. "He did an outstanding job and is an outstanding manager," New York's Joe Torre said. "He did the best job with what he had. They had a lot of injuries and internal strife. But he always managed to do what was right." Williams was fired after second-place Boston lost six of seven games. "I think it shocked everybody," Oakland manager Art Howe said. "He's done a great job there. He's a class act." Blue Jays manager Buck Martinez also was surprised. "Jimy is a great baseball man," Martinez said. "To lose as many key players as he has during the course of the summer, and to still have his team in contention -- it's a difficult decision to get rid one of the best baseball men in the business." Boston has eight players on the disabled list, including starting pitchers Pedro Martinez, Bret Saberhagen and Rolando Arrojo. The Red Sox played without Nomar Garciaparra for the first 103 games as he recovered from Opening Day wrist surgery. Still, Boston was 65-53 at the time of Williams' firing. "I was surprised," Cleveland manager Charlie Manuel said. "The last time they came through here his team was pretty banged up. I have a lot of respect for Jimy Williams. He's a great baseball guy and they've got about the same record we do." Kansas City manager Tony Muser said he was sad about the firing. "I think Jimy Williams has done as good a job as any manager in baseball," he said. "With the injuries, players with robust personalities, players that tend to view themselves more than the team, a tough market in Boston. I think ever since Jimy's been in Boston he's done a hell of a job. I'm saddened by it. I don't think he deserves it. He won't be out of work long." Cleveland outfielder Ellis Burks, who once played for Boston, figured there was more to the firing than the team's record. Williams and general manager Dan Duquette had a chilly relationship. "It's not like they're 10 games out," Burks said. "There's obviously something else going on there, some kind of internal problem, because that record sure doesn't warrant a firing. It will be interesting to see how the team reacts."
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