Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 11, 1993 TAG: 9310110123
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jack Bogaczyk
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Long
Among the beards and brashness of the Broad Street Bellies, how does Fregosi manage? Often, by the seat of his pants, if Sunday night's equalizer in the National League Championship Series is typical.
"They keep it interesting," said Fregosi, managing in his second playoff series - 14 seasons after his first.
Right-hander Curt Schilling, who gets the start today in Game 5 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, says the Phillies "are nothing but a big bowl of flakes." If so, then Fregosi has poured on just the right stuff to create a breakfast of champions.
In Game 4 of the NLCS, on a nippy night when the wind chill could have frozen the Georgia dew, Fregosi's most significant move was typically hands-off.
Atlanta manager Bobby Cox tried to coax Fregosi into yanking left fielder Milt Thompson for a pinch-hitter by bringing in left-hander Kent Mercker to relieve John Smoltz in the seventh inning. Cox knew if Fregosi used Pete Incaviglia to pinch hit to avoid a lefty-lefty at-bat for Thompson, the Phillies' defense would be severely damaged by Incaviglia, who did a couple of outfield flips reminiscent of movie whale Willy earlier in the series.
Fregosi knew that, too, and when Thompson's leaping, over-the-head, wall-banging catch of a Mark Lemke drive ended the Braves' eighth, the Phillies - despite setting an NLCS record for striking out and some wild moments in the Atlanta ninth - had a 2-1 victory and a 2-2 tie in the best-of-seven series.
The Phillies may be free spirits, but the club Fregosi took from worst to first in the NL East Division isn't a democracy, either. Then, Fregosi is smart enough to realize this ship of fools doesn't need a Capt. Queeg.
"He knows we're professionals," said Len Dykstra, the Phillies' center fielder. "He lets us know what he expects. Some managers couldn't handle letting their teams be like this."
Earlier this season, first baseman John Kruk was asked to describe a club that ended up spending an NL-record 181 days in first place. "We're throwbacks," Kruk said. "Throwbacks from other organizations."
Fregosi fits. The 51-year-old manager is working for his fourth organization after hitting .265 as a shortstop during an 18-year major-league playing career. Although he looks like he'd take on any challenge and his voice can be gruff, Fregosi says he's tempered his temper.
That's what getting fired twice will do.
"I've been around a long time," Fregosi said. "It's a long season. I used to get too carried away. I've learned that if a manager gets too high or too low about one game, the players see it and it affects them."
Fregosi said he struggles at times to control his emotions and his words. Then, as Dykstra said of the manager, "He doesn't have to say a lot. Sometimes, his look will tell you what he wants to say."
In a career that was played mostly in the second division of the standings, Fregosi was a six-time American League All-Star. Yet, his most notable moment came when he was dealt by California to the New York Mets in December 1971 for four players - including Nolan Ryan.
After playing for the Angels, Mets, and Texas, Fregosi finished his playing career in Pittsburgh - where in June 1978 he was released so he could become manager of the Angels the next day.
The following season, Fregosi guided the Angels to their first AL Championship Series. In May 1981, he was fired. The following year, he was hired by St. Louis to manage at Class AAA Louisville. After 3 1/2 seasons, he was back in the majors, guiding the Chicago White Sox.
"Going to Louisville changed me, as far as the way I managed," Fregosi said. "I learned a lot there. I'm really different from the guy who managed the Angels."
Different? Yes. Still frustrated? Yes.
Three consecutive fifth-place finishes in Chicago got Fregosi fired again in 1988. Again, former Angels teammate Lee Thomas hired Fregosi.
Thomas was the Cardinals' farm director who brought Fregosi to Louisville in '83. This time, Thomas was the Phillies' general manager, and he made Fregosi his assistant. In April '91, Fregosi moved into the dugout when Nick Leyva was fired.
"I'm not joking about this," Thomas said, "Jimmy might be the only guy around who could have managed this team."
Fregosi's philosophy with a veteran team, made up mostly of castoffs from other organizations, might not work with a younger club.
"People talk about what characters they are, and they are," Fregosi said. "But they work hard and they play hard. They're motivated. They just want to play baseball."
That describes Fregosi during his career as a player. Maybe that's why he's the perfect manager for this dirt- and tobacco-stained team that reliever Mitch Williams describes as "a bunch of gypsies, tramps and thieves."
"A manager has to adapt to the players he has," Fregosi said. "The players shouldn't have to adapt to the manager."
And with these Phillies, looks can be deceiving, unless it's one of Fregosi's steely stares. They may have a lot of gripes, but Fregosi isn't one of them.
Keywords:
BASEBALL
Memo: slightly different version ran in the State edition.