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PHILADELPHIA, PA - CIRCA 1984: Manager Jim Frey #8 of the Chicago Cubs looks on during batting practice before a Major League Baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies circa 1984 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Frey managed the Cubs from 1984-86. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - CIRCA 1984: Manager Jim Frey #8 of the Chicago Cubs looks on during batting practice before a Major League Baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies circa 1984 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Frey managed the Cubs from 1984-86. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)Focus On Sport/Getty Images

Former Royals, Cubs Manager Jim Frey Dies at Age 88

Mike ChiariApr 14, 2020

The Chicago Cubs announced Tuesday that former manager and general manager Jim Frey at the age of 88:

According to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, Frey died Sunday. The Cubs released the following statement about Frey, per Gonzales:

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"The Chicago Cubs are saddened to learn of the passing of Jim Frey, a central figure in our club's most memorable moments of the 1980s. Upon being named manager for the 1984 season, Jim took over a club that had not had a winning record since 1972 and immediately helped return the Cubs to postseason play, leading the team to the NL East title and first playoff appearance in 39 years, earning NL Manager of the Year honors along the way. As our general manager, he constructed a playoff club in 1989 to again land the Cubs in the postseason five years later.

"We join the baseball community in mourning Jim's passing and send our condolences to his family and friends."

Frey managed the Kansas City Royals from 1980-81 and the Cubs from 1984-86. The Cubs fired Frey in 1986, but he was hired as the team's GM prior to the 1988 season and served in that role through 1991.

In parts of two seasons as manager of the Royals, Frey went 127-105, including a 97-65 mark in 1980. Kansas City reached the World Series that season, but it fell to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Frey then went 196-182 in parts of three seasons as the Cubs' manager, giving him a career managerial record of 323-287. Frey's greatest success as manager of the Cubs came in 1984 when they went 96-65 and won the National League East for the first time before falling to the San Diego Padres in five games in the National League Championship Series.

That marked the Cubs' first playoff appearance since they reached the World Series in 1945.

As GM, Frey helped build the team that won the NL East with a 93-69 mark in 1989. Once again, the Cubs fell short of the World Series, though, as the San Francisco Giants beat them 4-1 in the NLCS.

That Cubs team featured an impressive young core that included starting pitcher Greg Maddux and first baseman Mark Grace, as well as star veterans Andre Dawson and Ryne Sandberg.

The Cubs didn't return to the playoffs again until 1998 and it wasn't until 2016 that they finally won their first World Series since 1908.

During a long stretch of failure for the Cubs, Frey was instrumental in two highly successful seasons despite only being at the helm as a manager or GM for six years.

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