Former Boston Red Sox manager Jimy Williams has died at the age of 80, the team announced Monday.
"As the Red Sox manager from 1997-2001, Jimy Williams was a true staple and leader of the Red Sox," the team said in a social media post. "We send our love to the Williams family." The Red Sox said Williams died Friday in Florida after a brief illness.
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Williams was named American League Manager of the Year in 1999, when he led the Red Sox to a second place finish in the AL East with 94 wins. They beat the Cleveland Indians in the American League Division Series that year before losing to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
He ranks eighth on the franchise's all-time managerial games and wins lists.
In addition to the Red Sox, he also served as manager for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Houston Astros. He briefly appeared in two seasons as a player for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Several long-time baseball writers took to social media on Monday to offer their condolences.
Williams is survived by Peggy, his wife of 47 years, as well as his sons, Shawn and Brady, his daughters, Monica Farr and Jenna Williams, and his eight grandchildren.