Quote:
Originally Posted by barrysloate
That's the only thing I think of when I hear Jim Fregosi's name.
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I've heard and read this comment from several people the last couple days and it makes me a little bit sad. While Jim himself often joked about this topic, it also shows the type of player he was and how he was regarded within the game at that time.
But also, I don't think a lot of people realize who he was a person and what an amazing baseball mind he had. From his early days of reaching the big leagues a year out of high school to becoming an All-Star player, then a well-liked manager and finally, a highly-respected talent evaluator and scout - he was a legend within the game.
Jim was also a true "man's man" and someone you'd want to have a beer with and listen to for hours on end as he told stories of his career. Can you imagine being a Major League ballplayer in your early 20s and playing in Hollywood/Southern California in the 1960s? He did it and was happy to talk about it.
When you look at his career stat lines, you see decent numbers and 5 or 6 All-Star appearances, but a number of baseball people have told me that when you run today's advanced metrics on Jim's career, he truly stands out among the shortstops of his generation. (I'd never stopped to think about that before, but it's true.)
Jim was a larger-than-life personality who ALWAYS took the positive approach to things. He was a gem of a person in the baseball community and will very much be missed.