Manager Jim Fregosi of the Chicago White Sox was fired Friday by General Manager Larry Himes, ending a two-year association that was uncomfortable at best.
In their case, the catch phrase "philosophical differences" was not just rhetoric.Himes, hired at the end of the 1986 season to replace Ken Harrelson and rebuild the organization, traded away high-priced talent for young prospects and set his sights on the future.
Like most managers, Fregosi, hired by Harrelson in the middle of the 1986 season, wanted a chance to win now.
Fregosi, 46, was under contract through 1989. But he should have no trouble landing a job elsewhere - probably as manager or general manager of the California Angels, where he started his 18-year career as a player. He managed the Angels to the American League West title in 1979.
"Philosophical differences led to today's decision," said Himes in a statement released by the White Sox. "No reflection of Jim's managerial ability should be read in this course of action."