Jim Fregosi, who managed the Philadelphia Phillies to three straight losing seasons following the NL championship in 1993, was fired today, a team source said.
The decision was to be announced at a news conference, the source said on the condition he not be identified. On Sunday, the Phillies finished the season with a 67-95 record, the NL's worst this season.Bill Giles, the Phillies president and managing general partner, prepared fans for a managerial change three weeks ago when he acknowledged he was unhappy about a rift between Fregosi and general manager Lee Thomas.
Giles told Thomas and Fregosi, friends since they were roommates with the California Angles in the 1960s, to patch up their feud or one would be dismissed.
All three men have stayed silent about possible changes since, leading to speculation that Thomas and Fregosi were unable to sort through their differences.
The main source of friction between the two seemed to be the lack of talent on a Phillies team that was decimated by injuries this season.
The Phillies lost the two biggest stars of that 1993 pennant run, center fielder Lenny Dykstra and catcher Darren Daulton, to injuries early this year and never recovered.
Philadelphia used the disabled list a club-record 23 times this season, with the 17 players who spent time on the DL tying a club record. Aside from Daulton and Dykstra, eight Phillies were lost for the season because of injuries.
Thomas was forced to fill the team's roster with other organizations' rejects, minor-leaguers and prospects. Fregosi fumed privately as the team's talent level sunk.
Philadelphia tumbled into last place in the NL East on June 18 and never got out. The Phillies were close to a 100-loss pace before going 13-13 in September.
Fregosi, who replaced Nick Leyva in 1991, was 431-463 with the Phillies and leaves as the fourth-winningest manager in team history. Including stints as manager of the Angels and Chicago White Sox, his career managerial record is 861-938.