Dick Williams

Dick Williams was widely regarded as one of the very best managers in baseball in the 1960s, '70s and '80s. He is the only manager to take three teams (the Red Sox, the Oakland A's and the San Diego Padres) to the World Series. In the 21 years of his active managerial service (1967-88), he managed each year except for 1969, despite the fact of moving from team to team, such was the demand for his services. After taking the Red Sox to the World Series in 1967 (the "Impossible Dream" pennant) in his rookie year, he then won three divisional titles and two World Series with the Oakland A's before quitting after the 1973 World Series due to the interference of A's owner Charlie Finley. He then managed the California Angels, the Montreal Expos, the San Diego Padres (winner of the National League pennant in 1984) and the Seattle Mariners. A former Marine, Dick Williams had an acerbic personality that rankled players and wore out his welcome with owners when the players he originally fired