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Jim Fregosi

Edgy MD Feb 12 2014 08:33 PM

Reportedly suffered a stroke while on an MLB alumni cruise. Being hospitalized in the Cayman Islands, says Adam Rubin. He's 71.

G-Fafif Feb 13 2014 05:05 PM Jim Fregosi Gravely Ill Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 13 2014 05:33 PM

Jim Fregosi, 71, reported dead. ETA: Suffered multiple strokes, taken off life support. But contrary to reports, not dead.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 13 2014 05:14 PM Re: RIP Jim Fregosi

too bad. I always say this, but he was the best player in the history of the California Angels, before being traded for the best player in the history of the California Angels. That's something. As I recall, was in the big picture of candidates last few times we needed a skipper.

G-Fafif Feb 13 2014 05:23 PM Re: RIP Jim Fregosi

Before we had any reason to think anything but, "All right, the All-Star shortstop we got from the Angels to play third." Like a few other Mets for whom the eventual results overwhelmed the initial reception, it's probably nicest at a time like this to think of him in his pristine Metsian state.

G-Fafif Feb 13 2014 05:30 PM Re: RIP Jim Fregosi

Mike DiGiovanna, L.A. Angels beat reporter for L.A. Times who shared the news of Fregosi's death (he had it from Dennis Gilbert, Bobby Bo's agent way back when) on Twitter says, uh, never mind. Important clarification from Dennis Gilbert: Jim Fregosi was taken off life support in Miami hospital. Thought he had died. So sorry. Fregosi suffered multiple strokes but is still alive as of this evening. Did not die of a heart attack as was reported elsewhere.

metirish Feb 13 2014 05:46 PM Re: Jim Fregosi Gravely Ill

On SNY right now managing the Phillies in the Cone 19 SO game......

G-Fafif Feb 13 2014 06:26 PM Re: Jim Fregosi Gravely Ill

metirish wrote: On SNY right now managing the Phillies in the Cone 19 SO game...... Broadcasting live from Lake Eerie!

Benjamin Grimm Feb 13 2014 06:32 PM Re: RIP Jim Fregosi

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: As I recall, was in the big picture of candidates last few times we needed a skipper. Yes, and I was kind of rooting for him to get the gig. It would have been a nice way for him to earn some redemption; if he had managed the Mets to a championship maybe some people would have let up on the Nolan Ryan thing, at least a little bit.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 13 2014 09:30 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

http://archives.cranepoolforum.net/4300/f1_t4311.shtml

G-Fafif Feb 14 2014 05:53 AM Jim Fregosi RIP

Died overnight, son confirms.

Edgy MD Feb 14 2014 07:08 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

Very sorry to hear. Was rooting for his redemption too. What's with the marionette?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 14 2014 07:53 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

Not a marionette, has him by the back of his shirt. I do believe I've told this story before but I remember that Fregosi poster coming out of the Sunday Snooze inspired me to peel apart my Dad's Sunday Times page by page looking for other Mets cartoons. Big mistake when dad found out.

metirish Feb 14 2014 08:07 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

Sad news, watched the Cone 19 SO game yesterday, Cashen was doing color with Ralph, great stuff. Fergosi was the Phillies manager.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 14 2014 09:56 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Not a marionette, has him by the back of his shirt. I do believe I've told this story before but I remember that Fregosi poster coming out of the Sunday Snooze inspired me to peel apart my Dad's Sunday Times page by page looking for other Mets cartoons. Big mistake when dad found out. Okay smartypants. Then why is Fregosi picking a batter off of third base? Why? And if that third base is such a hot corner that it's on fire, shouldn't Fregosi be picking a baseball? And why is the batter still holding a bat? Why?

Benjamin Grimm Feb 14 2014 10:01 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

If only we had asked these questions a few days ago, when Jim Fregosi was alive to answer them.

RealityChuck Feb 14 2014 11:26 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

Fregosi got a bad rap. At the time of the trade, everyone agreed that the Mets got the better of the deal: a potential hall-of-famer for a pitcher who was clearly unlikely to be any good plus a bunch of prospects. The problem was that Ryan immediately figured out how to use his talent, something no one at the time thought possible; even using modern analysis statistics, there was absolutely no sign he wasn't regressing his way out of the game: all his statistics were getting worse every year. (Rob Neyer took Gil Hodges to task for choosing Ryan to trade over Jim McAndrew when given the two options, but at the time, by any analysis both old and new, McAndrew was clearly the more promising pitcher.) Fregosi started out strong for the Mets but started slumping in May. Injuries then did him in. It was probably a mistake to take the best shortstop in the AL and turn him into a third baseman, but the trade was only bad in hindsight, not because of any factor in place when it was made. I hope that, in his honor, people won't keep talking about how terrible the trade was.

themetfairy Feb 14 2014 11:31 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

Do you guys remember an episode of The Munsters that involved the Fregosi Emerald that carried the Fregosi Curse (and that wound up stuck on Herman's finger)? I swear I was watching that on television right before learning of the trade. But none of that was Jim's fault - RIP!

batmagadanleadoff Feb 14 2014 12:22 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

RealityChuck wrote: I hope that, in his honor, people won't keep talking about how terrible the trade was. Okay. Then I'll wait a couple of weeks to tell you that as a Met, Whitey Herzog was about as livid as he ever was when he learned of the Ryan trade. And I'll take Whitey's opinion on anything Mets over just about anybody else's when it comes to scouting Mets players from that era. Whitey also surmised, correctly, that Fregosi was already injured when the Mets traded for him.

Zvon Feb 14 2014 08:59 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

I hope that, in his honor, people won't keep talking about how terrible the trade was. Okay. Then I'll wait a couple of weeks to tell you that as a Met, Whitey Herzog was about as livid as he ever was when he learned of the Ryan trade. And I'll take Whitey's opinion on anything Mets over just about anybody else's when it comes to scouting Mets players from that era. Whitey also surmised, correctly, that Fregosi was already injured when the Mets traded for him. Herzog didn't think that a non-baseball guy like D.M. Grant should be GM. And he said so. That was when Whitey went looking for a door so he could walk out. Would have been interesting if he stayed in the organization. I was working on these cards this week before the news broke. OE: Scheffing was GM. Grant was board chairman.

Edgy MD Feb 15 2014 04:55 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

I don't think we need to validate the Fregosi/Ryan trade in order to graciously acknowledge the guy's impressive career upon his passing. He's not the one who made the deal.

smg58 Feb 15 2014 05:30 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

It's definitely not fair to Fregosi. There are some interesting parallels with this year's team, though. Alderson has invested heavily in players who, like Fregosi at the time of the trade, are coming off seasons plagued by diminished performance and/or injuries. And in Ike Davis, we have a player with very obvious upside who hasn't yet shown that he gets it. Hopefully our current staff is wiser/luckier than the Mets were in 1972.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 15 2014 09:22 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

Edgy MD wrote: I don't think we need to validate the Fregosi/Ryan trade in order to graciously acknowledge the guy's impressive career upon his passing. He's not the one who made the deal. Agreed. It's also no insult to Fregosi's memory to point out that some people in the Mets organization would've shown more patience with a pitcher in his mid 20's that could throw 100+ mph fast balls all game long.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 15 2014 10:20 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

Sometime during the 1972 baseball season, the Audio-Sports company put out a series of instructional baseball records on 45 RPM discs. In those ancient days before computers, answering machines and ubiquitous photography accessible to anyone with a smartphone (that's just about everybody), you'd put the 45 record on your record player and listen to audio recorded output -- without any accompanying pictures. No still photos. No videos. No moving pictures. Just sound. Like with today's audio books, you'd have to use your imagination to supply the visuals. Anyways, Audio Sports put out a series of these records titled Baseball Fundamentals. Each record featured a contemporary star on the record sleeve cover. There was one record on hitting, featuring Hank Aaron on the cover of the record sleeve. There was another on outfield defense, featuring Willie Mays in a Mets uniform on the cover of the record sleeve. I vaguely recall a record about fielding first base with Wes Parker on the sleeve and another record on pitching. I say vaguely because I'm not entirely certain that these last two records actually existed. And then there was a record on fielding shortstop. And I'm certain that the player on that record sleeve was Jim Fregosi, in a Mets uniform. [fimg=444]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/12543200375_5afd5dd701_o.jpg[/fimg]

batmagadanleadoff Feb 15 2014 10:32 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

[fimg=555:2p7ts0i2]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5541/12544388854_abe9658d2b_o.jpg[/fimg:2p7ts0i2] Ken Boswell, Jim Fregosi and Wayne Garrett

batmagadanleadoff Feb 15 2014 12:22 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Sometime during the 1972 baseball season, the Audio-Sports company put out a series of instructional baseball records on 45 RPM discs. In those ancient days before computers, answering machines and ubiquitous photography accessible to anyone with a smartphone (that's just about everybody), you'd put the 45 record on your record player and listen to audio recorded output -- without any accompanying pictures. No still photos. No videos. No moving pictures. Just sound. Like with today's audio books, you'd have to use your imagination to supply the visuals. Anyways, Audio Sports put out a series of these records titled Baseball Fundamentals. Each record featured a contemporary star on the record sleeve cover. There was one record on hitting, featuring Hank Aaron on the cover of the record sleeve. There was another on outfield defense, featuring Willie Mays in a Mets uniform on the cover of the record sleeve. I vaguely recall a record about fielding first base with Wes Parker on the sleeve and another record on pitching. I say vaguely because I'm not entirely certain that these last two records actually existed. And then there was a record on fielding shortstop. And I'm certain that the player on that record sleeve was Jim Fregosi, in a Mets uniform. [fimg=444]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/12543200375_5afd5dd701_o.jpg[/fimg] I left out the Maury Wills baserunning record.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 15 2014 12:25 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Sometime during the 1972 baseball season, the Audio-Sports company put out a series of instructional baseball records on 45 RPM discs. In those ancient days before computers, answering machines and ubiquitous photography accessible to anyone with a smartphone (that's just about everybody), you'd put the 45 record on your record player and listen to audio recorded output -- without any accompanying pictures. No still photos. No videos. No moving pictures. Just sound. Like with today's audio books, you'd have to use your imagination to supply the visuals. Anyways, Audio Sports put out a series of these records titled Baseball Fundamentals. Each record featured a contemporary star on the record sleeve cover. There was one record on hitting, featuring Hank Aaron on the cover of the record sleeve. There was another on outfield defense, featuring Willie Mays in a Mets uniform on the cover of the record sleeve. I vaguely recall a record about fielding first base with Wes Parker on the sleeve and another record on pitching. I say vaguely because I'm not entirely certain that these last two records actually existed. And then there was a record on fielding shortstop. And I'm certain that the player on that record sleeve was Jim Fregosi, in a Mets uniform. [fimg=444]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/12543200375_5afd5dd701_o.jpg[/fimg] I left out the Maury Wills baserunning record. Don Drysdale on the pitching sleeve - a not so contemporary star.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 15 2014 12:29 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

If I'm gonna post the Drysdale and Wills records, I might as well show the Mays record, too.

Edgy MD Feb 15 2014 01:47 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

Those look like some of the loneliest baseball players in the world. Just ask Bill Freehan. I think we can narrow that "sometime during the 1972 season" down a little, to "after May 11."

batmagadanleadoff Feb 15 2014 03:32 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

Edgy MD wrote: Those look like some of the loneliest baseball players in the world. Just ask Bill Freehan. I think we can narrow that "sometime during the 1972 season" down a little, to "after May 11." I don't think I ever saw the Freehan disc before. I guess there ain't no Wes Parker 1st Base record, going by the sticker on the Freehan sleeve. These records may have been released in 1972, but judging by the baseball players on the sleeves, it seems as if the project was conceived in 1968, and the players selected to appear on the sleeves were also chosen in 1968.

Zvon Feb 15 2014 08:03 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

batmagadanleadoff wrote: If I'm gonna post the Drysdale and Wills records, I might as well show the Mays record, too. This photo changes everything. That has to be his 73 Mets Fantazy Card! Never saw that pic before, thank you for posting it. I will have to re-proportion it. You see a lot of Willie pics from his Met days batting, but few in the field. Very kool pic.

Zvon Feb 15 2014 10:07 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

Looks kool!

batmagadanleadoff Feb 15 2014 10:19 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

Edgy MD wrote: I think we can narrow that "sometime during the 1972 season" down a little, to "after May 11." The Mets first road game against the Dodgers with Mays on their roster was played on July 18, 1972.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 16 2014 09:48 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

Zvon wrote: Looks kool! Now you're squarely in Grimm's neighborhood with those '72's and '73's.

Zvon Feb 16 2014 10:53 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Zvon wrote: Looks kool! Now you're squarely in Grimm's neighborhood with those '72's and '73's. lol. I hope he don't mind cause I'll be cuttin' thru his yard.

SteveJRogers Feb 17 2014 03:08 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

Looks more like a scene out of a movie or TV show than even a baseball card with today's zoom lens tech! ;)

Mets Guy in Michigan Feb 17 2014 08:15 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

Looks kool! Now you're squarely in Grimm's neighborhood with those '72's and '73's. lol. I hope he don't mind cause I'll be cuttin' thru his yard. Cool detail: I noticed you added fans in the stands! Awesome.

Zvon Feb 17 2014 06:51 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

SteveJRogers wrote: Looks more like a scene out of a movie or TV show than even a baseball card with today's zoom lens tech! ;) Yea, it lost clarity when I stretched it to be square. I tried to draw the details back into his face but it's still far from crisp. Yep, it looks like it could be a screen grab instead of a photo. And the folks in the stands need to cover a few more back rows. I'm gonna continue to work that. I looked hard for a better version of the photo and I'll keep looking. I'll even shop Ebay and buy that to scan the cover, if it's out there. The thing that makes it for me is that its such a rare pic. It's an angle/view that you never see on a card. The added crowd makes it look like it could be during a game. If I could get a hi quality image of that it would be a major WOW card for me. I have a few much better quality pics of MetMays but everyone's seen them, I'm sure. And one's already been used for his '72 fantazy card. And here's the real dilemma. When I set out to collect (and replaced in some cases) all the Mets baseball cards in the late 80's the '73 Mays was the very first card I wanted, I found, and I bought. IIRC it cost me 5 bucks, gem mint. This is one of the most perfectly beautiful baseball cards known to human kind. Great posed shot, '73 topps, a very kool border. And it's Willie Mays! He's in a Met uniform! So a '73 Mays custom card is gonna have to be special in some way. How do you top perfection?

batmagadanleadoff Feb 25 2014 11:56 AM Re: Jim Fregosi

Zvon wrote: I looked hard for a better version of the photo and I'll keep looking. I'll even shop Ebay and buy that to scan the cover, if it's out there. http://www.ebay.com/itm/WILLIE-MAYS-197 ... 27df67472b http://www.ebay.com/itm/WILLIE-MAYS-197 ... 54056eb319 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audio-Sports-Bo ... 58ab315433

Zvon Feb 25 2014 08:36 PM Re: Jim Fregosi

batmagadanleadoff wrote: I looked hard for a better version of the photo and I'll keep looking. I'll even shop Ebay and buy that to scan the cover, if it's out there. http://www.ebay.com/itm/WILLIE-MAYS-197 ... 27df67472b http://www.ebay.com/itm/WILLIE-MAYS-197 ... 54056eb319 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audio-Sports-Bo ... 58ab315433 Thank you sir. I searched Ebay too. Do you have special connections? I think I found a posed pic that trumps Willies real card. I'm still going to see what I can do with the middle one there. That's very crisp. OE: The last one is the right proportion but to me it looks all blurry. Is that not loading for me?