The Ohio native signed as an outfielder with the Boston Braves at the age of 19 in 1950. Frey spent 14 seasons in the minor leagues with the Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies (twice), St. Louis Cardinals (twice) and Pittsburgh Pirates without reaching the major leagues.
In 1964, Frey joined the Baltimore Orioles organization where he would spend the next 16 years of his life. His tenure with the Orioles began as a manager for the team's Rookie League affiliate in Bluefield, West Virginia. In 1966, Frey was reassigned as a scout. Then in 1970, after 20 seasons in professional baseball, Frey finally made his way to major leagues when Orioles manager Earl Weaver named Frey to his coaching staff. Frey's timing couldn't have been more fortuitous as the Orioles won the World Series dispatching of the Cincinnati Reds in five games. After spending his inaugural season as the bullpen coach, Weaver made Frey the team's hitting coach in 1971 where they won another AL pennant. In 1976, Frey became the O's first base coach and remained with the organization through the end of the decade winning another AL pennant in 1979.
Following the '79 season, the Kansas City Royals hired Frey as their new manager succeeding Whitey Herzog. After capturing three straight AL West titles from 1976-1978, the Royals fell to second place in '79 and Herzog was canned. The pressure was on for Frey to not only win the AL West but to get past the New York Yankees in the ALCS, something the Royals were unable to do from '76-'78. Not only did the Royals win the AL West and get past the Yankees, but they swept the Bronx Bombers in three games earning the Royals' first World Series appearance. Unfortunately for Frey, the Royals fell to the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
As it turned out, Frey would have a short leash. The Royals struggled in 1981 and Frey was fired by late August. To add insult to injury, the Royals replaced Frey with Dick Howser who had been fired by the Yankees after Frey' Royals swept them in the ALCS.
Frey would land on his feet when George Bamberger asked him to join the New York Mets' coaching staff in 1982. The two men were well acquainted as Bamberger was Weaver's longtime pitching coach for the Orioles before becoming manager of the Milwaukee Brewers in 1978.
After two seasons with the Mets, Frey would get a second chance to manage in 1984 with the Chicago Cubs. When Frey joined the Cubs, the team last had a winning record in 1972 and had not played post-season baseball since the 1945 World Series. Unfortunately, the Cubs were unable to hold onto a 2-0 lead in the NLCS and were upset by the San Diego Padres. Nevertheless, Frey earned NL Manager of the Year honors for his historic achievement with the Cubs.
The Cubs were unable to replicate their success in 1985 and Frey would be dismissed as manager in June 1986. Frey spent the 1987 season in the Cubs broadcast booth before being named the team's general manager in 1988. He would hire his high school friend Don Zimmer to be Cubs manager. In 1989, the Cubs would again win the NL East title, but fell to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS in five games. Frey remained as the Cubs' GM through 1991.
Frey's last job in baseball was helping to establish the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League in 1998. He served as the team's Vice-Chairman before serving the team in an advisory capacity. I leave you with a short interview with Frey reflecting on his career as a big league manager. R.I.P.
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