Williams returns to baseball as Angels’ manager

Dick Williams dedicated 13 years on the field as a player in the 1950s and '60s, but his career reached new heights when he entered the dugout as a manager.

After three seasons managing the Boston Red Sox – including leading them to an American League championship in 1967 – Williams had a brief stint on the Montreal Expos staff for the 1970 season. He became the manager of the Oakland Athletics in 1971 and led the team to two World Series wins in 1972 and 1973. He resigned following the tumultuous 1973 Fall Classic.

On June 27, 1974, Williams returned to baseball to become the California Angels manager, but the journey back to the dugout wasn’t easy.

After resigning from the A’s, Williams signed a three-year contract with the Yankees, but A’s owner Charles O. Finley blocked it due to Williams’ contract with Oakland having two years remaining. Joe Cronin, American League President at the time, ruled in favor of Finley and Williams was not able to become the Yankees manager. He would go on to work in private business during his time away from baseball and managing.

Finley would later give Harry Dalton, general manager of the Angels, permission to negotiate with Williams. Finley also requested that the San Francisco court injunction against Williams managing for other teams be lifted. Dalton first reached out to Williams on the morning of June 27 and announced by 10 p.m. that same day that Williams would be taking over following the dismissal of previous manager Bobby Winkles.

Williams’ contract with the Angels carried through the 1976 season and was estimated at $100,000 per season.

“I’m quite happy they called me and I’m quite happy to be returning to baseball,” Williams told the Associated Press.

Coincidentally, Williams’ debut as the Angels manager was a home series against the A’s – in which the Angels fell 5-3.

Williams was selected to manage the All-Star Game in Pittsburgh on July 23, 1974, having been the pennant-winning manager the year before. He replaced Baltimore’s Earl Weaver, who was named manager during Williams’ exile from baseball. The American League fell 7-2 to the National League. This was Williams’ third time serving as American League manager in the All-Star Game. He later served as manager for the National League in the 1985 All-Star Game.

Williams would go on to manage the Expos, the Padres and the Mariners, winning a National League championship in 1984 with San Diego. He ended his career with four pennants, two World Series titles and 1,571 wins.

He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008 and passed away on July 7, 2011.

Emma Harby is the 2024 public relations intern in the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Leadership Development