Jim Fregosi: 1942-2014 - MLB

Six-time All-Star and NL Pennant-winning manager Jim Fregosi has died at a Miami hospital. He was 71.

Fregosi suffered multiple strokes while on an MLB alumni cruise last weekend. After being stabilized in the Cayman Islands, he was airlifted to Miami on Wednesday night. He was taken off life support yesterday afternoon and died at 2:30 this morning. Tracy Ringolsby reports that Fregosi’s wife Joni, his daughters Nikki, Lexy and Jennifer, and sons Robert and Jim were by his side as he passed away.

Fregosi was an expansion-draft selection of the Los Angeles Angels in 1960 and became that team’s first star. He was a six-time All-Star as a shortstop over the course of his 18-year career, playing for the Angels, New York Mets, Texas Rangers and Pittsburgh Pirates. He finished his career with a line of .265/.338/.398. In the low-offensive era in which he played, that worked out to a 113 OPS+ which is excellent for a shortstop.

Fregosi’s managing career had him at the helm of the Angels, White Sox, Phillies and Blue Jays. Overall he was 1028-1094 with an AL West title in 1979 and an NL Pennant with Philly in 1993. For the past 13 years he has been an assistant to the general manager for the Atlanta Braves, where he was primarily a scout. His son Jim Jr. is a major league scout as well.

Farewell to one of the games more overlooked, but most respected, stars.

HOUSTON – Yordan Alvarez hit a go-ahead three-run double in the seventh inning, and the Houston Astros rallied past the Chicago White Sox 6-3 on Friday night for their first win of the season.

Kyle Tucker hit a two-run homer in the sixth and made a spectacular catch at the wall in the seventh to rob Andrew Benintendi of extra bases and keep the World Series champion Astros within one run.

Eloy Jimenez hit two RBI doubles for the White Sox, both off Astros starter Cristian Javier.

Jimenez’s first double scored Tim Anderson in the first inning. In the sixth, Javier gave up three straight doubles to Benintendi, Jimenez and Joan Moncada to make it 3-0 and end his night.

White Sox reliever Kendall Graveman (0-1) loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh on two walks and a single. Jake Diekman came on and gave up Alvarez’s double to deep left-center, a drive that just eluded Luis Robert Jr. and bounced off the wall, clearing the bases.

Four Astros relievers each worked one scoreless inning. Seth Martinez (1-0) got the win and Rafael Montero handled the ninth for his first save.

Chicago starter Lance Lynn allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

ALL IN A DAY’S REST

White Sox INF Andrew Vaughn, who hit a go-ahead two-run double in Thursday’s season-opening win, did not play. Vaughn experienced lower back issues during spring training. Gavin Sheets started at first base.

HOMETOWN HIT

Astros outfielder Corey Yulks, a Houston-area native, singled in his first at-bat and finished 1-for-4 in his major league debut.

PUT A RING ON IT

Astros owner Jim Crane and his wife, Whitney, presented the team and staff with their 2022 World Series rings in a pregame ceremony.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: LHP Blake Taylor, who is on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow strain, began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land.

UP NEXT

The four-game season-opening series continues Saturday when Houston’s Jose Urquidy faces Chicago’s Lucas Giolito.