Dick Williams Says He’ll Manage Seattle

Dick Williams will be named manager of the Seattle Mariners today, he confirmed Thursday night. He will replace Chuck Cottier, who was fired Thursday.

Williams, who resigned as the San Diego Padres’ manager on the first day of spring training, said he has a verbal agreement to manage the Mariners through 1988.

According to Williams, he was first contacted by owner George Argyros and President Chuck Armstrong of Seattle last week when he was doing promotional work for a beer company in Orlando, Fla. Williams appeared at a charity banquet Tuesday in Detroit, then was met Wednesday by Argyros and Armstrong at a stopover in Denver. Thursday morning, Argyros made an offer and Williams accepted, Williams said.

“Seattle kept after me and presented something I liked very much,” Williams said. “By that, I mean I like my contract and the thoughts they presented. . . . I didn’t want a five-year contract. I’ve signed for the rest of this year and two more years, plus an option year at their option. It’s a good contract, the best I’ve ever had.”

Before the 1982 season, Williams was signed to a three-year contract to replace Frank Howard as manager of the Padres. Williams had his contract extended through 1986 early in the 1983 season.

During the past offseason, President Ballard Smith and General Manager Jack McKeon of the Padres attempted to fire Williams without the knowledge of owner Joan Kroc. However, Kroc stepped in and said Williams would manage the team this season.

On the first day of spring training, Williams and Kroc held a hastily called news conference to announce that Williams was resigning. Third base coach Ozzie Virgil, who resigned from the Padres along with Williams, will coach third for the Mariners, Williams said.

Since leaving the Padres, Williams has refused to answer questions concerning San Diego.

“The only thing I know is they never won before I got here, and let’s see what they do now,” Williams said. “I really don’t care. I have stayed in contact with Joan (Kroc). I haven’t talked to the other people.”

Williams, who turned 57 on Wednesday, resigned once previously as a manager, after he led Oakland to the 1973 World Series championship. He stepped down to protest owner Charlie Finley’s attempted removal of Mike Andrews from the roster for having a bad game.

Williams became the Angels’ manager midway through the 1974 season and remained with them until being fired during 1976. He later managed Montreal.

As a manager, Williams has gained a reputation for getting under the skins of some of his players. He has often criticized players to the press, hoping they would get mad and take it out on the opposition.

Cottier, who joined Seattle as a coach in 1982, was hired as interim manager the final month of 1984 after Del Crandall was fired. Cottier had a 98-119 record with the Mariners, who are sixth in the American League West.

“This is the toughest baseball decision I have ever had to make,” Armstrong told the Associated Press.