Phillies Fire Leyva, Hire Fregosi

The Philadelphia Phillies fired Nick Leyva as manager after a 4-9 start and hired Jim Fregosi.

“I didn’t like the way the club was going,” said Lee Thomas, Phillie general manager. “It’s best for the organization before we get too far into the season.”

It was the third-fastest firing in baseball history. In 1988, the year Baltimore lost its first 21 games, the Orioles fired Cal Ripken Sr. six games into the season. Ripken was replaced by Frank Robinson.

And in 1972, Preston Gomez managed the San Diego Padres for 11 games before being fired.

Other early firings involved George Steinbrenner’s New York Yankees. Bob Lemon was fired after 14 games in 1982 and Yogi Berra after 16 games in 1985.

Fregosi, 49, was 430-474 as manager of the Angels and Chicago White Sox. His 1979 Angels won the American League West.

“He can handle modern-day players. He’s a people person. He’s a good strategist,” Thomas said.

Fregosi, who was given a contract through the end of the 1991 season, is best known as the player the Mets acquired from the Angels in 1971 for Nolan Ryan.

Leyva, 37, said he understood the move. “The club is not playing good,” Leyva said. “When it doesn’t, somebody takes the blame. I tried to do the best job I could, and it didn’t work out.”

Under Leyva, an inexperienced pitching staff had a 4.77 earned-run average, walked 79 and led the league in wild pitches. A lineup that was supposed to be able to score runs was batting .224 with seven home runs. The defense had 15 errors.

Fregosi has been a pitching instructor at the minor league level and a special assignment scout for the Phillies. “I bring a great rapport with the players and the ability to get them to play hard. The easiest thing is to run to first base. I expect that,” he said.

Fregosi also defended his under-.500 major league record.

“I would not say I did a bad job. We won the division in 1979 with the Angels. With the White Sox I started the development of young players, and you can see what happened,” he said.

Fregosi said he did not plan any changes this season in the coaching staff of Hal Lanier, Larry Bowa, John Vukovich, Denis Menke and John Podres.

FREGOSI’S RECORD

The managerial record of Jim Fregosi, who was named manager of the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.

Year Team W L Pct. Pos 1978 Angels 62 54 .534 2 1979 Angels 88 74 .543 1* 1980 Angels 65 95 .406 6 1981 Angels 22 25 .468 4 1986 Chicago White Sox 45 51 .469 5 1987 Chicago White Sox 77 85 .475 5 1988 Chicago White Sox 71 90 .441 5 Totals 430 474 .476

* Angels lost to Baltimore, 3 games to 1, in the American League championship series.

LEYVA’S RECORD

The managerial record of Nick Leyva, who was fired as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.

Year Team W L Pct. Pos 1989 Philadelphia 67 95 .414 6 1990 Philadelphia 77 85 .475 4t 1991 Philadelphia 4 9 .308 6 Totals 144 189 .432