Saturday, May 13, 2017

Bill Rigney (#494)

I like the 1967 manager cards because there is a long summary of their playing and managing career on the backs (unlike the 1969 cards with their dopey caricature filling the entire back).

Before his managing career, Bill Rigney was an infielder for the New York Giants from 1946 to 1953.  He later managed the Giants from 1956 to mid-1960.

Bill was the Angels' manager from their inception in 1961 until early 1969, replaced with the team sporting an 11-28 record (despite having TWO expansion teams to beat up on in their division).


In 1970 he was hired by the Twins to replace Billy Martin.  (Bill previously managed in Minneapolis when the Giants had an AAA team there in 1954-55.) Rigney piloted the Twins to 98 wins and the AL West title in 1970, but it was downhill from there.  He was let go midway through the 1972 season.

His final managerial post was back with the Giants for one season (1976). Bill also broadcast games for the Oakland Athketics in the 1980s.

Rigney passed away in 2001 at age 83.