Chicago Cubs General Manager Jim Frey and his counterpart with the Baltimore Orioles, Roland Hemond, who both crafted major turnarounds for their respective clubs in the past two years, were named Thursday co-winners as United Press International's Major League Executive of the Year.
Frey, in only two years as executive vice president of baseball operations with the Cubs, resurrected the franchise from a last-place finish in 1987 to first place in the National League East in 1989.
Hemond designed the Orioles' dramatic turnaround of 1989, when they finished two games behind first-place Toronto in the American League East after a 54-107 record the previous season. It marked the third-best one-season turnaround in baseball history.
Both teams were expected to finish the 1989 season near the bottom, but excelled with a batch of rookie and previous unproven players. Frey and Hemond were hired one day apart in the winter of 1987.
Frey, 58, spent 16 years in the Baltimore organization before becoming manager of the Kansas City Royals in 1980 and directing them to the AL pennant.He was named UPI's NL Manager of the Year in 1984 after managing the Cubs to their first-ever NL East title.
After being fired by Chicago General Manager Dallas Green in 1986, he moved up to the broadcast booth for a season, then was brought back as general manager Nov. 11, 1987.
He made several changes within the club's scouting structure and hired high school teammate Don Zimmer as field manager, which resulted in immediate criticism.
Frey, however, weathered the storm in 1988, when the club finished 77-85 -- 24 games behind the first-place New York Mets. The team finished 1989 with the major league's second-best record, 93-69.
In the two years, Frey rid the club of high-profile players such as Keith Moreland, Jody Davis, Leon Durham and Calvin Schiraldi, making way for minor leaguers Jerome Walton, Dwight Smith, Mark Grace, Les Lancaster and Damon Berryhill.
Frey also picked up starter Mike Bielecki from obscurity in the Pirates organization, as well as Lloyd McClendon from the Reds, and dealt popular outfielder Rafael Palmeiro to Texas for reliever Mitch Williams.
With the Cubs battling for the division title, he acquired reliever Paul Assenmacher from the Braves, and third baseman Luis Salazar and outfielder Marvell Wynne from the Padres, with all three making key contributions down the stretch.
Hemond, 60, was named by the late Edward Bennett Williams to succeed Hank Peters as the Orioles vice president and general manager/baseball operations on Nov. 10, 1987. Williams, on the day of the appointment, called it the 'end of the beginning' of the club's rebuilding program.
Hemond, who also directed a major rebuilding with the Chicago White Sox, began cleaning house, dealing big-name and in some cases disgruntled players like Eddie Murray, Mike Boddicker, Fred Lynn, Jim Dwyer, Mike Morgan and Terry Kennedy.
He acquired Brady Anderson from the Red Sox, reliever Brian Holton from the Dodgers, Phil Bradley from the Phillies and signed free agent Mickey Tettleton.
He promoted Frank Robinson to manager in April 1988 in the midst of the poorest start in major league history when the Orioles lost their first 21 games. Baltimore then drafted reliever Gregg Olson in June 1988.
Baltimore again was expected to finish in last place of the AL East but moved into first place early and stayed there until a late surge by the Blue Jays. The Orioles were in contention until the final weekend of the season.
Hemond began his baseball career in 1951 when he was appointed general manager of the Hartford Braves of the Eastern League. After a stint in the California Angels organization, he was hired by the White Sox in 1970 and cleaned house there, resulting in a second-place finish by the team in 1972 after a 56-106 mark when he joined the club.
Hemond was still at the helm of the White Sox in 1983 when they clinched the AL West by a record 20 games.His champagne-soaked jacket still hangs in Comiskey Park. After being fired and replaced by announcer Ken Harrelson in 1985, Hemond joined the commissioner's office in May 1986 and remained there for two seasons before joining the Orioles.
