Jim Fregosi, Jr.

James L. Fregosi Jr.

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 185 lb.
• School University of New Mexico
• High School El Modena High School

• Born April 11, 1964
• Died December 9, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Jim Fregosi, Jr. peaked at AA, then became a long-time scout. His father Jim Fregosi was a MLB All-Star and manager.

Fregosi, Jr. hit .445 for the University of New Mexico in 1985, finishing 18th in NCAA Division I in average. His 180 total bases were 14th, between Luis Alicea and Mike Oglesbee. He scored 86 runs, still a New Mexico record (as of 2017). The American Baseball Coaches Association named him an All-American utility man (Barry Larkin got the nod at SS). The St. Louis Cardinals took him 42nd overall in the 1985 amateur draft, one round after Joe Magrane, a pick that was compensation for the loss of Bruce Sutter to free agency. Jim debuted as a pro in good form, hitting .382/.563/.588 in 12 games for the Johnson City Cardinals and .302/.430/.365 in 54 games for the Springfield Cardinals, while fielding .957 at SS overall. He had 56 walks and 36 RBI in 66 games. Baseball America named him the #7 prospect in the Midwest League, between Tony Menendez and Miguel Roman and two spots ahead of Rafael Palmeiro.

Fregosi fielded .947 at short for the 1986 St. Petersburg Cardinals while his batting line fell to .244/.354/.324. He did draw 68 walks, tying Scott Raziano for 9th in the Cardinals chain. In AA with the Arkansas Travelers in 1987, he hit .267/.377/.340 and fielded .957 at SS. Back with Arkansas for 1988, he was now a backup to Bien Figueroa at short and slumped to .216/.298/.284 while fielding under .900 at SS; he also saw action at 3B. In 1989, he was in the Montréal Expos chain but his struggles continued with the West Palm Beach Expos (9 for 61, .148, 4 2B, 10 BB) as he backed up Bryn Kosco at third base for 21 games.

He ended his pro career with a batting line of .253/.365/.329 with 144 runs, 135 RBI and 211 walks in 414 games, fielding .946 in 282 games at SS and .930 in 95 games at 3B.

Fregosi scouted for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1992-2000 and the Colorado Rockies (2000-2002). Back with Philadelphia, he was a scout from 2002-2011. He then became a special assistant to the General Manager of the Kansas City Royals and stayed at the team's employ until he passed away from a heart attack in 2021, aged 57.

Sources

• 2014 Royals Media Guide
• 1986 Baseball America Statistics Report

Related Sites

• Obituary from Associated Press