Jim Fanning, best known as a former general manager and manager of the Expos, passed away Saturday at age 87.
Fanning did a bit of everything over the course of his long career in baseball. He played in 64 games as a catcher for the Cubs from 1954-57, hitting .170 with no homers in 141 at-bats. After calling it a career at age 33, he went into managing in the minors, and then he found himself with the Expos at their birth, becoming their general manager prior to the expansion draft in 1968. He later served as their director of scouting and took over as manager in 1981, occupying the role through the 1982 season and again briefly in 1984.
Fanning also worked for the Blue Jays towards the end of his career, serving as an ambassador. He adopted Canada as his home and was elected into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2009, the Blue Jays held a pregame ceremony for him, honoring his 60 years in baseball.