Former Red Sox manager Jimy Williams dies at 80

Jimy Williams died at the age of 80. MATTHEW J. LEE/GLOBE STAFF/GLOBE STAFFFormer Red Sox manager Jimy Williams, who guided the team from 1997-2001, died Friday after a brief illness, the team announced. He was 80.

After a brief playing career was cut short by a shoulder injury in 1967, Williams began his coaching career in 1974 and stayed in the game for 35 years, managing three major league teams along the way.

He spent just over three seasons in charge of the Blue Jays in the late 1980s, then spent several years as the third-base coach of the Braves, with whom he earned a World Series ring in 1995.

Williams was hired by Dan Duquette as Red Sox manager in November 1996, and after a rocky…