Before the 1984 season, the Chicago Cubs hired Jim Frey to manage a team that, the previous season, went only 71 and 91. Under his guidance, the team made it to the doorstep of the World Series, and second baseman Ryne Sandberg became the National League MVP. Though the team would fall to the Padres in the NLCS, it was a huge step forward because of Frey.
Unfortunately, at the age of 88, Frey passed away in his home on Sunday, April 12. No cause of death is known yet, according to ESPN.