Jim Lefebvre

Lefebvre was the 1965 National League Rookie of the Year; he hit .250 with 12 home runs and 69 RBI in 157 games, helping the Dodgers win the World Series.{{Cite web |title=Jim Lefebvre Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lefebji01.shtml |access-date=July 25, 2024 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} In 1965, he was part of an infield for the Dodgers that consisted of four players who were switch hitters. The others were Jim Gilliam, Wes Parker, and Maury Wills. In 1966, Lefebvre batted .274 with 24 home runs and 74 RBI in 152 games. He also started at second base in the 1966 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.{{Cite web |date=July 12, 1966 |title=1966 All-Star Game Box Score, July 12 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1966-allstar-game.shtml |access-date=July 25, 2024 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

Lefebvre also played four seasons in Japan, from 1973 until 1976, for the Lotte Orions.{{Cite web |title=Jim Lefebvre Minor, Winter & Japanese Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=lefebv001jam |access-date=July 25, 2024 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} Lefebvre became only the second player, after Johnny Logan, to have won a World Series (1965 Dodgers) and a Japan Series with the 1974 Lotte Orions.

He was a big-league manager from 1989 to 1993, and briefly again in 1999, and was formerly the hitting coach with the Cincinnati Reds.

Lefebvre was first hired as a major league manager by the Seattle Mariners in November 1988, with a two-year contract at $150,000 annually, with incentives and a team option for a third year.{{cite news |last=LaRue |first=Larry |date=November 8, 1988 |title=A's Lefebvre 8th manager for Mariners |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8ltWAAAAIBAJ&pg=6539%2C5924174 |work=The Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |page=C1 |via=Google News Archive |agency=McClatchey News Service}} In his second season in 1990, Seattle won 77 games and drew over 1.5 million in home attendance at the Kingdome. In 1991, the Mariners posted their first-ever winning record at {{winning percentage|83|79|record=y}} and drew over 2.1 million, but Lefebvre's contract was not extended;{{cite news |last=LaRue |first=Larry |date=October 11, 1991 |title=Lefebvre gone as M's skipper |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qShRAAAAIBAJ&pg=6551%2C1776674 |work=Spokane Chronicle |location=Washington |page=C1 |via=Google News Archive |agency=McClatchey News Service}} he was succeeded by assistant coach Bill Plummer.{{cite news |date=October 30, 1991 |title=Mariners call for Plummer |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GkQzAAAAIBAJ&pg=6656%2C6351149 |work=The Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |page=D1 |via=Google News Archive |agency=McClatchey News Service}} Lefebvre finished with a record of 233 wins and 253 losses.{{cite web |title=Jim Lefebvre |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/lefebji01.shtml |access-date=October 3, 2018 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference}} Lefebvre was soon hired by the Chicago Cubs in November,{{cite news |date=November 23, 1991 |title=Lefebvre makes pitch to turn Cubs around |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z1tWAAAAIBAJ&pg=7036%2C1267219 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |page=C5 |via=Google News Archive |agency=Associated Press}} and led them during the 1992 and 1993 seasons; he was released again after a posting a winning record, Chicago was {{winning percentage|84|78|record=y}} in the 1993 season.{{cite news |date=October 7, 1993 |title=Cubs seek Lefebvre reliever |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TG1XAAAAIBAJ&pg=6850%2C4473922 |work=The Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |page=C6 |via=Google News Archive |agency=Associated Press}} With the Milwaukee Brewers, he was the interim manager for the final seven weeks of the {{nowrap|1999 season.}}{{Cite news |last=Olson |first=Drew |date=1999-08-13 |title=Selig-Prieb pulls the trigger |url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/title/fvhkjcmvfdpvybquazivmlbgqvamldco_ip-10-166-46-85_1739844582622 |access-date=2025-02-18 |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |page=1C |via=GenealogyBank.com}}

In addition to managing, Lefebvre has spent time coaching in the Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds, and San Diego Padres organizations. He coached the China National Baseball Team (Olympics) in 2005, the 2006 World Baseball Classic, and 2008 Olympics.

File:George_W_Bush_with_Jim_Lefebvre.jpg

Lefebvre had roles on several television shows including Gilligan's Island and Batman. His role in Batman was of a henchman for the Riddler.{{cite news |last=Krasovic |first=Tom |date=February 28, 2009 |title='Put the ball in play' : New hitting coach Jim Lefebvre has some ideas to make the Padres more productive at the plate |url=http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/feb/28/s1padres183524/?padres |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306130249/http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/feb/28/s1padres183524/?padres |archive-date=March 6, 2009 |access-date=March 1, 2009 |work=The San Diego Union-Tribune}} He is also a spokesman for Vemma vitamin supplements.

Lefebvre first married Jean Bakke from Waterford, WI and they had their son, Ryan, when Lefebvre was playing baseball in Japan after he was with the Dodgers, where he was rookie of the year in 1965. Lefebvre has a daughter, Brittany, who is currently working in Christian motion pictures, and two other children, Bryce and Brianna Lefebvre.

His son, Ryan, is the lead play-by-play announcer for the Royals on FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City.

{{reflist|2}}

{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}

{{commons category}}

{{baseballstats |br=l/lefebji01 |fangraphs=1007473 |brm=lefebv001jam |retro=L/Plefej101 |almanac=lefebji01}}

{{baseball-reference manager|lefebji01}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071118162919/http://www.armchairgm.com/Jim_Lefebvre ArmchairGM]
• [http://www.baseballsavvy.com/archive/w_lefebvre.html Baseballsavvy.com article]
• {{IMDb name|0498878}}

:

{{s-start}}

{{succession box | title=Los Angeles Dodgers Hitting Coach | before=Jim Gilliam | years=1979 | after= Manny Mota}}

{{s-end}}

{{NL Rookie of the Year}}

{{MarinersManager}}

{{Chicago Cubs managers}}

{{Milwaukee Brewers managers}}

{{1965 Los Angeles Dodgers}}

{{China national baseball team managers}}

{{China 2006 World Baseball Classic Roster}}

{{China baseball roster 2008 Summer Olympics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lefebvre, Jim}}

Category:1942 births

Category:Living people

Category:American expatriate baseball players in Japan

Category:Arizona Instructional League Dodgers players

Category:Cincinnati Reds coaches

Category:Los Angeles Dodgers coaches

Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players

Category:Chicago Cubs managers

Category:Lotte Orions players

Category:Major League Baseball first base coaches

Category:Major League Baseball hitting coaches

Category:Baseball players from Inglewood, California

Category:Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners

Category:Major League Baseball second basemen

Category:Major League Baseball third basemen

Category:Milwaukee Brewers coaches

Category:Milwaukee Brewers managers

Category:Minor league baseball managers

Category:National League All-Stars

Category:Oakland Athletics coaches

Category:Baseball players from Los Angeles County, California

Category:Seattle Mariners managers

Category:San Francisco Giants coaches

Category:San Francisco Giants executives

Category:Reno Silver Sox players

Category:Salem Dodgers players

Category:Spokane Indians players

Category:Morningside High School alumni

Category:20th-century American sportsmen