Jim Lefebvre

Lore & Background

Lefebvre was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1962. He 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. That season, 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 MLB All-Star Game. Lefebvre also played four seasons in Japan, from 1973 until 1976, for the Lotte Orions. Lefebvre became only the second player, after Johnny Logan, to have won a World Series and a Japan Series with the 1974 Lotte Orions.

In Their Own Story

The lights of Dodger Stadium hummed with a familiar tension as Lefebvre stood in the on-deck circle during Game 2 of the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins. The air was thick with the scent of cut grass and popcorn, a sharp contrast to the biting cold of his minor league nights. He adjusted his grip, feeling the weight of history settling on his shoulders. When the pitcher wound up, Lefebvre didn't just swing; he executed a plan honed in the minors and refined at Chavez Ravine. The crack of the bat echoed through the canyon, driving a crucial double into the gap that shifted the momentum forever. Decades later, sitting in that same dugout as manager during the 1988 playoffs, he watched his ragtag squad rally with that same gritty spirit. In that moment, the timeline collapsed: the man who once made history as a player was now the architect guiding it from the sidelines.

Reader's Guide

Lefebvre was the manager of the Seattle Mariners from 1989 to 1991, the Chicago Cubs in 1992 and 1993, and the Milwaukee Brewers in part of 1999. He was a coach for six MLB teams: the Dodgers, Brewers, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds, and San Diego Padres. He managed the China national baseball team in 2005, the 2006 World Baseball Classic, and 2008 Olympics.

Did You Know?

• Lefebvre won the 1965 World Series as a player with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• He started at second base in the 1966 MLB All-Star Game.
• He became only the second player to win both a World Series and a Japan Series.
• He had roles on television shows including Gilligan's Island and Batman.