Key events in Jimy Williams' rocky tenure as manager of the Boston Red Sox:

Nov. 19, 1996 -- Red Sox hire Jimy Williams as manager from Atlanta, where he served 6 1/2 seasons as the Braves' third-base coach and Bobby Cox's top assistant. He was reportedly GM Dan Duquette's second choice behind Pittsburgh's Jim Leyland, who joined the Florida Marlins.

Sept. 25, 1997 -- Williams starts beleaguered pitcher Steve Avery despite a contract option for $3.9 million the following season that kicked in with Avery's 18th start of the year.

Sept. 26, 1997 -- Duquette publicly backs Williams and says he'll be back next season despite rumors to the contrary. "I think overall Jimy's done a solid job for the club," Duquette said.

Stormy weather often followed Jimy Williams during his time in Boston.(AP)

Sept. 29, 1998 -- The Red Sox make their first postseason appearance in the post-Roger Clemens era as the AL's wild-card winner. They win Game 1 of their Division Series against the Cleveland Indians for their first postseason victory since Game 5 of the 1986 World Series. However, the BoSox drop the next three contests to lose the series.

Oct. 17, 1999 -- Williams is ejected from Game 4 of the ALCS after umpire Dale Scott rules Nomar Garciaparra out on a close play at first base. Umpires had admittedly blown a call one inning earlier on a force play at second base that would've put the tying run in scoring position for the Red Sox. Fans at Fenway Park follow Williams' ejection by throwing debris on the field. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner accuses Williams of inciting the demonstration. Williams' reply: "When Georgie Porgie speaks, I don't listen."

Nov. 11, 1999 -- Williams is named AL Manager of the Year for leading the Red Sox to the AL Wild Card and into the ALCS. "I just try to listen to our kids, not talk at them or to them," he said. He's the first Red Sox manager to win the award since John McNamara in 1986.

March 28, 2000 -- Duquette gives Williams a one-year contract extension through the 2001 season.

May 31, 2000 -- Williams admits to violating baseball rules by continuing to manage after umpire Larry Reynolds ejected him from that night's game against Kansas City.

July 6, 2000 -- Williams and the Red Sox reportedly refuse to let Pedro Martinez, on the disabled list, pitch in the All-Star Game.

Aug. 8, 2000 -- Williams and Carl Everett engage in a shouting match during a closed-door meeting between the two, hours before their game at Kansas City. "(Expletive) that. (Expletive) this," Everett said on his way out of the meeting in the Red Sox clubhouse, "I never liked that guy in the first place."

Sept. 15, 2000 -- Williams shows umpire Tim Welke evidence that the Indians were using their center-field camera to steal signs. Welke orders the camera covered and reports the matter to the AL office.

Sept. 21, 2000 -- Everett publicly curses Williams and engages in an altercation with Darren Lewis after arriving late for a doubleheader at Cleveland. "We have one big dysfunctional family here," one player says.

Sept. 23, 2000 -- Williams suggests that he should be fired if Duquette won't support him for enforcing team rules. Williams was upset that Duquette did not suspend Carl Everett for his behavior two days earlier. "If I was the general manager, I would back the manager, and if you can't, you probably need to get rid of me," Williams said.

Sept. 26, 2000 -- Williams, Duquette and owner John Harrington air out their grievances in a postseason meeting. Duquette and Harrington reportedly assure Williams that they want him back for the 2001 season and that they will support him in any disciplinary action he takes against players.

Sept. 27, 2000 -- Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln denies a report in the Toronto Globe and Mail that the club has an informal agreement to hire Williams as manager after the World Series despite the fact that Williams has a year left on his contract.

March 1, 2001 -- New Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez, who played right field in Cleveland, retracts his willingness to try playing left field before the first spring training game of the season and insists he'll only play in right. After pulling a hamstring, he'll instead play at designated hitter from the start of the season until June 4, when he makes his first start in left.

March 7, 2001 -- Everett misses a team bus to a spring training game, the first of two such occasions this spring.

March 29, 2001 -- Williams and Duquette agree to suspend Everett for one spring training game and fine him $97,222 for missing another team bus to a spring game two days earlier and then missing a team workout. "We all have challenges whether it's with our families or work or whatever and we all try to handle them the best way we can and get together as one unit," Williams said.

April 3, 2001 -- Red Sox DH Dante Bichette reportedly asks his agent to make the Red Sox play him or trade him after Williams told him he wouldn't be a regular starter.

May 31, 2001 -- Red Sox take over first place in the AL East from the Yankees. The same day, the Expos fire manager Felipe Alou, immediately leading to speculation that Duquette will bring in Alou to manage the Red Sox next season, if not sooner.

June 1, 2001 -- Mike Lansing criticizes Williams' lineups in the Boston Globe. "That's why guys are hitting .220, .230, .240, because you don't get any consistency," Lansing said. "You're not going to hit .310 or .320 if you're not playing every day."

June 5, 2001 -- Duquette says on his pregame radio show that Williams should provide an "explanation" to Sox fans as to why he pulled Pedro Martinez from the previous night's start against the Yankees after six innings. The Yankees came back to win the game with four runs over the final three innings following Pedro's departure. Earlier, Duquette said on his radio show that Martinez wouldn't even make the start despite Williams' statement that no decision had been made.

June 12, 2001 -- Duquette says on his radio show that Martinez will miss his scheduled start three days later in Atlanta. Williams learns about the decision from reporters after Tuesday's game.

June 15, 2001 -- After Duquette receives a contract extension, he questions decisions made by Williams -- who does not have a contract extension -- on Duquette's daily radio pregame show despite the fact that the Red Sox had increased their AL East lead over the Yankees in recent days. Duquette does say, however, that "by and large, Jimy Williams has done a good job for the Red Sox."

June 16, 2001 -- Williams has no comment to a report that he turned down a one-year contract extension offered by Duquette.

July 4, 2001 -- Red Sox fall out of first place in the AL East.

Aug. 1, 2001 -- Bret Saberhagen rips Jimy Williams on the Jim Rome radio show, saying he has lost the respect of many players. Saberhagen also jokes that Williams draws straws each day to make out his starting lineup.

Aug. 2, 2001 -- Saberhagen apologizes for his remarks.

Aug. 16, 2001 -- The Red Sox fire Jimy Williams and replace him with pitching coach Joe Kerrigan, a Duquette favorite.