William James Fanning (September 14, 1927 – April 25, 2015) was an American catcher, manager and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He was born in Chicago, Illinois.
He was the first general manager of the Montreal Expos of the National League (appointed in August 1968), he served the Expos in a number of capacities for almost 25 years. He served as their field manager in 1981. He guided Montreal into the playoffs for the only time in the 36-year history of the franchise.
Fanning died on April 25, 2015, at his home in London, Ontario, aged 87.[1]