Frank Quilici

[William Malone]

Francis Ralph Quilici was born on May 11, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois.

The Minnesota Twins signed him as an amateur free agent in 1961. He reached the Major Leagues in 1965, playing 56 games and hitting .208 as a rookie. Quilici started all seven World Series games for Minnesota that fall, going 4-for-20 (.200) with two doubles and an RBI. The Twins fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He spent the entire 1966 season in Triple-A, and played just 23 big league games in 1967. Quilici finally began to play regularly in 1968, batting .245 in 97 games. This included his first career home run on September 29th, which was the final day of the regular season. He played 229 games between the 1968 and 1969 campaigns, helping Minnesota win back-to-back AL West crowns.

Tragedy struck the Twins organization when assistant coach Sherry Robertson was killed in an automobile accident on October 23, 1970. Quilici retired, and filled the vacant position on the Minnesota staff for the 1971 season. The club fired Bill Rigney midway through the 1972 season, naming the 33-year old Quilici as the interim manager. They lifted the interim tag in the off-season, and he managed the Twins for three full seasons. Quilici compiled a record of 280-287 at the helm.

He remained close to the organization after getting fired, working as a radio broadcaster in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Quilici remained close to the organization, even in an unofficial capacity, for the rest of his life. He passed away on May 14, 2018.

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