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Francis Ralph Quilici (May 11, 1939 – May 14, 2018) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager who spent his entire Major League Baseball career with the Minnesota Twins. Quilici served the team for all or part of five years as an infielder, 1 years as a coach, and 3 years as manager, then spent six more years as a broadcaster for them. He threw and batted right-handed, stood tall and weighed .
Then, in the 1965 World Series, Quilici started all seven games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and collected four hits (with two doubles) in 20 at bats and a run batted in. One of his doubles touched off a six-run, third inning rally against eventual Baseball Hall of Famer Don Drysdale in Game 1. When the Twins batted around in that frame, Quilici came to the plate again and chased Drysdale with a single. His two hits in one inning tied a record and sparked an 8–2 Minnesota victory.Retrosheet box score: Game 1, 1965 World Series In the field, Quilici played every inning of all seven games, making two errors in 36 chances for a .944 fielding percentage. But the Twins succumbed to another future Hall of Famer, Sandy Koufax, in Game 7, 2–0, to lose the series. Quilici had a double in three at bats in that final contest against the Dodger southpaw.Retrosheet box score: Game 7, 1965 World Series
The following year, , was a setback for Quilici. He spent the entire season at Triple-A Denver, as the Twins alternated Bernie Allen and César Tovar as their regular second basemen. When Quilici returned to Minnesota in it was as a utility infielder: standout rookie Rod Carew, yet another future Hall of Famer, won the Twins' second base job and would hold it for the next eight seasons. Quilici spent all of , and on the Twins' roster, playing in an average of 109 games played each year, mostly at second base, third baseman and shortstop, batting a career-high .245 in 1968. As a player, Quilici batted .214 in 405 games played; his 146 MLB hits included 23 doubles, six triples and with five . He collected 53 runs batted in.
On July 6, 1972, with team owner Calvin Griffith seeking to shake up his 36–34 Twins, then trailing the eventual World Series champion Oakland Athletics by 9 games in third place in the American League West, Quilici was promoted to replace Rigney as manager. Age 33 at the time of his appointment, "Quilici Is Named Twins' Manager," The Associated Press (AP), Thursday, July 6, 1972. Retrieved June 9, 2020. he was the youngest manager in the major leagues that season and throughout his managerial term. The Twins went 41–43 under Quilici in 1972 in the first of three straight third-place finishes, which included 81–81 in 1973 and 82–80 in 1974. When the club fell to fourth place with a 76–83 record in 1975, Quilici was fired after a season-ending 6–4 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Metropolitan Stadium on September 28. "Twins Aim Higher Than Third," The Associated Press (AP), Sunday, September 28, 1975. Retrieved April 12, 2022. He was replaced by Gene Mauch two months later on November 24. "Mauch New Twins' Manager," The Associated Press (AP), Monday, November 24, 1975. Retrieved April 12, 2022. His record as Minnesota's manager was 280–287 (.494).
He remained associated with the Twins, however, as a radio commentator on the team's broadcasts in 1976–1977, 1980–1982 and 1987. Outside of baseball he was active in business and charitable activities in the Twin Cities region.
Frank Quilici died on May 14, 2018, at the age of 79 in Burnsville, Minnesota, after suffering from kidney disease. Frank Quilici, former Twins player, manager and broadcaster, passes away at 79 ESPN Radio, May 14, 2018
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