Rick Renick, who played five seasons of Major League Baseball with the Minnesota Twins, and later coached the team to a World Series championship in 1987, died Saturday according to a Facebook post by his son Josh. He was 81.
Renick slashed .221/.302/.373 across five seasons with the Twins (1968-72). He also spent 13 seasons at the major league level as a coach with the Kansas City Royals (1981), Montreal Expos (1985-86, 2001), Twins (1987-90), Pittsburgh Pirates (1997-2000) and Florida Marlins (2002).
More news: Negro Leagues Star Honored by MLB Dies at 90
Renick also managed for nine seasons at various minor league levels.
The Twins originally signed Renick out of Ohio State University in 1964 and advanced him up the minor league ladder over the next four seasons.
In July 1968, Renick was given a difficult assignment in his major league debut, facing Detroit Tigers left-hander Mickey Lolich, who led the American League in shutouts the year before and would make three All-Star teams in his career. Renick homered off Lolich in his first at-bat — one of three homers he would hit as a rookie.
More news: Yankees World Series Champion Dies
Renick’s best season as a player was 1970, when he hit seven home runs, drove in 25, played 81 games and posted a .708 OPS — all career highs.
By 1973, Renick had played his final major league game. In 1974, he became a player-coach in the Twins’ farm system before transitioning to coaching full-time with the Royals in 1979.
More news: Former Giants, Royals, Indians First-Round Draft Pick Dies
That began a long second career in coaching that included several twists and turns, including a return to Minnesota as third-base coach in 1987 that coincided with the team’s World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Renick was named the Marlins’ bench coach under manager Jeff Torborg after MLB allowed former Expos owner Jeffrey Loria to take over the Miami franchise when he sold the team in Montreal.
Josh Renick played eight seasons professionally in the 2000s.
For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.