Biography

Call 1.800.966.1380 to contact Frank Viola booking agent, publicist, manager, pr firm, representative and management company for booking Frank Viola speaker appearances, autograph signing, endorsement deals or hiring Frank Viola as a keynote speaker for your next event. Find Frank Viola official website information, speaker fees, booking fees, costs and schedule. Baseball great, Frank John Viola, Jr., was born April 19, 1960 in East Meadow, New York. He is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins (1982-89), New York Mets (1989-91), Boston Red Sox (1992-94), Cincinnati Reds (1995) and Toronto Blue Jays (1996).

Viola batted and threw left-handed, and was nicknamed "Sweet Music" – a nickname he picked up after a Minnesota sports writer declared that when Viola pitched, there was sweet music in the Dome. The nickname was a play on the fact that his last name is also a name of a musical instrument. A fan began displaying a banner bearing the phrase in the outfield's upper deck whenever Viola pitched. Twins fans considered the banner to be a good luck charm. The banner is now property of the Minnesota Historical society. It was again displayed when Viola was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame.

Viola's two and a half seasons with the Mets in the National League gave him 179 at bats, enough to accumulate only 25 hits. He would get 6 more at bats in 1995 with the Reds and got 1 hit. Overall 26 for 185 was a .141 batting average. With 3 walks in his career, his on base percentage was .154. However, in his last season with the Mets he became more productive picking up 10 sacrifice hits and 2 doubles. He would end his career with 6 RBIs.

He only got one chance in the postseason and he certainly made the most of it. It was with the Twins in 1987. After getting past the Detroit Tigers in the 1987 American League Championship Series, Viola and the Twins had to face favorites, the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Viola pitched Game 1, when the Twins blew the Cardinals away 10-1.

Game 4 was his second start, and the Twins went on to lose 7-2. After the Twins tied the series in Game 6 with an 11-5 win under a Don Baylor home run, it was up to Viola in Game 7. He pitched a gem, shutting the Cardinals out after giving up 2 runs in the 2nd inning. Jeff Reardon pitched the ninth inning and the Twins won 4-2 and won the World Series 4-3. Viola was named World Series MVP.

In retirement, Viola had coached baseball for Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Florida, but no longer is involved with the program. His current coaching tenure has been with the Florida College Summer League's Leesburg Lightning. His daughter, Brittany Viola, is a diver who is entering the sports program at the University of Miami in 2006. She narrowly missed making the 2004 United States Olympic diving team. His son, Frank Viola III, currently plays in the minor league system for the Chicago White Sox as a pitcher. Daughter Kaley Viola currently plays volleyball at Winthrop University. His brother, John, and his family still reside in East Meadow, New York Frank's hometown.

PFP Sports & Celebrity Talent PFP is a speakers bureau and booking agency providing Frank Viola speaker, personal appearance and endorsement information. Booking Frank Viola for appearances, as a motivational speaker, keynote speaker, for a fundraising event, grand opening, television or radio commercial, PR campaign or trade show is easy through our agency. For more info, contact Frank Viola through PFP Sports & Celebrity Talent at 1.800.966.1380.