Rick Renick, a utility infielder for the Twins in the late-1960s and early-1970s, passed away on January 31, 2026 at age 81.
Renick played 3rd base, shortstop, and left field for the Twins from 1968 to 1972.
Most of his regular playing time came in his rookie season, when he started 30 games at shortstop (mostly in July), as the Twins struggled to find someone to replace the departed Zoilo Versalles, (finally solving that issue in 1969 by acquiring Chico Cardenas from the Reds) .
Renick caught a break in 1969, replacing Rich Rollins (who was drafted by the Seattle Pilots) as the starting 3rd baseman whenever Harmon Killebrew played 1st base.
He also had significant playing time in 1970 (split across 3 positions), which tailed off in the following 2 seasons.
Renick returned to the minors after the 1972 season, playing for the Twins' (1973-76) and Expos' (1977-78) organizations.
From 1981 to 2002, he was a major-league coach for the Royals, Expos, Twins, Pirates, and Marlins.
He also managed in the minor leagues for the Expos (1982-84) and White Sox (1991-96).
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