Frank Viola

Frank Viola

Birthdate	4/19/1960
Death Date
Debut Year	1982
Year of Induction
Teams	Blue Jays, Mets, Red Sox, Reds, Twins
Position	Pitcher

Seventeen-year MLB veteran Frank Viola pitched the greatest game in NCAA history, was the 1987 World Series MVP and 1988 Cy Young Award winner.

Frank Viola went 26-2 with a 1.67 ERA at St. John's University from 1979-1981

Frank Viola dominated on the mound during his collegiate career at St. John’s University. The left-hander posted an incredible 26-2 record and a 1.67 ERA, becoming the winningest pitcher in the program’s history. The #2 starter for St. John’s was John Franco who went on to record the most

Ron Darling faced Frank Viola in the greatest collegiate game on May 21, 1981

On a sunny Thursday on May May 21, 1981 at Yale Field, two future MLB stars clashed in the greatest collegiate baseball game ever played. Yale’s Ron Darling and St. John’s Frank Viola each delivered masterful performances in the NCAA Northeast Regional tournament. The game’s winner would move

Frank Viola hit his baseball stride in 1984, his third year as a major leaguer

After Frank Viola concluded his stellar college career the Minnesota Twins selected him with the 37th overall pick in the 1981 MLB Draft. He immediately reported to Double-A Orlando of the Southern League. The following season Viola got promoted to Triple-A. Minnesota called up the lefty to the bi

Viola won Game 1 and Game 7 on his way to earning the 1987 World Series MVP Award

In the 1987 World Series Frank Viola delivered when the Minnesota Twins needed him most. After leading the club with a career-best 8.1 WAR in the regular season, Viola was the easy choice as the Game 1 starter. Viola dominated. In eight innings he gave up only one run, and set the tone for the serie

Viola earned the American League Cy Young Award in 1988 for the Twins

In 1988, Frank Viola and Orel Hershiser claimed the Cy Young Awards in the American and National Leagues. Viola, a left-hander for the Minnesota Twins, dominated the Junior Circuit with 24 wins and a .747 winning percentage. He followed his 1987 World Series MVP season with a campaign of skill and c

After leaving the Twins, Viola suited up for four teams, ending his career in Toronto in 1996

Frank Viola spent eight strong seasons in Minnesota before the Twins traded him to the New York Mets on July 31, 1989. In his first full year in New York, Viola won 20 games and anchored the rotation. He earned All-Star selections in 1990 and 1991, showing consistency and veteran presence. Viola lef