Former Montreal Expos coach Rick Renick dies at 81 

February 12, 2026

By Kevin Glew 

Cooperstowners in Canada 

Former Montreal Expos coach and Vancouver Canadians manager Rick Renick died on January 31 in Sarasota, Fla., at the age of 81. 

His son, Josh, shared the news of his passing on Facebook on February 1. 

No cause of death has been released. 

Following a 15-season professional playing career, Renick embarked on a long coaching career that included two seasons as a player-coach with the Expos’ triple-A club in Denver, three seasons managing the Expos’ double-A affiliates and three more as a coach with the big-league club. 

He was also the manager of the triple-A Vancouver Canadians in 1991 and 1992. 

“The Minnesota Twins organization mourns the loss of former player and third base coach during the 1987 World Series season, Rick Renick,” the Twins said in a statement released on February 3. “Our thoughts are with the Renick family.” 

Raised in Ohio 

Born on March 16, 1944 in London, Ohio, Renick was a standout athlete at Madison South High School before attending Ohio State University. 

In 1964, he was signed as an amateur free agent by the Twins. He’d spend parts of five seasons in the Twins’ minors before making his major league debut on July 11, 1968. 

Starting at shortstop and batting seventh at Metropolitan Stadium, Renick belted a solo home run off Detroit Tigers ace Mickey Lolich in his first major league at bat. 

“I should’ve retired then,” Renick would later quip.  

In total, he suited up for five seasons with the Twins as a utility player. His most big league action came in 1970 when he hit .229 and socked seven home runs in 81 games. 

Player-coach in Twins’ organization 

Following the 1973 season, he became a player-coach with the triple-A Tacoma Twins. He continued in that capacity for three seasons and then toiled in the same role with the Denver Bears, the Expos’ triple-A club, in 1977 and 1978. 

In 1979, Renick accepted a job as a Kansas City Royals’ minor league hitting instructor, spending two years in that position until becoming the Royals’ big-league hitting coach in 1981. 

Re-joins Expos 

Prior to the 1982 season, the Expos hired Renick to manage their double-A squad in Memphis. He piloted the team, which included future big leaguers Al Newman, Razor Shines, Mike Fuentes and Rene Gonzales, to a 70-74 record. 

He returned to Memphis in 1983 and guided the team to a 61-85 finish. 

In 1984, the Expos shifted their double-A affiliate to Jacksonville and Renick moved with them and led the team to a 76-69 record. That year, future Expos great Andres Galarraga enjoyed a breakout campaign, hitting .289 with 27 home runs in 143 games. 

After that season, Renick managed the Expos’ Instructional League team in St. Petersburg, Fla., where he impressed Expos GM Murray Cook (Sackville, N.B.). 

Named Expos hitting coach  

Prior to the 1985 season, the Expos had hired Buck Rodgers as their new manager and offered Renick the job of hitting coach. 

“I like what I saw of him at the Instructional League,” Cook told the Montreal Gazette about Renick. “Buck is comfortable with him.” 

During the 1985 season, Renick worked with Expos greats Andre Dawson and Tim Raines. 

“At this level you are dealing with highly trained professionals,” Renick told the Montreal Gazette about his role. “It’s a case of watching and trying to stop them from falling into bad habits. Sometimes they don’t believe the things they are doing until we show them on film.” 

Renick had, perhaps, his greatest impact on Tim Wallach. In 1984, Wallach had batted just .246 with 18 home runs in 160 games and Renick worked with him to reconstruct his swing. And the hard work paid off. In 1985, Wallach’s batting average rose 14 points and he had 14 more extra-base hits than the previous season. 

“He [Renick] has definitely changed my swing,” Wallach told the Montreal Gazette that May. “He’s got me to stay back on the ball and go the other way. It makes the defence play me more honest and it’s made me a better hitter.” 

The Expos finished 84-77 and in third place in the National League East and Renick had his contract renewed. In 1986, Renick was the team’s third base coach, where he garnered a reputation for aggressively waving runners home. 

Following a disappointing 78-83 season by the Expos, Renick was let go from the big league staff but offered a minor league position. 

“I have no animosity,” said Renick at the time. “The people here have been great. But I’m trying to make a few calls. I’d like to stay in this organization but to stay in the majors would be more important.” 

Back with Twins, then to Vancouver 

Renick would land a job as third base coach with the Minnesota Twins and collect a World Series ring in 1987. 

After four years with the Twins, he returned to Canada to finish the 1991 season as the field manager of the Chicago White Sox triple-A Vancouver Canadians after Marv Foley was fired.  

“I was considered an aggressive third base coach when I was with the Twins and that’s the way I’d like to manage,” Renick told The Vancouver Sun. “I believe in trying to make things happen.” 

Unfortunately, it didn’t matter what managerial style he employed it wasn’t going to help the hapless Canadians who finished with a 49-86 record. 

Renick, nevertheless, was looking forward to coming back in 1992.  

“I enjoyed last season,” Renick told the Vancouver Province in March 1992. “It was a tough season and tough circumstances but the kids played real hard for me.” 

Much of the team’s success in 1992 would depend on its pitching, Renick said before the season. And led by a starting rotation that included Rodney Bolton, Greg Perschke and Mike Dunne, the Canadians were much improved and captured a division title. 

“I knew the chemistry on this team was good,” Renick said in late June 1992. “But I also knew this was a competitive league. There are no individuals on this team. We had some injuries and we had some call-ups but they just kept going along. The athletes deserve the credit, not me.” 

The Canadians finished the regular season 81-61 and advanced to the Pacific Coast League finals where they were defeated by the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. 

“Absolutely, bar none this is the best group of players I’ve ever had to work with,” said Renick after the season. 

On to Nashville 

Following that campaign, Renick moved on to manage the White Sox triple-A Nashville Sounds for four seasons and then was hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates to be their bench coach from 1997 to 2000. 

In 2001, Renick returned to Montreal to serve as Felipe Alou’s bench coach. When Alou was fired at the end of May, Renick stayed on to work with new manager Jeff Torborg. Renick spent his final big league season as Torborg’s bench coach with the Florida Marlins in 2002. 

Renick retired to Sarasota, Fla., but his impact on the dozens of players he coached was never forgotten. 

“Rick was a great third base coach and we had some fun times together on the ball field,” wrote Twins legendary first baseman Kent Hrbek on Facebook on February 1. “Rest in peace, Rick.” 

Renick was predeceased by his wife, Libby, and is survived by his children, Ty, Shad and Josh, as well as his grandchildren, Arianna, Elijah, and Aiden. 

A memorial service will be held on February 21 at Palms Memorial Park in Sarasota. Details can be found here.