| Frank Viola | |
|---|---|
 Viola with the Minnesota Twins in 1987 | |
| High Point Rockers | |
| Pitcher / Coach | |
| Born: April 19, 1960 East Meadow, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 6, 1982, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 28, 1996, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 176–150 |
| Earned run average | 3.73 |
| Strikeouts | 1,844 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Frank John Viola Jr. (born April 19, 1960) is an American former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins (1982–1989), New York Mets (1989–1991), Boston Red Sox (1992–1994), Cincinnati Reds (1995), and Toronto Blue Jays (1996). A three-time All-Star, he was named World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1988. He is the pitching coach of the High Point Rockers.
He batted and threw left-handed, and he 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 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. The nickname was a play on the fact that his last name is also a name of a musical instrument, although pronounced differently. 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 the property of the Minnesota Historical Society. It was again displayed when Viola was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame. He was honored as a member of the Twins' "All Dome" team in 2009.