- Rick Sweet
Infobox MLB retired
name=Rick Sweet
position=Catcher
bats=Switch
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1952|9|7
city-state|Longview|Washington
debutdate=April 8
debutyear=by|1978
debutteam=San Diego Padres
finaldate=October 2
finalyear=by|1983
finalteam=Seattle Mariners
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.234
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=6
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=57
teams=
*San Diego Padres (1978)
*New York Mets (1982)
*Seattle Mariners (1982-83)Ricky Joe Sweet is a former
Major League Baseball catcher. He played three seasons in the majors between by|1978 and by|1983, and has since had a long career as minor and major league coach and minor league manager. He is currently the manager of theLouisville Bats , the top farm club of theCincinnati Reds .Playing career
Sweet was drafted in the 3rd round of the secondary phase of the [1975 Major League Baseball Draft by the
San Diego Padres . He spent six seasons in their organization, including one full season with the major league club in 1978, when he split time behind the plate withGene Tenace . He batted .221 in 88 games, but in by|1979 he was replaced byBill Fahey , who had been acquired from the Texas Rangers.After two seasons with the Triple-A
Hawaii Islanders minor league team, Sweet's contract was purchased from the Padres by theNew York Mets . He spent another full season at Triple-A in by|1981, this time with theTidewater Tides , then opened the by|1982 with the Mets. He played just three games in the first six weeks of the season before having his contract sold to theSeattle Mariners , where he was made their starting catcher.In both 1982 and 1983, Sweet played more games behind the plate than any other Mariners' catcher, appearing in a total of 181 games, batting .238. In November of 1983, the Mariners acquired catcher
Bob Kearney from theOakland Athletics in a trade, and Sweet was released in March. Rather than return to the minor leagues, Sweet retired, and was named the Mariners' bullpen coach.Post-playing career
After spending by|1984 as a Mariners coach, he was moved into the scouting department for the next two seasons. In by|1987, Sweet was named to his first managerial post, with the
Bellingham Mariners of theNorthwest League . He spent one more season managing in the Seattle organization with theWausau Timbers , then moved to theHouston Astros system to manage theOsceola Astros .Over the next seven seasons, Sweet moved his way up the Astros chain. In by|1993, while managing the Triple-A
Tucson Toros , he won his first championship, as the Toros won thePacific Coast League title. By by|1996, he was named to the Astros' coaching staff under managerTerry Collins . After one season as Houston's first base coach, he was let go along with Collins, and landed in theNew York Mets organization for by|1997.After a season managing the
Binghamton Mets , Sweet changed organizations once more, moving on to manage theHarrisburg Senators , the Double-A farm team of the Montreal Expos. In by|1998, Sweet won his second league championship as a manager, leading Harrisburg to the Eastern League title.Over the next several years, Sweet continued to manage, moving from the Expos organization to the Padres' system in by|2001, the
Detroit Tigers system for a season in by|2004, and then finally the Reds' organization in by|2005, when he was named to his current position as manager of their Triple-A farm team, the Louisville Bats. In by|2008, the Bats finished tied for first, but lost in the first round of theInternational League playoffs.ources
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