Rick Down

Rick Down
Hitting Coach
Born: (1950-12-14) December 14, 1950
Wyandotte, Michigan
Bats: Right Throws: Right

Richard John Down (born December 14, 1950 in Wyandotte, Michigan, USA) was a Major League Baseball hitting coach, most recently for the New York Mets. He has also been the hitting coach for the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers, and the Orioles.

Down never made the majors as a player, making it only to AAA ball (1971 and 1973). Rick Down later went on to coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas from 1979 to 1984. Rick went to professional baseball in 1985–88 as a special assignment coach and roving hitting instructor for the Angels organization. He returned to the Yankees organization in 1989, beginning the season as the club’s roving minor league hitting instructor before being promoted to manager at Triple-A Columbus for the final 16 games of the season when Bucky Dent was named manager of the Yankees. In 1990, his Double-A Albany club was at a 24-21 mark when he was promoted to manage Columbus in June after Stump Merrill was named Yankees manager. In 1990–92, he guided Columbus to three consecutive International League Western Division Titles and two consecutive Governor’s Cup Crowns. His Clippers set a franchise record with 95 wins in 1992. Down’s Columbus team was in first place in 385 of 391 games while he was manager. He later became the hitting instructor for many major league clubs.

Career highlights

Career timeline

Preceded by
Bucky Dent
Columbus Clippers Manager
1989
Succeeded by
Stump Merrill
Preceded by
Buck Showalter
Albany-Colonie Yankees Manager
1990
Succeeded by
Dan Radison
Preceded by
Stump Merrill
Columbus Clippers Manager
1990–1992
Succeeded by
Stump Merrill
Preceded by
Frank Howard
New York Yankees Hitting Coach
1993–1995
Succeeded by
Chris Chambliss
Preceded by
Lee May
Baltimore Orioles Hitting Coach
1996–1998
Succeeded by
Terry Crowley
Preceded by
Reggie Smith
Los Angeles Dodgers Hitting Coach
1999–2000
Succeeded by
Jack Clark
Preceded by
Jim Rice
Boston Red Sox Hitting Coach
2001
Succeeded by
Dwight Evans
Preceded by
Chris Chambliss
New York Yankees Hitting Coach
2002–2003
Succeeded by
Don Mattingly
Preceded by
Don Baylor
New York Mets Hitting Coach
2005 – July 11, 2007
Succeeded by
Howard Johnson
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