Rick Down

Rick Down

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 formerly was also 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 Las Vegas from 1979-1984. Rick went to professional baseball from 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. From 1990-92, he guided Columbus to 3 consecutive International League Western Division Titles and 2 Straight 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.