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 with Gene Tenace. He batted .221 in 88 games.
In 1979 he was replaced by Bill Fahey, who had been acquired from the Texas Rangers. On his 1979 Topps baseball card, Rick is laughing. This is because teammate and friend Gene Tenace asked him jokingly how it felt hitting only one home run, which Rick started laughing and the photographer snapped the pic and it was placed on his baseball card.
After two seasons with the Triple-A Hawaii Islanders minor league team, Sweet's contract was purchased from the Padres by the New York Mets. He spent another full season at Triple-A in 1981, this time with the Tidewater Tides, then opened the 1982 with the Mets. He played just three games in the first six weeks of the season before having his contract sold to the Seattle 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 1983, the Mariners acquired catcher Bob Kearney from the Oakland 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.
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