Rick Sofield
| Rick Sofield | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born:December 16, 1956 Cheyenne, Wyoming,U.S. | |
Batted:Left Threw:Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 6, 1979, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 4, 1981, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .243 |
| Hits | 149 |
| Home runs | 9 |
| Teams | |
| As player
As coach | |
Richard Michael Sofield(born December 16, 1956) is a formerMajor League Baseballoutfielder.He was thePittsburgh Piratesthird base coachfrom 2013 to 2016[1]and was themanagerof theirClass-ASouth Atlantic Leagueteam theWest Virginia Powerduring the 2012 season.
Early life
[edit]Sofield was born inCheyenne, Wyomingbut moved toMorris Plains, New Jerseyas a child. In New Jersey, he played multiple sports and was offered a scholarship to playcollege footballatMichiganbut turned it down in order to pursue a professional baseball career.[2]
Playing career
[edit]A first round draft pick (13th overall)[3]of the1975 Major League Baseball Draft,Sofield played for theMinnesota Twinsfrom1979to1981,appearing in 207 games and recording 612at batsfor a career average of.243.
Coaching career
[edit]After his playing career ended, he became the assistant baseball coach at theUniversity of South Carolinaand later the head coach at theUniversity of Utah(1988–1994). After leaving Utah, he was a minor league manager for theHarrisburg Senators,Las Vegas 51s,andColorado Springs Sky Sox.
He served as the head baseball coach atUSC Beaufortand worked extensively withBaseball Factory,a player development and scouting service. His final day with USCB was Monday, November 14, 2011. Sofield's record with theNAIASand Sharks over three seasons was 101–56. In 2011, USCB was ranked No. 18 in the NAIA Top 25, the highest spot in program history.[4]
Sofield and Pirates managerClint Hurdlefirst met in 1975 in the minor leagues and have stayed friends ever since. Sofield also previously worked with Pirates general managerNeal Huntington,assistant general manager Kyle Stark, Triple-A Indianapolis manager Dean Treanor, and pitching coordinator Jim Benedict.[5]He served as a coach for thePittsburgh Piratesunder Hurdle from 2013 to 2016[1][5]In February 2018, Rick accepted the head varsity coaching position atHilton Head Preparatory School,in HHI, SC.
References
[edit]- ^ab"Pirates hire Jay Bell as hitting coach".TribLIVE. October 31, 2012.RetrievedJuly 3,2013.
- ^Fowler, Bob (April 3, 1979)."Fate deals Twins' Sofield a chance at the big time".The Minneapolis Star.p. 14C.RetrievedDecember 15,2022.
- ^"Rick Sofield Statistics and History".Baseball-Reference.com.RetrievedJuly 3,2013.
- ^USCB Press Release
- ^abPittsburgh Tribune-Review
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information fromMLB,orESPN,orBaseball Reference,orFangraphs,orBaseball Reference (Minors),orRetrosheet,orPura Pelota
- 1956 births
- Living people
- Baseball players from Wyoming
- Colorado Springs Sky Sox managers
- Denver Bears players
- Elizabethton Twins players
- Las Vegas 51s managers
- Major League Baseball first base coaches
- Major League Baseball outfielders
- Minnesota Twins players
- Orlando Twins players
- Sportspeople from Cheyenne, Wyoming
- Pittsburgh Pirates coaches
- Tacoma Twins players
- Tigres de Aragua players
- American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
- Toledo Mud Hens players
- South Carolina Gamecocks baseball coaches
- Utah Utes baseball coaches
- Visalia Oaks players
- Wisconsin Rapids Twins players
- Morristown High School (Morristown, New Jersey) alumni
- Baseball players from Morris County, New Jersey
- Baseball coaches from Wyoming
- Baseball coaches from New Jersey