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 former Major League Baseball outfielder. He was the Pittsburgh Pirates third base coach from 2013 to 2016[1] and was the manager of their Class-A South Atlantic League team the West Virginia Power during the 2012 season.
Early life
[edit]Sofield was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming but moved to Morris Plains, New Jersey as a child. In New Jersey, he played multiple sports and was offered a scholarship to play college football at Michigan but turned it down in order to pursue a professional baseball career.[2]
Playing career
[edit]A first round draft pick (13th overall)[3] of the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft, Sofield played for the Minnesota Twins from 1979 to 1981, appearing in 207 games and recording 612 at bats for a career average of .243.
Coaching career
[edit]After his playing career ended, he became the assistant baseball coach at the University of South Carolina and later the head coach at the University of Utah (1988–1994). After leaving Utah, he was a minor league manager for the Harrisburg Senators, Las Vegas 51s, and Colorado Springs Sky Sox.
He served as the head baseball coach at USC Beaufort and worked extensively with Baseball Factory, a player development and scouting service. His final day with USCB was Monday, November 14, 2011. Sofield's record with the NAIA Sand 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 manager Clint Hurdle first met in 1975 in the minor leagues and have stayed friends ever since. Sofield also previously worked with Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, assistant general manager Kyle Stark, Triple-A Indianapolis manager Dean Treanor, and pitching coordinator Jim Benedict.[5] He served as a coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates under Hurdle from 2013 to 2016[1][5] In February 2018, Rick accepted the head varsity coaching position at Hilton Head Preparatory School, in HHI, SC.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Pirates hire Jay Bell as hitting coach". TribLIVE. October 31, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ Fowler, Bob (April 3, 1979). "Fate deals Twins' Sofield a chance at the big time". The Minneapolis Star. p. 14C. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- ^ "Rick Sofield Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ USCB Press Release
- ^ a b Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet, or Pura 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