Rick Stelmaszek
| Rick Stelmaszek | |
|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins – No. 43 | |
| Bullpen coach | |
| Born: October 8, 1948 Chicago, Illinois |
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| Batted: Left | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| June 25, 1971 for the Washington Senators | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 25, 1974 for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Career statistics | |
| Games | 60 |
| Hits | 15 |
| Batting average | .170 |
| Teams | |
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Richard Francis Stelmaszek (born October 8, 1948) is a former Major League Baseball catcher, and the current bullpen coach for the Minnesota Twins.[1]
In 2011, Stelmaszek will observe his 31st consecutive season on the Minnesota coaching staff and is the longest-tenured coach in Twins history.[2] Stelmaszek trails only Nick Altrock, who spent 42 consecutive years as a coach with the Washington Senators between 1912 and 1953,[3] and Manny Mota, who entered his 32nd consecutive season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011, as the longest-tenured coach in baseball history.
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[edit] Early years
Stelmaszek was drafted on June 6, 1967 by the Washington Senators in the eleventh round of the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft out of Mendel High School in Chicago, Illinois, but didn't sign until August 28, keeping him from his minor league debut until 1968.[4] The following year, Stelmaszek was assigned to Single-A and split time between the low Single-A Geneva Senators and the Salisbury Senators. In 1969, he was back at Single-A, this time for the Shelby Senators in the Western Carolina League and played well, hitting .288 with 5 homeruns and making the league All-Star team. In 1970, Stelmaszek was promoted to AA Pittsfield, but despite his overall production at the plate dropping (hitting only .246 with 4 home runs and 47 runs batted in in 128 games), he was again named to the league all-star team. 1971 would see him promoted to AAA Denver where he hit only .247 with almost no power (1 homerun, 1 triple and 1 double in 73 games), but he earned a call up and made his major league debut on June 25. However, after going hitless in nine at-bats, he was back in the minors within a month.[5]
[edit] Major League career
After spending all of 1972 in the minors, splitting time between Hawaii, Indianapolis and Denver, Stelmaszek earned a second call to the majors in 1973. He was batting .143 in seven games with the Texas Rangers when he was dealt to the California Angels with Mike Epstein and Rich Hand for Lloyd Allen and Jim Spencer. Stelmaszek would last only 22 games with the Angels and spent most of the season at AAA with the Salt Lake City Angels.
He started the 1974 season back with Salt Lake City, but was traded to the Chicago Cubs on July 28 for Horacio Pina. Stelly hit his only career major league home run as a member of the Cubs on August 20 off Los Angeles Dodger Don Sutton.[6] Sept 25, 1974 would be his last game in the majors.[7]
Prior to spring training1976, Stelly was dealt to the New York Yankees for Gerry Pirtle, but would spend the season at AAA Syracuse. He returned to the Rangers' organization in 1977, but again spent the season at AAA (this time with the Tucson Toros. Stelmaszek would spend 1978, his last year playing organized ball, with the Minnesota Twins at Single A Wisconsin Rapids as a player-manager.
[edit] Coaching career
After retiring as a player, Stelmaszek remained as the manager of Wisconsin Rapids through 1980 and was named Midwest League Manager of the Year in 1980 after leading his team to a 77-64 record. Following the season, he joined the Twins' major league coaching staff under first Johnny Goryl and then Billy Gardner.
During his coaching tenure with the Twins, which began in 1981, Stelmaszek was a member of two World Series championship teams (the 1987 and 1991 Twins) and he has worked under five different Minnesota managers (Goryl, Gardner, Ray Miller, Tom Kelly, and currently Ron Gardenhire).[8] The Twins signed him to a contract extension through 2012 in November 2010.[9]
Stelmaszek missed spring training and the first month of the 2011 season due to eye surgery. Former Twins catcher Phil Roof served as his replacement during his recovery.
[edit] References
- ^ "Minnesota Twins Coaching Staff". MLB.com. http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/team/coach_staff_bio.jsp?c_id=min&coachorstaffid=122733.
- ^ http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/120580564.html
- ^ John Thorn and Peter Palmer, Total Baseball, p. 2,157
- ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=stelma001ric
- ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stelmri01.shtml
- ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers 19, Chicago Cubs 8". Baseball-Reference.com. August 20, 1974. http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN197408200.shtml.
- ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stelmri01.shtml
- ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/
- ^ The Associated Press, November 18, 2010
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
It uses material from the BR Bullpen article "Rick Stelmaszek".
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- 1948 births
- Living people
- Major League Baseball catchers
- Washington Senators (1961–1971) players
- Texas Rangers players
- California Angels players
- Chicago Cubs players
- Hawaii Islanders players
- Denver Bears players
- Geneva Senators players
- Pittsfield Senators players
- Salt Lake City Angels players
- Salisbury Senators players
- Shelby Senators players
- Syracuse Chiefs players
- Wichita Aeros players
- Tucson Toros players
- Wisconsin Rapids Twins players
- People from Chicago, Illinois
- American people of Polish descent
- Minnesota Twins coaches
- Major League Baseball bullpen coaches
