Rick Eckstein

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Rick Eckstein

| image = Rick West with Rick Eckstein (cropped).jpg

|caption=Rick West (left) and Eckstein (right) in 2010

| image_size =

| team =

| number = 41

| position = Coach

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|3|4}}

| birth_place = Sanford, Florida, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| bats =

| throws =

| debutleague =

| debutdate =

| debutyear =

| debutteam =

| finaldate =

| finalyear =

| finalteam =

| statleague =

| statyear =

| stat1label =

| stat1value =

| stat2label =

| stat2value =

| stat3label =

| stat3value =

| teams =

As coach

Washington Nationals ({{mlby|2009}}–{{mlby|2013}})
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ({{mlby|2014}})
Pittsburgh Pirates ({{mlby|2019}}–{{mlby|2021}})

| highlights =

}}

Rick H. Eckstein (born March 4, 1973) is an American professional baseball hitting coach. He is a hitting coach and the former hitting coach for Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team, and assistant hitting coach and scout for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of MLB.

Career

Eckstein is an alumnus of the University of Florida. Eckstein became the hitting coach for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball in September 2008, after serving as the Columbus Clippers hitting coach. He also was the hitting coach on the United States national baseball team in the 2008 Olympics.{{citation needed|date=November 2018}}

On November 5, 2013, Eckstein was named to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim coaching staff for the 2014 season.{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/ana/angels-add-former-hitting-coach-rick-eckstein-to-coaching-staff?ymd=20131105&content_id=63707384&vkey=news_ana |title=Angels add former hitting coach Eckstein to staff |work=Angels.com |first=Alden |last=Gonzalez |date=November 5, 2013}} On August 14, 2014, Eckstein left the Angels to join the staff of Gary Henderson at the University of Kentucky.{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-rick-eckstein-angels-20140814-story.html|title=Rick Eckstein leaves Angels to become Kentucky assistant coach|work=Los Angeles Times|first=Mike|last=DiGiovanna|date=August 14, 2014|access-date=August 14, 2014}} He was the minor league hitting coordinator for the Minnesota Twins organization for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

The Pittsburgh Pirates hired Eckstein as their hitting coach after the 2018 season.{{Cite web|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2018/11/02/rick-eckstein-pirates-hitting-coach/stories/201811020129|title = Rick Eckstein hired as Pirates hitting coach}} On August 30, 2021, after nearly 3 seasons as hitting coach, the Pirates fired Eckstein.{{cite web| url = https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32114111/pittsburgh-pirates-fire-hitting-coach-rick-eckstein| title = Pittsburgh Pirates fire hitting coach Rick Eckstein| date = 30 August 2021}}

Personal life

He is the older brother of former major leaguer David Eckstein. On December 8, 2010, Eckstein donated his right kidney to his brother, Ken, who is currently suffering from a renal disease.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}

References

External links

{{succession box | title=Washington Nationals Hitting Coach | before=Lenny Harris |years=2008–2013| after=Rick Schu}}

{{succession box | title=Pittsburgh Pirates Hitting Coach | before=Jeff Branson |years=2019–present| after=Incumbent}}

Category:1973 births

Category:Living people

Category:Baseball coaches from Florida

Category:Baseball players from Seminole County, Florida

Category:Kentucky Wildcats baseball coaches

Category:Major League Baseball hitting coaches

Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Category:Pittsburgh Pirates coaches

Category:Sportspeople from Sanford, Florida

Category:University of Florida alumni

Category:United States national baseball team people

Category:Washington Nationals coaches