Rick Sweet
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1978-1983)
Rick Sweet was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1983 for the San Diego Padres, the New York Mets, and the Seattle Mariners, a span of 6 seasons. In 272 career games, he hit .234 with 172 hits, 6 home runs, and 57 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 200 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1978-04-08
- Last Game
- 1983-10-02
Full name: Ricky Joe Sweet
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 272 | 736 | 62 | 172 | 23 | 1 | 6 | 57 | 6 | 60 | 73 | .234 | .292 | .292 | .584 | -1,962 |
Career AVG .234 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 10.1% below league average.
Career OBP .292 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 9.8% below league average.
Career SLG .292 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 24.2% below league average.
Career OPS .584 vs. league average .710 across their career seasons — 17.7% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | SDN | NL | 88 | 226 | 15 | 50 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 27 | 22 | .221 | .257 (-14%) | .323 (-5%) | .378 (-29%) | .702 (-18%) | -563.6 |
| 1982 | NYN | NL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1982 | SEA | AL | 88 | 258 | 29 | 66 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 24 | 3 | 20 | 24 | .256 | .261 (-2%) | .324 (-4%) | .388 (-14%) | .712 (-10%) | 0.0 |
| 1983 | SEA | AL | 93 | 249 | 18 | 55 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 13 | 26 | .221 | .260 (-15%) | .324 (-20%) | .389 (-31%) | .714 (-26%) | -1026.1 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 272 | 736 | 62 | 172 | 23 | 1 | 6 | 57 | 6 | 60 | 73 | .234 | — | — | — | — | -1,590 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (272 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 125 | 343 | 36 | 89 | 5 | 28 | .259 |
| Away | 147 | 393 | 26 | 83 | 1 | 29 | .211 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-10-02 | SEA | CHW | L | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-30 | SEA | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-29 | SEA | KCR | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-28 | SEA | KCR | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-25 | SEA | TEX | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-21 | SEA | TOR | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-20 | SEA | TOR | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-19 | SEA | TOR | W | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-09-16 | SEA | CHW | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1983-09-14 | SEA | TOR | L | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 244 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga University | Spokane | WA | 1973, 1974, 1975 |
Rick Sweet: the record in brief
April 8, 1978 and October 2, 1983 bracket Rick Sweet's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. The season rows list, in order, the San Diego Padres (1978), the New York Mets (1982), and the Seattle Mariners (1982 through 1983). Sweet played primarily as a catcher and batted from both sides and threw right-handed. Born on September 7, 1952, in Longview, WA, USA, Sweet was listed at 6 feet, 1 inch and 200 pounds. Sweet's full given name, per the bio, is Ricky Joe Sweet.
Sweet collected 172 hits in 736 at bats across 272 games, good for a .234 batting average, along with 6 homers and 57 runs batted in. Reaching base at a .292 clip and slugging .292, Sweet finished with a .584 OPS. Set against a .260 league average for the same years, Sweet's .234 average sits 10.1% below it. 1982 produced Sweet's most hits, 66 of them for the Seattle Mariners. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .256 in 1982, did not top the league's .261.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rick Sweet
- What years did Rick Sweet play?
- Rick Sweet played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1983.
- Was Rick Sweet a pitcher?
- No. Rick Sweet was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Rick Sweet hit?
- Rick Sweet hit 6 career home runs with 172 hits.
- What was Rick Sweet's career batting average?
- Rick Sweet batted .234 over his career, with 172 hits in 736 at bats.
- How many RBI did Rick Sweet have?
- Rick Sweet drove in 57 runs in his career.
- Is Rick Sweet in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Rick Sweet has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.