Rick Burleson
Opening Day Age: 57
Birthplace: Lynwood, CA
With coaching experience at every level of Minor League Baseball, Rick Burleson, 57, joins the 2009 Reno Aces staff as the club's hitting coach.
A 13-year Major League veteran, Burleson is in his second season in the D-backs organization. He spent last season as hitting coach for Single-A Visalia, where he helped guide shortstop Pedro Ciriaco to a .310 batting average-tied for sixth-best in the California League.
Prior to joining the D-backs, Burleson was a member of the Cincinnati Reds organization for seven seasons. He was manager at rookie-level Billings for five seasons (2001-03, 2005-06), taking the Mustangs to the postseason every year. Burleson won two league championships while at the helm in Billings (2001, 2003). In the 2003 season, Burleson was called on to take over managerial duties in July at Triple-A Louisville when Dave Miley was named interim manager for the Major League club. The Bats went to the Governors' Cup Playoffs that season, then Burleson led the Bats to a second place finish in the International League's West Division a year later. In 2007, Burleson was the Reds' Minor League roving instructor and Gulf Coast League manager.
Burleson also gained managerial experience in the Los Angeles Dodgers chain. He won a California League championship in 1999 with Single-A San Bernadino and managed Double-A San Antonio in 2000.
Other stops included a two-year stint as manager at Single-A Lancaster (1997-98) in the Seattle Mariners organization. He was hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox in 1992 and spent the 1993 season as the club's third base coach. Burleson served as third base coach for the then-California Angels in 1994. His professional coaching career began in the Oakland organization where he was minor league infield instructor (1989), scout (1990) and Major League hitting coach (1991).
Burleson is widely regarded as one of the best shortstops in Boston Red Sox history. A first-round pick (fifth overall) by the Red Sox in the 1970 draft, Burleson broke into the Big Leagues in 1974, finishing fourth in the Rookie of the Year vote. He would go on to earn a spot on four American League All-Star teams, including three-straight from 1977-79. Burleson finished his career with Baltimore in 1987 after spending five seasons in the California organization.
He earned an American League Gold Glove Award at shortstop and two years later picked up a Silver Slugger honor. Burleson was a career .273 batter and collected more than 1,400 hits.
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