Rick Honeycutt
The rubber-armed lefty reliever who became one of baseball's most trusted and durable pitching coaches, shaping multiple Cy Young winners.
Born 1954 (age 72)·American baseball player and coach·Birthday: June 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Rick Honeycutt’s baseball journey is a masterclass in adaptation and longevity. As a pitcher, he transformed himself from a middling starter into a premier situational left-hander, a specialist before the role was fully defined. His statistical oddity—an undefeated record across 30 postseason appearances—underscores a coolness under pressure that defined his 21-year playing career, which culminated in a World Series ring with the 1989 Oakland A’s. But his greater impact came from the dugout. As the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers for 14 seasons, Honeycutt’s calm demeanor and technical expertise helped guide a generation of arms. He was the steady hand behind the breakouts of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, fostering an environment where elite talent could refine its craft. In an era of velocity obsession, Honeycutt preached efficiency and preparation, leaving a lasting imprint on the Dodgers' organizational philosophy.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Rick was born in 1954, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1954
#1 Movie
White Christmas
Best Picture
On the Waterfront
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Rick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1954Born
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1959Started school
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1967Became a teenager
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Could drive
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1972Could vote
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Turned 21
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1984Turned 30
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 40
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 50
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 60
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 70
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 72 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Posted a perfect 3-0 record with a 2.85 ERA across 30 postseason pitching appearances, never losing a playoff game.
- As Dodgers pitching coach from 2006 to 2019, his staffs led the National League in ERA four times.
- Coached three Cy Young Award winners with the Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw (three times), Zack Greinke, and Eric Gagné.
- Was a key member of the Oakland Athletics' pitching staff that won the 1989 World Series.
Did You Know?
He was an All-American baseball and basketball player at the University of Tennessee.
Honeycutt was involved in a famous 1980 incident where he was caught with a thumbtack taped to his finger to scuff the ball, leading to a rule change.
He and his wife, Debbie, are heavily involved in charitable work, particularly with children's hospitals.
After retiring as a player, he worked as a minor league pitching coordinator before becoming the Dodgers' MLB coach.
“My job was to get one out, and I found a way to do it.”
