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| Down With Manny (Getty Images) |
Only a few players and coaches have seen
both sides of the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry.
Rick Down was one of them. He served two stints as hitting coach in the Bronx (1993-95; 2002-03). In between, he was hitting coach in 2001 for the Red Sox. He also served in that capacity for the Orioles, Dodgers and Mets. Down
passed away Saturday in Las Vegas after a long illness at the age of 68. Down spent 27 years in the employ of major-league ballclubs—also serving as a roving hitting instructor and an advance scout. He was also a highly successful manager at AAA for many years. He only made it to the AAA level as a player, but had a true love for the game. Said a former coaching colleague of Down:
"He was just a great baseball guy. Rick made us better."
