Nicholas Jay Rickles (born February 2, 1990) is an American-Israeli coach for the Milwaukee Brewers organization, and a former professional minor league and current Team Israel baseball catcher.
As a high school senior, Rickles was voted Florida All-State. At Stetson University, he was named a TPX Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, and in his junior year in 2011 was named First Team All-Atlantic Sun Conference and a College Baseball All America Honorable Mention. Rickles was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 14th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft.
In 2011, he was voted a New York-Pennsylvania League mid-season All Star while playing for the Vermont Lake Monsters. Rickles was voted Midwest League Player of the Week on July 29, 2013, while playing for the Beloit Snappers. He missed the entire 2014 season after suffering a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. In February 2016, Rickles signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals. He played that season for the Class AA Eastern League Harrisburg Senators, and the Class AAA International League Syracuse Chiefs.
Rickles played on Team Israel during the qualifying round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic, the qualifying round for the 2017 World Baseball Classic in September 2016, and for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic main tournament. In 2019, Rickles became a coach for the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He played for Team Israel at the 2019 European Baseball Championship. He also played for the team at the Africa/Europe 2020 Olympic Qualification tournament in Italy in September 2019, which Israel won to qualify to play baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He was the designated hitter for Team Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the summer of 2021.
Early and personal life
Rickles was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, grew up in Loxahatchee, Florida, and is Jewish. His parents are Linda and Ken Rickles. He has a younger brother, Andrew, who is a U.S. Army Veteran. Nick Rickles is married to Jessyka Rickles (Virdell) of Washington state. In January 2018, he launched a blog, My Life & Baseball, to share his journey with the fans.
High school
He attended Palm Beach Gardens Community High School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. As a senior, when Rickles became a catcher, he batted .512 (third in Palm Beach County) with an .869 slugging percentage and 5 home runs and 32 RBIs (both second in Palm Beach County), while throwing out 80% of attempted base stealers, and was voted All-State. He was voted First Team All-Conference and All-Area as both a junior and a senior, and named "Player to Watch" by the Palm Beach Post.
College
Rickles played college baseball for Stetson University, where he majored in Sports Management. In 2009 as a freshman, he started all 57 games and was second in the league in runners thrown out stealing with 19. He was named a TPX Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, and voted to the Atlantic Sun Conference All-Freshman Team. In 2010 as a sophomore he played in all 58 games, had a .997 fielding percentage at catcher, threw out 19 runners attempting to steal and also picked off 7 runners, and was on the Johnny Bench Award Watch List.
In his junior year in 2011, his last season in college, Rickles hit .353, with 20 doubles (3rd in the Atlantic Sun Conference), 3 triples (8th), 12 home runs, and 62 RBIs (5th), and had an OPS of 1.008. That season he had a streak of 178 at bats without striking out, led the Stetson Hatters into the NCAA Regionals, and was named First Team All-Atlantic Sun and a College Baseball All America Honorable Mention.
Professional career
Oakland Athletics
Rickles was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 14th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft. He used his $60,000 signing bonus to buy himself a Chevy Avalanche pickup truck, and also received payment for his final year of college if he chooses to finish his degree.
He made his professional debut in 2011 playing for the Rookie Arizona League Athletics and the Low-A New York-Penn League Vermont Lake Monsters, for whom in 47 aggregate games Rickles batted .310/.370/.458 with 2 home runs and 35 RBIs, and 6 stolen bases himself in 7 attempts, while throwing out 42% of stolen base attempts. He was voted a 2011 New York-Pennsylvania League mid-season All Star while playing for Vermont, and co-winner of the 2011 Tom Racine Award (the fans' choice for the most valuable player of the Monsters).