Player Profile: Rick Aguilera

I have 49 cards of Rick Aguilera. This one is from 1992 Fleer.

Playing career: Rick Aguilera came up with the Mets in 1985 and was used varyingly as a starter and reliever. He would have been the goat of the 1986 World Series for the Mets, giving up two runs in the top of the tenth inning, until he was bailed out by Bob Stanley and Bill Buckner. He was traded to the Twins in 1989 and blossomed into a premier closer, and pitched much better in the 1991 World Series as he won a second World Series ring. He also pitched briefly for the Red Sox and Cubs. A three-time All Star, he saved 318 games, 254 of them with Minnesota.

My memories: As a Yankee fan I was glad to see a Met get traded and then do well. I also remember the Red Sox renting him for the 1995 stretch run and then he went right back to Minnesota.

Where he is now: He does some real estate investing and some baseball coaching. In June he returned to New York with several other former Mets to help City Harvest pack potatoes to fight hunger. Click here for a picture of Aguilera today, his trademark beard now gray.

Interesting stories: He does speaking engagements through Premier Athlete & Celebrity, charging $15,000 an appearance. His bio on the Premier site states that he “never got into trouble on or off the field.” In 1986, Aguilera was one of four Mets arrested in a bar fight in Houston. The charges against Aguilera were later dropped.

Google Autocomplete Results: He is first when you type Rick Ag, in front of Rick Agolli, owner of York HVAC Systems. Another prominent Rick Aguilera is a VP, Application Development at JP Morgan Chase.

Coming up next: The next profile will be Pat Ahearne.