Jim Hickey (coach)

James Joseph Hickey

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 215 lb.
• School Pan American University
• High School John F. Kennedy High School (Chicago)

• Born October 12, 1961 in Chicago, IL USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Jim Hickey was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 13th round of the 1983 amateur draft. He played 8 seasons in the minors. He pitched mainly at the AA level, spending parts or all of five seasons there, but was only briefly in AAA, for 7 games with the Buffalo Bisons in 1985. He retired following the 1989 season, which he spent with the Columbus Mudcats, the AA Southern League affiliate of the Houston Astros.

Hickey became a coach in the Astros organization in 1991. He was the pitching coach for the Burlington Astros in 1991, Asheville Tourists in 1992, Jackson Generals in 1996-1997 and New Orleans Zephyrs from 1998-2004. In July 2004, he became pitching coach for the Astros, a job he held for 2 1/2 seasons, until the 2006 season. In 2007, he became the Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitching coach and stayed on until the end of the 2017 season. During his tenure, the team changed names, becoming the Tampa Bay Rays and lost its laughingstock status, reaching the World Series in 2008 and staying competitive for most of the following seasons. During that period he worked for two managers, Joe Maddon and Kevin Cash. In 2018, he re-joined Maddon by accepting the job of pitching coach for the Chicago Cubs, but left after only one season. He resurfaced in 2021 as pitching coach of the Washington Nationals.