Rich Bombard

From BR Bullpen

Richard James Bombard

  • Bats Right, Throws Right
  • Height 5' 11", Weight 168 lb.

BR minors page

Biographical Information[edit]

Rich Bombard pitched as high as AA then spent over 20 years as a coach. His brother Marc Bombard was a major league coach.

Rich was picked by the Houston Astros in the 10th round of the 1982 amateur draft, the same round in which Vince Coleman and Walt Weiss would go in. He made his pro debut with the Auburn Astros, going 3-6 with a save and a 3.96 ERA. He tied for 6th in the New York-Penn League in losses. With the Daytona Beach Astros a year later, he went 3-4 with 6 saves and a 4.35 ERA. He split 1984 between Daytona Beach (2-6, 12 Sv, 2.35), the Asheville Tourists (2-0, 2 Sv, 6 H, 0 R in 15 1/3 IP) and the Columbus Astros (2-0, 4 Sv, 1 R in 14 IP) for a stellar 1.55 ERA overall. He was second in the Astros chain in saves, two behind Mark Ross, and was fourth in the Florida State League, two shy of Joe Boever, Jeff Montgomery and Nelson Torres.

The Texan right-hander spent all of 1985 with Columbus, going 7-3 with 15 saves and a 3.31 ERA. He tied Jim Benedict for fourth in the Southern League in saves, behind Luis Aquino, Larry Groves and Rich Leggatt. He began 1986 back with Columbus but fared worse (2-4, Sv, 5.46, 37 H, 14 BB in 28 IP) and moved to the Chicago Cubs system, where he went 3-4 with a save and a 2.94 ERA in 28 games for the Pittsfield Cubs.

Bombard then became a coach, first in the Cincinnati Reds chain (1987-1990). He returned to active duty for one game with the '89 Chattanooga Lookouts, going 1-0 with a hit, two walks and 3 whiffs in two shutout innings. He finished his playing career 25-27 with 42 saves and a 3.35 ERA in 195 games (15 starts). He coached for the Cedar Rapids Reds in 1987 and Chattanooga Lookouts in 1988-1989 and was the Rds' roving minor league pitching instructor in 1990.

He then coached in the minors for the Detroit Tigers (1991-1998), spending time with the Fayetteville Generals in 1991, Lakeland Tigers in 1992-1993, Trenton Thunder in 1994, Lakeland in 1996, and Jacksonville Suns in 1997-1998. He moved to the Boston Red Sox (1999-2002), spending his time with the Pawtucket Red Sox, and Los Angeles Angels (2003-2004), spending his time with the Salt Lake Stingers. He then was a pitching coach in the Cubs organization, spending 2006 with the Peoria Chiefs, 2007 with the Daytona Cubs and 2008-2009 back with Peoria.

Sources[edit]