Antoan Edward Richardson (born October 8, 1983) is a Bahamian-American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

currently serving as the first base coach for the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB). He played in MLB for the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

and

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

. Before his professional career, he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

at Palm Beach Community College and

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...

. Richardson served as the

first base coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...

for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

from 2020 to 2023 and served as the

bench coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decision ...

for the 2023 Great Britain national baseball team.

Personal

Richardson was born in Nassau, in

the Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of ...

. He grew up in the Bahamas, raised by his single mother and grandparents.Antoan Richardson
"My Journey Home,"
''The Players Tribune''. Richardson is a citizen of both the Bahamas and the United States. In seventh grade, he was cut from his school's

softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

team. After his playing days, Richardson founded

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

Project Limestone to provide youth programs that encourage young people to respect their peers, to work together, to define their goals, and set them on a path to achieve those goals. Its focus is in the classroom, in sports, and in the community.

High school and college

Richardson attended American Heritage High School in

Delray Beach Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population of Delray Beach as of April 1, 2020, was 66,846 according to the 2020 United States Census. Located in the Miami metropolitan area, Delray Beach is 52 miles (83 ...

, a suburb of

Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 97,422 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and it ranked as the 23rd-largest city in Florida in 2022. Many people with a Boca Raton Address, ...

, on scholarship after a coach from the school noticed him. There, he played baseball and football and was class

salutatorian Salutatorian is an academic title given in Armenia, the Philippines, Canada, Afghanistan and the United States to the second-highest-ranked graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. ...

. As a senior he was named to the 2001 Class 1A All-state high school baseball second team by the Florida Sports Writers Association. He then attended Palm Beach Community College on an athletic scholarship, passing up an opportunity to attend

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

on full scholarship. Richardson next attended

, where he played

for the

Vanderbilt Commodores baseball The Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team is an American National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college baseball team from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. The team participates in the of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) an ...

team from 2004 to 2005. He was drafted in the 27th round of the

2001 Major League Baseball Draft The 2001 Major League Baseball draft, was held on June 5 and 6. First round selections Supplemental First Round selections Compensation Picks Background On June 1, 2001, Rolando Viera, a Cuban baseball pitcher who had recently left Cub ...

out of high school, the 27th round of the

2002 Major League Baseball Draft The 2002 Major League Baseball draft, was held on June 4 and 5. It is featured in Michael Lewis (author), Michael Lewis' 2003 book ''Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, Moneyball''. First round selections Supplemental first r ...

, the 13th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft, and the 35th round of the

2005 Major League Baseball Draft The 2005 Major League Baseball draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams. It is widely considered to be one of the best drafts in recent memory. ''SourceMajor L ...

. In 2004, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Orleans Cardinals The Orleans Firebirds, formerly the Orleans Cardinals, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Orleans, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Firebirds play ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

. In December 2008 he earned his

engineering science Engineering physics (EP), sometimes engineering science, is the field of study combining pure science disciplines (such as physics, mathematics, chemistry or biology) and engineering disciplines (computer, nuclear, electrical, aerospace, medica ...

degree from Vanderbilt.

Playing career

San Francisco Giants

The

signed Richardson after they took him in the 35th round of the

2005 Major League Baseball draft The 2005 Major League Baseball draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams. It is widely considered to be one of the best drafts in recent memory. ''SourceMajor L ...

. In 2005 he batted .321/.465 (4th in the league)/.378 with 45

run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...

s (tied for the league lead), 44

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...

s (leading the league), 7

sacrifice hit In baseball, a sacrifice bunt (also called a sacrifice hit) is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball, before there are two outs, in a manner that allows a baserunner to advance to another base. The batter is almost always put out, a ...

s (tied for 2nd in the league), 8

hit by pitch In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provide ...

(tied for 5th in the league) and 40

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...

s (leading the league) in 193

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, ...

s for the rookie-level

Arizona League Giants The Arizona Complex League Giants are a professional baseball team competing as a Rookie-level affiliate of the San Francisco Giants in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Scottsdale Stadium in Sc ...

, and was a 2005 Post-Season

Arizona League The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it fo ...

All-Star. In 2006 he batted .292/.381/.366 with 7 sacrifice hits (tied for 7th in the league) and 66 stolen bases (3rd) in 418 at-bats for the

Augusta GreenJackets The Augusta GreenJackets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina. History Augusta was a member of the S ...

of the Single-A

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leagu ...

. In 2007, Richardson batted .279/.399/.362 with 7 triples (2nd in the league), 67 walks (5th), 11 hit by pitch (9th), and 43 stolen bases (2nd) in 384 at-bats for the

San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark. Games San Jose Giants g ...

of the High-A

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...

. ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

'' named Richardson the best defensive outfielder in the Giants organization. In 2008 he batted .241/.356/.329 with 12 hit by pitch (leading the league), 10 sacrifice hits (6th), and 33 stolen bases (leading the league) in 365 at-bats for the

Connecticut Defenders The Connecticut Defenders were a Minor League Baseball team based in Norwich, Connecticut. The team, which played in the Eastern League, was the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major-league club from 2003 until following the 2009 ...

of the Double-A Eastern League. Richardson began the 2009 season with Connecticut, batting .207/.320/.287 in 87 at-bats. The Giants released him on July 24, 2009.

Schaumburg Flyers

He then played for the remainder of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 for the

Schaumburg Flyers The Schaumburg Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois, in the United States. The team played in the Northern League from 1999 to 2010, with their home games at Alexian Field, near the Elgin O'Hare Expressway. T ...

of the independent Northern League. In 2009 he batted .287/.419/.404 with 20 stolen bases in 94 at-bats, and in 2010 Richardson batted .375/.474/.438 in 16 at-bats.

Atlanta Braves

In May 2010, Richardson signed a minor league contract with the

. In the remainder of the 2010 season he played primarily for the

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they were referred to locally, were a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson, from 2005 to 2024. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and competed in ...

in the Class AA Southern League, batting .279/.393 (10th in the league)/.316 with 12 hit by pitch (4th) and 24 stolen bases in 272 at-bats. Richardson played most of 2011 for the Mississippi Braves and batted .283/.430 (tied for second in the league, behind

Paul Goldschmidt Paul Edward Goldschmidt (born September 10, 1987), nicknamed Goldy, is an American professional baseball first baseman for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks and St. ...

)/.327 with 11 hit by pitch (fifth) and 17 stolen bases in 272 at-bats. He was a 2011 MiLB.com Atlanta Braves Organization All-Star. Richardson was called up to the majors for the first time on September 4, 2011, and recorded his first career hit, a single to right field, off

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

pitcher

Clayton Kershaw Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed starting pitcher, Kershaw has spent his entire MLB career with the Dodgers s ...

in his first career Major League at-bat. He became the sixth player from the Bahamas to play in the major leagues. He batted 2-for-4 with a stolen base in 2011 for the Braves.

Baltimore Orioles

On December 31, 2011, Richardson signed a minor league contract with the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

. In 2012 he played primarily for the

Bowie Baysox The Chesapeake Baysox are a Minor League Baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League. Their home ballpark is Prince George's Stadium. From 1993 to 2024, th ...

of the Double-A Eastern League, batting .279/.415 (3rd in the league)/.331 with 8 sacrifice hits (5th) and 26 stolen bases (6th) in 290 at-bats. Richardson played three games for Team Great Britain in the

World Baseball Classic The World Baseball Classic (WBC), also referred to as the Classic, is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the sport's global governing body, and organized in World Baseball Clas ...

qualifiers in 2012, going 1-for-10 with a walk.

Minnesota Twins

Richardson signed with the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

organization in February 2013. He split the 2013 season between the

New Britain Rock Cats The New Britain Rock Cats were a minor league baseball team that competed in the Eastern League (1938–2020), Eastern League. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for 12 years, the Minnesota Twins for 20 years and the Colorado ...

of the Eastern League, for whom he batted .336/.456/.403 with 14 stolen bases in 119 at-bats, and the

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Fie ...

of the Triple-A

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

, for whom he batted .265/.381/.358 with 9 sacrifice hits (tied for 3rd in the league) and 25 stolen bases (5th; while being caught twice) in 302 at-bats. Richardson was a 2013 MiLB.com Minnesota Twins Organization All-Star.

New York Yankees

On November 13, 2013, Richardson signed a minor league contract with the

. He spent the 2014 minor league season with the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders, are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

in the International League, for whom he batted .271/.380/.364 with 14 hit by pitch (leading the league), seven sacrifice hits (tied for ninth), and 26 stolen bases (fifth; while being caught once) in 258 at-bats. The Yankees promoted Richardson to the major leagues on September 2. On September 25, Richardson pinch-ran for Jose Pirela in the bottom of the ninth inning against the

. He scored the winning run on a walk-off single by

Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974), nicknamed "the Captain", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) caree ...

in the final

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...

at bat of Jeter's career. Overall, for the season, he had five hits in 16 at-bats (.313 batting average), along with five stolen bases without being caught. After the season, he was outrighted off the Yankees roster.

Texas Rangers

On December 11, 2014, Richardson signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. He underwent back surgery for a bulging spinal disk on March 27, 2015, and was placed on the 60-day

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

on April 2. During rehab in Triple-A in July he was hit by a pitch and suffered a broken foot. For the 2015 season, he had only 37 at-bats between the rookie-level Arizona League Rangers and Triple-A

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home ...

Pittsburgh Pirates

Richardson signed a minor league contract with the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

for the 2016 season, and the Pirates invited Richardson to

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

. He had 16 at bats for the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...

and was released on April 25, 2016.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Richardson signed a minor league contract with the

on April 29, 2016, after being released by the Pirates just two days prior. The Dodgers subsequently released him on June 22, after he hit .222 in 15 games for the Triple-A

Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Comets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their ho ...

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

On July 8, 2016, Richardson signed with the

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are an American professional baseball team based in Waldorf, Maryland. They are members of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Base ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. In 34 appearances for the Blue Crabs, Richardson slashed .200/.351/.222 with one RBI and 11 stolen bases. Richardson retired from professional baseball on March 7, 2017, at 33 years of age. In his 12-season minor league career, while primarily playing center field, Richardson batted .273/.392/.342 in 3,107 at-bats while stealing 331 bases and being caught 58 times. In the major leagues, he batted .350/.381/.350 in 20 at-bats while stealing six bases without being caught.

Coaching career

San Francisco Giants

In February 2019, Richardson was named as a field coordinator and minor league outfield coordinator for the

. On December 23, 2019, Richardson was named the first-base coach of the San Francisco Giants under new manager

Gabe Kapler Gabriel Stefan Kapler (born July 31, 1975), nicknamed "Kap", is an American former professional baseball outfielder and manager who serves as the assistant general manager of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Kapler was a 57th- ...

, with the added responsibility of coaching Giants baserunners and outfielders. During the top of the third inning of a game against the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

on April 12, 2022, Richardson was ejected for the first time in his MLB career at any capacity after engaging in an argument with Padres third base coach Mike Shildt. The argument followed after Steven Duggar stole second base with a 9-run lead over the Padres in the second inning. This ejection led to Alyssa Nakken becoming the first woman to appear as an on-field (base) coach in a Major League game by replacing the ejected Richardson. On November 10, 2023, following the hiring of Matt Williams as

third base coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decision ...

of the Giants for the 2024 season, former third base coach Mark Hallberg was named first base coach, replacing Richardson.

New York Mets

On November 22, 2023, Richardson was hired by the

to be their first base coach for the 2024 season.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Antoan 1983 births Living people American Heritage School (Florida) alumni Arizona League Giants players Arizona League Rangers players Atlanta Braves players Augusta GreenJackets players Bahamian expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Bahamian expatriate baseball players in the United States Bahamian sports coaches American baseball coaches American people of Bahamian descent Bowie Baysox players Bravos de Margarita players Connecticut Defenders players Expatriate baseball players in Puerto Rico Great Britain national baseball team players Gwinnett Braves players Indianapolis Indians players Leones de Ponce baseball players Major League Baseball first base coaches Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball players from the Bahamas Mississippi Braves players

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

New Britain Rock Cats players New York Yankees players Norfolk Tides players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Orleans Firebirds players Palm Beach State Panthers baseball players Rochester Red Wings players Round Rock Express players San Jose Giants players Schaumburg Flyers players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Southern Maryland Blue Crabs players Baseball players from Nassau, Bahamas Vanderbilt Commodores baseball players Waikiki Beach Boys players