On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Dave “Rags” Righetti took us inside his storied baseball career.
Dave had a 17-year Major League career as a player and went on to coach for the Giants for 18 years.
He began his baseball career here in San Jose, on the fields of Pioneer High School, where his teams went 34-2 during his time. He was Junior College player of the year at San Jose City College, which led to him being drafted by the Texas Rangers. Soon after, he was traded to the New York Yankees where he became a starting pitcher and in 1981 was the American League Rookie of the year. On July 4, 1983, against the rival Boston Red Sox, Dave threw a no-hitter, striking out Wade Boggs to end the game. He was converted to a relief pitcher and became a dominant closer for the Yankees, winning the Relief Pitcher of the Year award twice and was named to two All-Star teams.
In 2000 Dave became the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants and worked under managers Dusty Baker, Felipe Alou, and Bruce Bochy. He managed a pitching staff that included Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum, Jeremy Affeldt, and was a mentor to catcher Buster Posey. Ultimately, Dave helped lead them to winning World Series titles in 2010, 2012, and 2014. He retired from full time coaching in 2017 but remains with the Giants working with their minor league pitchers.