Rick Forney is in his seventh year as the Goldeyes manager and his 16th overall in the organization. He led Winnipeg to the North Division title in 2011 and was named the league’s Manager of the Year.

Forney spent his first three years in the Winnipeg organization as a pitcher followed by six years as a pitching coach before being named the third manager in club history on November 15, 2005. In his time as skipper, Forney has guided Winnipeg to the postseason five out of the last six years and has an overall managerial record of 316-266, a .543 winning percentage.

The team’s all-time leader in strikeouts (313) and playoff victories (4), Forney retired from baseball a month into the 2000 season due to nagging arm troubles. Able to focus full-time on his coaching duties, he saw 12 of his pitchers signed by Major League clubs in his time as pitching coach.

Rick arrived in Winnipeg in 1997 after a season in the independent Texas-Louisiana League. In that year, he won a league-high 11 games and was named to the Northern League All-Star Team and the Baseball America All-Independent First Team.

Forney, 41, was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 26th round of the 1991 amateur draft. He tied for the 1991 Gulf Coast League lead with seven wins. He played five seasons in the Baltimore organization, reaching Triple A with the Rochester Red Wings in 1995.