Ricky Joe Sweet (born September 7, 1952) is an American former professional baseball catcher and current manager of the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds.

He played three seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1978 and 1983 for the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners.

[1] After graduating from Mark Morris High School,[1] he attended Gonzaga University, where he played college baseball for the Bulldogs from 1973 to 1975.

[3] On April 8, 1978, Sweet made his major league debut as a pinch hitter versus the San Francisco Giants.

[5][7] Having split time behind the plate with Gene Tenace, he appeared in 88 games and accumulated a .221 batting average with 11 RBI by the season's end.

[3] The Astros moved their Double-A affiliation to the Jackson Generals the next season but retained Sweet as manager at that level for 1991 and 1992.

[3] He next managed the San Diego Padres' Triple-A Portland Beavers in the PCL from 2001 to 2003 and the Detroit Tigers' Double-A Erie SeaWolves in the Eastern League in 2004.

[3] Sweet was hired by the Cincinnati Reds to manage their Triple-A Louisville Bats of the International League in 2005, where he remained for seven seasons through 2011.

[3] He continued to manage their top farm team over the next six seasons as they switched affiliations to the PCL's Colorado Springs Sky Sox from 2015 to 2018 and San Antonio Missions from 2019 to 2020.

[3] The Brewers reaffiliated with Nashville in 2021 with Sweet returning to lead the Sounds in the Triple-A East,[25] which became known again as the International League in 2022.

[26] Sweet led the 2022 Sounds to a league-best 91–58 record and won the IL Manager of the Year Award for a third time.

[27][28] He was chosen for the 2022 Mike Coolbaugh Award in recognition for his "outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game, and skill in mentoring young players on the field.