Ronald Gene Rightnowar (born September 5, 1964) is an American former major league baseball player who played for one year—1995—for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Rightnowar is known for having been a replacement player who crossed picket lines during spring training in 1995 while the 1994 Major League Baseball strike was still going on.

[2] In 1987, Rightnowar began his minor-league career by spending the entire season pitching for the Fayetteville Generals in the Class A South Atlantic League.

Rightnowar went 7-7 for Fayetteville (which was in its first season of existence), making 39 appearances, striking out 65, walking 37, saving 6 games and posting a 4.96 earned run average.

[3] In 1988, Rightnowar was promoted to the Lakeland Flying Tigers in the High-A Florida State League, where he went 2–0 in 17 games with 32 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 49⅓ innings pitched.

[3] The following year, Rightnowar divided his time between three Detroit Tigers minor-league teams: London (2-2, 3.25 ERA, 33 strikeouts, 9 walks, 4 saves, 44⅓ innings pitched and 23 games), the Class-A Niagara Falls Rapids (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 9 strikeouts, 1 walk, 7 innings pitched in just one appearance), and the AAA Toledo Mud Hens (4-5, 4.74 ERA, 28 strikeouts, 10 walks, 6 saves, 38 innings pitched in 28 games).

[3] The following year, Rightnowar played solely for his hometown Mud Hens and continued his role as a middle reliever, posting a 3–2 record but a high 6.16 ERA.

"The major-league coaching staff made it clear that I needed to pitch," Rightnowar told the Ottawa Citizen later in 1995.

After Cal Eldred went on the disabled list for the rest of the season, the Brewers promoted Rightnowar to the major leagues on May 19, 1995.

"[1] On May 20, 1995, Rightnowar made his major league debut, working 2⅓ innings of scoreless relief against the Texas Rangers.

[5] On May 22, 1995, Rightnowar won his first big-league game against the Cleveland Indians, pitching two innings of relief and giving up one earned run.

Rightnowar ended his Brewers season—and, ultimately, his major-league career—with a 2–1 record, a 5.40 ERA, 22 strikeouts, 18 walks, and one save in 36-2/3 innings pitched in 34 games.