The Frontier League is saddened to learn of the passing of former field manager Greg Jelks, as reported by the Community Newspaper Group of Perth, Australia, on Friday.
Greg served as a field manager in the Frontier League for seven seasons, posting a career record of 313-337, tied for 10th all-time in Frontier League managerial wins. Greg made his Frontier League managerial debut with the Evansville Otters for the 2002 season. He received the Roger Hanners Award as Manager of the Year in 2003 for posting an 18-victory improvement over his first season and leading the Otters to the Frontier League Championship Series. Under Greg, the Otters would return to the league finals again in 2004 and in 2006, sweeping the Chillicothe Paints for Evansville’s first championship. Greg went on to manage the Slippery Rock Sliders in 2007 and the Washington Wild Things in 2008. He managed the East Division in the 2003 All-Star Game while serving as an All-Star coach in several other seasons.
Greg’s playing career saw him advance to the Major Leagues for 10 games with the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1987 season. The Phillies signed Greg as a free agent following the National Baseball Congress tournament in 1981. He spent eight seasons in the Phillies’ organization before concluding his playing career in the St. Louis Cardinals’ system in 1989.
After he finished playing in the United States, Greg moved to Australia where he began playing for the Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League in 1993. Greg eventually became an Australian citizen and played for the Australian National Team in the 1998 Baseball World Cup, the 1999 Intercontinental Cup, and the 2000 Olympics. After shifting full-time into coaching, Greg served on Australia’s staff for the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
“Greg was a tremendous influence on hundreds of ballplayers during his time in the Frontier League,†said Deputy Commissioner Steve Tahsler, who worked as Greg’s general manager in Evansville and Slippery Rock. “He brought an upbeat, infectious personality to the field and truly loved teaching the game of baseball.â€
Greg was born and raised in Centre, Alabama, where he graduated from Cherokee County High School before attending Gadsden State Community College prior to signing with the Phillies. He was selected as an inaugural member of the Cherokee County Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
Funeral information has not been released.
Entering its 25th season, the Frontier League features teams in seven Midwestern states, stretching from Pennsylvania to Missouri and from Kentucky to northern Michigan. More information and the complete 2017 schedule can be found at www.frontierleague.com.
