2008 Woodie Awards
Well-traveled manager prepares to coach Sliders in 2007 season
By Phil Swartzlander
Rocket Assistant Sports Editor
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Sports
They say baseball is just a game. But to some, the game of baseball is life.
Greg Jelks, 46, was recently named the manager of the Slippery Rock Sliders. He is one of those whose life is baseball.
"Baseball made me who I am today," Jelks said. "I am married to the game."
Jelks is eager to take on the task of managing an expansion ball club full of young players.
"I am so excited for the opportunity to build a new franchise," Jelks said. "We have a bunch of good players who are very impressive to me."
A championship is always a goal of any team and Jelks would know what it takes to win in the Frontier League.
He won the 2006 Frontier League championship with the Evansville Otters.
He also led the Otters to the playoffs in 2003 and 2004, with a franchise-best record of 51-37 as the team advanced to the Frontier League Championship Series in 2003.
Jelks has been involved with baseball, whether playing or managing, for 26 years. He played for 16 years and eventually reached the major leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Hailing from Centre, Ala., a rural town which he compares to Slippery Rock, Jelks was a standout pitcher and shortstop for Cherokee High School.
After high school, Jelks moved on to play basketball for Gadsden State (Ala.) Community College.
He then signed a non-draftee minor league contract with the Phillies in 1980.
Battling throughout his minor league career, Jelks had his dream come true in 1987 as a September call-up after batting .266 with 23 home runs and 79 RBI in 123 games for Triple-A Maine.
"Getting to play in the majors is every kid's dream, and once I got there I was scared to death to play in front of 45,000," Jelks said.
Jelks remembers his experience well, but his first at-bat did not go as planned: he struck out.
But failure is not a word in his vocabulary.
"My parents were my driving force, always telling me to keep going, be positive and don't put pressure on myself," Jelks said.
Jelks was sent back to the minors in 1989 and was then signed to the St. Louis Cardinals Triple-A minor league team.
He was eventually released from the organization.
It was a trying time for Jelks, who wanted to quit baseball for good after his release, but decided to stick with it and play overseas in Italy and Australia.
"I wanted to walk away from the game, but my parents said to me that if I believe I can, then I should play, so I stuck with it," Jelks said.
From 1997 to 1999, Jelks was a member of the Australian Olympic Baseball team before becoming the hitting coach for Australia in the 2000 Olympics and their defensive coach in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
He is a dual citizen of the United States and Australia, and resides in Perth, Western Australia from October to February.
All the experience Jelks has is one of the reasons Sliders General Manager Steve Tahsler hired him.
"He brings instant credibility to our organization," Tahsler said. "He has played in the majors, he has won a championship and he has proven himself as a player and a manager."
Jelks said he believes that his leadership qualities bring out the best in his players.
"When you are dealing with young players, it is important to set a good example on and off the field," Jelks said.
Tahsler has the same opinion of Jelks.
"He is a straightforward guy, he expects his players to act like adults and if they don't, he gets rid of them." Tahsler said.
With all of Jelks' experience, one would assume that he has plenty of advice to give. The one piece he would give to any athlete is to never give up.
"Never say no and never say you can't," Jelks said. "If you do that, you can overcome any obstacle in your way."
Jelks' Sliders open their season on May 23 against Pennsylvania's other Frontier League franchise, the Washington Wild Things.
Greg Jelks, 46, was recently named the manager of the Slippery Rock Sliders. He is one of those whose life is baseball.
"Baseball made me who I am today," Jelks said. "I am married to the game."
Jelks is eager to take on the task of managing an expansion ball club full of young players.
"I am so excited for the opportunity to build a new franchise," Jelks said. "We have a bunch of good players who are very impressive to me."
A championship is always a goal of any team and Jelks would know what it takes to win in the Frontier League.
He won the 2006 Frontier League championship with the Evansville Otters.
He also led the Otters to the playoffs in 2003 and 2004, with a franchise-best record of 51-37 as the team advanced to the Frontier League Championship Series in 2003.
Jelks has been involved with baseball, whether playing or managing, for 26 years. He played for 16 years and eventually reached the major leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Hailing from Centre, Ala., a rural town which he compares to Slippery Rock, Jelks was a standout pitcher and shortstop for Cherokee High School.
After high school, Jelks moved on to play basketball for Gadsden State (Ala.) Community College.
He then signed a non-draftee minor league contract with the Phillies in 1980.
Battling throughout his minor league career, Jelks had his dream come true in 1987 as a September call-up after batting .266 with 23 home runs and 79 RBI in 123 games for Triple-A Maine.
"Getting to play in the majors is every kid's dream, and once I got there I was scared to death to play in front of 45,000," Jelks said.
Jelks remembers his experience well, but his first at-bat did not go as planned: he struck out.
But failure is not a word in his vocabulary.
"My parents were my driving force, always telling me to keep going, be positive and don't put pressure on myself," Jelks said.
Jelks was sent back to the minors in 1989 and was then signed to the St. Louis Cardinals Triple-A minor league team.
He was eventually released from the organization.
It was a trying time for Jelks, who wanted to quit baseball for good after his release, but decided to stick with it and play overseas in Italy and Australia.
"I wanted to walk away from the game, but my parents said to me that if I believe I can, then I should play, so I stuck with it," Jelks said.
From 1997 to 1999, Jelks was a member of the Australian Olympic Baseball team before becoming the hitting coach for Australia in the 2000 Olympics and their defensive coach in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
He is a dual citizen of the United States and Australia, and resides in Perth, Western Australia from October to February.
All the experience Jelks has is one of the reasons Sliders General Manager Steve Tahsler hired him.
"He brings instant credibility to our organization," Tahsler said. "He has played in the majors, he has won a championship and he has proven himself as a player and a manager."
Jelks said he believes that his leadership qualities bring out the best in his players.
"When you are dealing with young players, it is important to set a good example on and off the field," Jelks said.
Tahsler has the same opinion of Jelks.
"He is a straightforward guy, he expects his players to act like adults and if they don't, he gets rid of them." Tahsler said.
With all of Jelks' experience, one would assume that he has plenty of advice to give. The one piece he would give to any athlete is to never give up.
"Never say no and never say you can't," Jelks said. "If you do that, you can overcome any obstacle in your way."
Jelks' Sliders open their season on May 23 against Pennsylvania's other Frontier League franchise, the Washington Wild Things.
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