(March 9, 2018) If you’ve ever wondered if attending baseball’s Winter Meetings is worth the investment, here is another emphatic yes. STAA member Garrett Greene is the new Director of Broadcasting/Media Relations for the Biloxi Shuckers. The opportunity is the direct result of Greene attending baseball’s last four annual gatherings.
Greene moves to Biloxi from Helena, MT where he spent last season with the Milwaukee Brewers rookie affiliate. He replaces fellow STAA member Chris Harris, who has accepted a similar position with the Mississippi Braves.
“I’d met a few members of the Shuckers front office at the Winter Meetings in 2016 and met up with them again in 2017 in Orlando,” Greene explains. “Since they’re a team in the Brewers organization, we obviously had a common thread.
“I had also spoken with Chris [Harris] on multiple occasions leading up to the season in Helena and at various points during the season last year. I think all of that contributed to a finalist spot in the running for the Shuckers job.”
Proir to Helena, Greene spent a season with the independent league Saint Paul Saints. Biloxi represents his first full season opportunity.
“I’ve been moving around over the last couple of years. Working for the Shuckers lets me set my feet in one spot for a while,” Greene says. “Additionally, it’s an opportunity to stay in an organization I’m familiar with and make the jump to Double-A baseball.
Greene recalls that his first trip to the Winter Meetings in 2013 was less than fruitful. “I didn’t know a single person. I made a few friends, but failed miserably at connecting with fellow broadcasters, or even front office staff. On my last three trips to the Winter Meetings, I’ve met so many folks from all different walks of baseball, to the point where this year in Orlando I was running into someone I knew left and right. It’s not easy, but meeting people and making friends, not just business acquaintances or people you want to use later, was a giant contributing factor.
Greene has been an STAA member since 2015.
“STAA helped me get my first break into professional baseball, which is arguably the most difficult hurdle when you’re just starting out,” says Greene. “If it weren’t for the postings from STAA, I never would have seen the opening with the St. Paul Saints in 2016, an experience that changed the course of my career. Jon [Chelesnik’s] advice has also served as a subtle reminder of topics and practices that we all think we’ve internalized, but it’s good to be consciously reminded of them from time to time.
Three years after joining STAA, Greene is on his way to Double-A baseball in Biloxi.
“When you combine a 140 game schedule, life near the beach and a top-notch organization, this was just an incredibly alluring position, and I’m thrilled to be here,” he smiles.
(Visit Garrett’s STAA Talent Page).