Kevin Greatrex - Baseball

Kevin Greatrex, Claxton Shield Helms Award winner and four-time Capps Medal winner, started playing baseball as a 13 year-old high school boy. His father, John (Jack) Greatrex was president of the Port Adelaide District Baseball Club from for a number of years and naturally Kevin began his baseball career here. It soon became evident that Kevin was destined for baseball with his emerging talents in hitting and all-round field skills. First selected in a South Australian State Team at the age of 13, Kevin began his extensive playing career representing Australian baseball on both an interstate and international level for 20 years. Following his selection in the SA Claxton Shield team and the Australian Baseball team as first baseman in 1963, Kevin showed a desire to excel in all aspects of the game, but was known best for his hitting. His playing was soon complemented by coaching experience of Claxton Shield teams and Australian touring competitions. Kevin’s experience in the US with the Cincinnati Reds Minor League Baseball team, as well as his extensive playing experience through touring in Japan, Korea, The Philippines and Europe, allowed him to introduce new concepts to Australian Baseball training and thought. With a level 3 coaching accreditation, Kevin continues to study the game and pass on his knowledge and experience to both players and coaches of baseball and softball.

Playing Career

Junior South Australian Team:

  • 1958 (Highest Batting Average), 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962

Claxton Shield Team (SA): 

  • 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983

Claxton Shield Team (NT): 

  • 1984, 1985, 1986 (player – coach), 1989 (player)

Australian Baseball Team: 

  • 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 (Captain from 1968 onwards), 1983 (coach)

Professional selection in USA with Cincinnati Reds Minor League 1967 – Kevin Greatrex and Dick Shirt were the first Australians to play professional baseball in US.

Offered professional contract in Japan 1971 by three professional Japanese teams, but during the warm-up series in Korea, Kevin suffered broken bones in his hand which stopped further negotiations

Port Adelaide District Baseball Club 

  • Division 1 player from 1960 onwards
  • 500 games award
  • life member

Player for local SA clubs: 

  • Port Adelaide
  • Northern Districts
  • West Torrens
  • Henley and Grange
  • Glenelg
  • Woodville

Australian Team Tours: 

  • Korea 1971, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1982, 1983
  • Japan 1968, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980
  • Philippines 1969, 1973
  • Italy and Holland 1978
  • Canada 1985

Coaching Career

South Australian Claxton Shield Team playing coach:

  • 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983

Northern Territory Claxton Shield playing coach: 

  • 1984, 1985, 1986

Head Coach Redsox local Night Baseball Team: 

  • 1967

Port Adelaide Division 1 Head Coach and player: 

  • 1968 – 1978, 1980 – 1983
  • six-time premiership coach
Australian Baseball Team playing coach: 
  • 1980 (World Championships, Japan)
  • 1982 (World Championships, Seoul, Korea)
  • 1983 (B.F.A series, Seoul)
  • 1985 (B.F.A. series, Perth)
  • 1985 (Intercontinental Cup, Edmonton, Canada)

Australian Baseball Team Batting Coach: 

  • 1984/1985
Head Coach local SA clubs

Softball Australia Softball Clinic Guest Speaker

Private Coaching sessions 1998 – 2015

Accredited Level 3 Coach

Kevin is continually asked for advice and volunteers his knowledge and experience

Awards

Best and Fairest Under 18 Interstate Competition:

  • 1962

Most Valuable Player Award Australian Junior Championships: 

  • 1962

Batting Award Junior Championships: 

  • 1962

Batting Awards for club competition: 

  • 1962

Claxton Shield Helms Award Winner: 

  • 1966 Most Outstanding Player in Australia

Capps Medal Winner: 

  • 1966
  • 1970/1971
  • 1972/1973
  • 1975/1976

Todd Medallion Winner 1975, in this year the competition was split into two and Port Adelaide was in the lower group. The Todd Medallion was awarded for most outstanding player in this division. This format was discontinued the following year.

Most Valuable Player Award for Australia: 

  • 1970

S.A.B.L Batting Award: 

  • 1971

Claxton Shield Batting Award Winner: 

  • 1973
  • tied 1969

All Stars Team: 

  • 1974

Australian Team Japan Tour Highest Batting Average: 

  • 1976

The Advertiser Award Best All-rounder:

  • numerous years

Inaugural Inductee of the Australian Baseball Hall of Fame: 

  • 2005

Claxton Shield 75th Anniversary Team of the Century (SA team) 2009 

  • 2009

Claxton Shield 75th Anniversary Team of the Century (Australian team) 

  • 2009

Other Involvement

SABL President:

  • 1993/94
  • 1994/95
  • 1995/96
  • SABL Life Membership

Scout for American Major League Baseball teams: 

  • Milwaukee Brewers (numerous years)
  • Montreal Expos (numerous years)
Port Adelaide District Baseball Club Management Committee: 
  • numerous years

Australian Baseball Federation Board: 

  • 1994 - 1996

Australian Baseball League Board: 

  • 1994 – 1996

 

 

When working as a scout Kevin signed David Nilsson in January 1987. David went on to have a highly successful career in Major League Baseball

SABL Under 14 Baseball Division 1 named the ‘Kevin Greatrex League’