Frank Kremblas
Encyclopedia
Francis Michael "Frank" Kremblas Jr. (born October 25, 1966) is an American
minor league baseball
manager
, currently with the Indianapolis Indians
Triple-A team within the Pittsburgh Pirates
organization, and a former minor league player in the Cincinnati Reds
farm system from 1989 to 1996.
. His father, Frank Kremblas, Sr., was a three-year-letter winner
on the Ohio State Buckeyes football
team from 1956 to 1958 and quarterback
ed the team to a share of the 1957 national championship.
Kremblas played baseball at his hometown high school, Canal Winchester High School
, where he would later be inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997. He went on to play collegiate baseball at Eastern Kentucky University
where he was All-Ohio Valley Conference in 1987 and 1988. As a member of the Columbus All-Americans, his team won a Great Lakes Collegiate League title. He was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 23rd round of the June 1989 Major League Baseball Draft
.
Kremblas resides in Columbus, Ohio
.
Rookie league team. For the 1990 season, he was promoted to the Single-A Cedar Rapids Reds. He was promoted again in 1991 to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts
. Kremblas spent the 1992 season with the Lookouts before being promoted to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians
in 1993. He would spend the first half of the 1994 season back in Chattanooga before returning to Indianapolis. Again, he spent part of the 1995 season in Chattanooga before finishing up with the Indians. His last season was spent entirely with the Indians after which he retired from his playing career.
During his playing career, he spent most of his time playing in the infield, but he filled-in as a catcher
and outfielder
. He also pitched a career total of eight appearances, in nine innings.
as a player-coach
, whereby he ended up becoming the Ottawa Lynx
's hitting coach. Two years later, in 1998, the Expos rewarded Kremblas, making him the manager of the Gulf Coast Expos Rookie League team. He was promoted to the Single-A Cape Fear Crocs
in 1999. After the California League
All-Star break of 2000, he became manager of the Mudville Nine. In 2001, he guided the High Desert Mavericks
to the second round of the California League playoffs.
Kremblas was made skipper of the Double-A Huntsville Stars
in 2002, where he would stay through the 2004 season. During his time with the Stars he also served as manager for the 2004 Southern League All-Star Game, coach for the 2003 All-Star Futures Game, and coach for the 2003 Arizona Fall League
Peoria Saguaros
.
In 2005, he was promoted to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds
where he guided the team to win the Pacific Coast League
Championship. In both the 2006 and 2007 seasons, he took the team to win the American North Division title before losing in the conference finals. At the conclusion of the 2007 season, he was named the PCL Manager of the Year. Kremblas was released from his position as Nashville's manager after a 59–81 season in 2008. In four years of managing for the Sounds, that was the only season which didn't result in a division title. That December, he signed on to manage the Indianapolis Indians
, Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
, in 2009.
In 2010, Kremblas was named to the coaching staff of the International League
in the Triple-A All-Star Game
. He has also been been mentioned as a possible replacement candidate for the Pirates' coach John Russell.
), of the Venezuelan Winter League
, in October 2008. He become the team's 32nd manager since it was established in 1952. This season marked his third year with a winter league baseball team; he previously coached in Venezuela
in 2000 and managed in Mexico
in 2004.
With the Leones del Caracas, Kremblas reached a record of 42 wins and 21 loses, setting an all-time record for most wins in a 63-game regular season. Those results were more than enough to grant him, unanimously, the "Manager of the Year" Award.
In the playoffs, Leones had a record of 9–7, reaching the finals against Tigres de Aragua
, losing in 7 games. Team president, Luis Avila, confirmed in March 2009 that Kremblas would return to manage the team again for the 2009–2010 season, but he refused to manage the team, 3 months later, for personal reasons.
Actually he is the Manager of the Navegantes del Magallanes
in the Venezuelan Winter League (2010-11 season)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
, currently with the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
Triple-A team within the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
organization, and a former minor league player in the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
farm system from 1989 to 1996.
Early and personal life
Kremblas was born on October 25, 1966, in Carroll, OhioCarroll, Ohio
Carroll is a village in Fairfield County, Ohio in the United States of America. The population was 488 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Carroll is located at ....
. His father, Frank Kremblas, Sr., was a three-year-letter winner
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
on the Ohio State Buckeyes football
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
team from 1956 to 1958 and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
ed the team to a share of the 1957 national championship.
Kremblas played baseball at his hometown high school, Canal Winchester High School
Canal Winchester High School
-Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships:* Girls Volleyball - 1986 Bernay, Eure The French city of Bernay had 19 students from their high school visit America, while in America the students stayed in the homes of Canal Winchester High school students....
, where he would later be inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997. He went on to play collegiate baseball at Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
where he was All-Ohio Valley Conference in 1987 and 1988. As a member of the Columbus All-Americans, his team won a Great Lakes Collegiate League title. He was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 23rd round of the June 1989 Major League Baseball Draft
1989 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1989 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental first round selections:-External links:*...
.
Kremblas resides in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
Professional playing career
During the 1989 season, Kremblas played for the Gulf Coast RedsGulf Coast Reds
The Arizona League Reds, formerly the Gulf Coast League Reds, are a minor league baseball team in Goodyear, Arizona. They are a Rookie-level team in the Arizona League that begin play as a Cincinnati Reds affiliate in the summer of 2010. The AZL Reds play home games at the Goodyear Ballpark...
Rookie league team. For the 1990 season, he was promoted to the Single-A Cedar Rapids Reds. He was promoted again in 1991 to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
. Kremblas spent the 1992 season with the Lookouts before being promoted to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
in 1993. He would spend the first half of the 1994 season back in Chattanooga before returning to Indianapolis. Again, he spent part of the 1995 season in Chattanooga before finishing up with the Indians. His last season was spent entirely with the Indians after which he retired from his playing career.
During his playing career, he spent most of his time playing in the infield, but he filled-in as a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. He also pitched a career total of eight appearances, in nine innings.
Managerial career
In 1996, Kremblas was a free agent. He did not get any offers, except from the Montreal ExposMontreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
as a player-coach
Player-coach
A player-coach, in sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as head coaches, or as assistant coaches....
, whereby he ended up becoming the Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
's hitting coach. Two years later, in 1998, the Expos rewarded Kremblas, making him the manager of the Gulf Coast Expos Rookie League team. He was promoted to the Single-A Cape Fear Crocs
Cape Fear Crocs
The Cape Fear Crocs were a minor league baseball team in Fayetteville, North Carolina. They were a low-A class team that played in the South Atlantic League, and were a farm team of the Montreal Expos for the franchise’s entire tenure as the Cape Fear Crocs. They played all of their home games at...
in 1999. After the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
All-Star break of 2000, he became manager of the Mudville Nine. In 2001, he guided the High Desert Mavericks
High Desert Mavericks
The High Desert Mavericks are a minor league baseball team in Adelanto, California, USA. Their Major League parent club is the Seattle Mariners. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the California League and had been a farm team of the Kansas City Royals since 2005 before the switch...
to the second round of the California League playoffs.
Kremblas was made skipper of the Double-A Huntsville Stars
Huntsville Stars
The Huntsville Stars are a minor league baseball team of the Southern League and are the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Huntsville, Alabama and are named for the space industry with which Huntsville is economically tied .The Stars play their home games at Joe W...
in 2002, where he would stay through the 2004 season. During his time with the Stars he also served as manager for the 2004 Southern League All-Star Game, coach for the 2003 All-Star Futures Game, and coach for the 2003 Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
Peoria Saguaros
Peoria Saguaros
The Surprise Saguaros are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona....
.
In 2005, he was promoted to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
where he guided the team to win the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
Championship. In both the 2006 and 2007 seasons, he took the team to win the American North Division title before losing in the conference finals. At the conclusion of the 2007 season, he was named the PCL Manager of the Year. Kremblas was released from his position as Nashville's manager after a 59–81 season in 2008. In four years of managing for the Sounds, that was the only season which didn't result in a division title. That December, he signed on to manage the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
, Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, in 2009.
In 2010, Kremblas was named to the coaching staff of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
in the Triple-A All-Star Game
Triple-A All-Star Game
The Triple-A All-Star Game is a single baseball game held between the two Triple-A leagues in minor league baseball—the International League and the Pacific Coast League...
. He has also been been mentioned as a possible replacement candidate for the Pirates' coach John Russell.
Winter league managerial career
On April 14, 2008, Kremblas accepted an offer to manage the Caracas Lions (Leones del CaracasLeones del Caracas
The Leones del Caracas is a Venezuelan baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Since its inception, the team has played in the Estadio Universitario in Caracas...
), of the Venezuelan Winter League
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional is the highest level baseball league in Venezuela.-Brief history:Baseball exploded in Venezuela in 1941, following the world championship in Havana....
, in October 2008. He become the team's 32nd manager since it was established in 1952. This season marked his third year with a winter league baseball team; he previously coached in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
in 2000 and managed in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 2004.
With the Leones del Caracas, Kremblas reached a record of 42 wins and 21 loses, setting an all-time record for most wins in a 63-game regular season. Those results were more than enough to grant him, unanimously, the "Manager of the Year" Award.
In the playoffs, Leones had a record of 9–7, reaching the finals against Tigres de Aragua
Tigres de Aragua
The Tigres de Aragua are a baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.Founded in 1965, they play at the Estadio José Perez Colmenares in Maracay...
, losing in 7 games. Team president, Luis Avila, confirmed in March 2009 that Kremblas would return to manage the team again for the 2009–2010 season, but he refused to manage the team, 3 months later, for personal reasons.
Actually he is the Manager of the Navegantes del Magallanes
Navegantes del Magallanes
The Navegantes del Magallanes are a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Based in Valencia, the Navegantes have won ten LVBP championships and two Caribbean World Series.-Pitchers:...
in the Venezuelan Winter League (2010-11 season)