John Felske

Who is John Felske?

John Frederick Felske is a former catcher, coach and manager in American Major League Baseball. He was the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from September 30, 1984, through June 18, 1987, posting a record of 190 victories and 194 defeats.

After attending the University of Illinois, Felske signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1961, but his shortcomings as a batter — and the durability of Chicago backstop Randy Hundley — kept him at the minor league level except for two at bats in the middle of the 1968 season. He was drafted by the Seattle Pilots in December 1969, and played a total of 50 games over the 1972 and 1973 seasons for the Pilots' successor franchise, the Milwaukee Brewers, as third-string receiver. Overall, Felske, a right-handed hitter, batted only .135 in his major league career, with one home run.

In 1974, Felske turned his hand to managing in the Milwaukee farm system. He reached the Class AAA level in 1977. After winning the division title with the 1979 Vancouver Canadians of the Pacific Coast League, Felske was named a coach for the Toronto Blue Jays under skipper Bobby Mattick for 1980 and 1981.