Pro Baseball: Matt Greener doing his part for Rockford Aviators

LOVES PARK ? At 5-feet-9, third baseman Matt Greener of the Rockford Aviators is one of the team?s shortest players. However, the veteran has stood tall at the plate.

After starting his professional career with the Frontier League?s Kalamazoo Kings in 2010, Greener is in his third year in Rockford and has seen his hitting skills blossom.

Last year, he hit .306 with five home runs, 32 doubles and 44 RBIs. His batting average was second in the league, while his 32 doubles set a new franchise record. This season, Greener has followed with a strong start averaging .283 with three home runs, 19 RBIs and a team-leading 43 hits.

?He?s a talented hitter and a natural ball striker,? Aviators hitting coach Pat O?Sullivan said. ?He gives you everything he has and goes out there and competes. He is very reliable. He?s going to be around .300. He?s going to go in and out of his slumps like any other hitter, but when he?s hot, he can carry us for a week. He?s been able to do that.?

Greener is one of three positions players on the 24-man roster that were kept after new manager James Frisbie was hired last month to take over the struggling team, which currently sits in last place in the West Division of the Frontier League at 11-29.

Frisbie said after evaluating his squad, Greener showed exactly what he wanted in a player: consistency, hustle, desire and energy.

?He?s a veteran hitter and he has an idea of what he wants to do at the plate,? Frisbie said. ?He wants to do his best. He?s trying to help in any way he can. We?re all trying to get through this thing together.?

Greener, a native of Jupiter, Fla., said although the wins have been hard to come by, he?s encouraged that they can finish strong.

?Baseball is a game of streaks and we?ve been on a losing streak,? he said. ?Hopefully, we can turn that around.?

Greener, 25, said for the most part, he has let his performances do the talking, not his words.

?I don?t consider myself a leader,? he said. ?I try to help with my playing ability.?

And Greener has done that since he picked up the sport in his youth playing in the backyard with his six brothers and two sisters.

After high school, he went on to star at third base at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn. In 2010, he was a member of the Bulldogs? team that won the NAIA national title. He led the nation in hits (116), RBIs (101), total bases (225) and tied for the lead in home runs with 27, becoming the first CU player to win the NAIA National Player of the Year award.

For the first time since he?s been a pro, his mother Patti, is scheduled to see her son play at the end of the month.

?I?m super excited about that,? Greener said.

Brenda Young: 815-987-1388; byoung@rrstar.com; @brendafyoung

Bio: Matt Greener
Position: Third baseman
Hometown: Jupiter, Fla.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 5-9
Weight: 195 lbs.
College: Cumberland University (NAIA)
Facts: Greener is in his fourth year in the Frontier League. In 2010, he played for Kalamazoo, but has been with Rockford ever since.

Source: http://www.rrstar.com/sports/x853682681/Pro-Baseball-Matt-Greener-doing-his-part-for-Rockford-Aviators?rssfeed=true

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