H.S baseball: Former Phillie Erik Kratz returning to alma mater as head coach at Dock
Former Philadelphia Phillies catcher Erik Kratz, who spent 11 seasons in the majors, is taking over as the head baseball coach at his alma mater, Dock Mennonite Academy, the school announced Thursday.
Kratz, 42, is a 1998 Dock Mennonite (formerly Christopher Dock) graduate.
"We're very excited to have Erik lead our program," Dock Mennonite athletic director Seth Frankenfield said. "He'll get the most out of our student-athletes and will also help them develop into leaders in the community.
"They can see him as someone who was once in their shoes and knows what it takes to succeed."
After graduating from Eastern Mennonite University in 2002, Kratz was drafted in the 29th round by the Toronto Blue Jays, but didn't make his major-league debut until 2010 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He spent two full seasons with the Phillies in 2012 and 2013 before returning to the team for a brief stint in 2015.
All told, he played for 14 teams in his big-league career, including winning a World Series as a member of the Kansas City Royals in 2015, before retiring after the 2020 season. This past season, Kratz was a radio color commentator for the Phillies.
For the past two years, Kratz had been Dock Mennonite's Middle School head baseball coach.
"He said he always dreamed about being a coach and it will be great for him to take over the varsity program," Frankenfield said.
"He has a son who is a sophomore and another who is in eighth grade and getting the chance to coach them is something he always hoped to do."
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Drew Markol: dmarkol@theintell.com; @dmarkol
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Dock Mennonite grad, and former Phillie Kratz, named baseball coach
