Kevin Gregg, vice president of baseball communications for the Phillies, joined the first “Pizza With the Pros” of 2023 on Monday, Jan. 30.
Son of former MLB umpire Eric Gregg, baseball has been part of Gregg’s entire life. The Philadelphia native grew up around MLB ballparks nationwide as he traveled with his father to World Series games, All-Star contests and regular season matchups. His early exposure to the game established the roots that would later grow into a profession.
“I love baseball,” Gregg said. “And I knew that being with him [my father], I wanted to have a life and career in baseball.”
Gregg began his baseball career as a Phillies merchandise intern in 2003, working with promotional activities as he built a name for himself within the organization. In 2005, he began working for the 76ers as a public relations coordinator, later returning to the team he first interned during his time at James Madison University
His internships with the 76ers and Phillies were the learning experiences Gregg needed to refine his skills in public relations.
“Working for the Sixers and Phillies all year round as an intern, I’m reserved but there was so much face-to-face interaction. PR people at teams are always looking for personnel,” Gregg said. “Literally if the Padres were in town, I had to see the Padres guy face-to-face and ask him if he needed anything in the clubhouse.”
Following his professional stint with the Sixers, Gregg returned to the Phillies in 2007 as a part of the media relations department. Gregg enjoyed one of the most successful eras of Phillies baseball for six seasons before taking a position with the Boston Red Sox.
He spent nine seasons in Boston before returning to the Phillies in January of last year. At the end of his Boston tenure, Gregg held the position of vice president of media relations.
Boston and Philadelphia are referred to as two of the most passionate and storied sports cities in the United States. Spending time in both cities, Gregg has seen his fair share of baseball success.
“I’ve been fortunate now to have worked with three World Series champions and been in the World Series five times. But, the 2008 World Series will always be the most special,” Gregg said. “They’re [Boston and Philadelphia] very similar. I would say people up there are so spoiled with the winning since 2000, it’s crazy… It just means more here, I think we’ve had so much more heartache here as Philadelphia sports fans.”
Upon Gregg’s return to Philadelphia in 2022, the Phillies created a new position to particularly suit him. He currently oversees media relations initiatives and strategy for the baseball operations department. A lot of what Gregg does is balance external and internal personalities. He coordinates post-game press conferences with players and coaches and he serves as a mediator between members of the team and the media, a position that his PR history prepared him for.
“Make as many contacts as you can, have a positive attitude, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, don’t be afraid to get your foot in the door,” Gregg said. “Get in where you can and make some connections, you never know where it’ll lead to.”
Next Monday, Ava Graham, assistant brand manager for SportsRadio 94WIP, will speak at “Pizza With the Pros” about her time with Philadelphia’s leading sports talk radio station.
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