Wellman named M-Braves manager
Wellman just concluded his second season in Mississippi in '06 after spending the 2004 season managing the Danville Braves. During the 2006 season, the Braves' offense ranked in the top five in the league for much of the season, under the watchful eye of the long-time hitting instructor.
Mississippi Braves' General Manager Steve DeSalvo said, "We're proud to announce Phillip Wellman as our new manager. Phillip has been successful every where he's been, as a coach and a manager. He's had success with our hitters here so we're excited to see him take the reigns of our team. Wellman has been through the fires as a player and a coach so he has what it takes to lead these young men."
Under Wellman's direction in '05, the Braves had players in the top five in the league in home runs, RBIs, doubles, triples, hits, and batting average before those players were promoted to Richmond or Atlanta.
Prior to 2004 he coached in the Cincinnati Reds' organization from 1996 through 2003, where he was selected as a coach for the Futures Game in 2002 and named a "Prospect Manager" in the Southern League by Baseball America in 2003.
His coaching career began in 1988 when he was a hitting instructor for the Pulaski Braves. Wellman coached in the Braves organization from 1988-1991 before managing Baltimore's Gulf Coast League team for a year. He spent three years in the rookie leagues before joining the Reds' organization in 1996.
Wellman's playing days lasted from 1984-1987. He spent his first three Minor League seasons in the Atlanta Braves farm system with Anderson ('84), Sumter ('85), and Durham ('86), and then moved on to play in the Twins' and Pirates' farm systems.
He attended Sam Houston State University from 1980-1982 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Southwestern University at Georgetown, Texas, in 1985. Wellman, 43, resides in Spring Branch, TX, with his wife, Montee, and their two children Britnee, 18, and Brett, 15.