The Madison Mallards of the summer collegiate Northwoods League are excited to announce Greg Labbe will return for a 2nd season as Manager of the Mallards.
Labbe (LAB-bee) returns to Madison after finishing 37-32 and barely missing out on the Northwoods League playoffs in 2011. 2012 will be his 5th season in the Northwoods League.
In 2011, the Mallards finished tied for first place with three other teams with a 21-14 first half record, but lost to the Battle Creek Bombers through a tiebreaker. Under Labbe, the 2011 Mallards featured four Northwoods League All-Stars. The Mallards offense was led by the hard hitting duo of first baseman Nate Theunissen (Central Michigan), and right fielder Jordan Owen (UT-Martin). Theunissen was a mid-season and post-season Northwoods League All-Star after leading the Mallards by hitting .325 and tying a club record with 9 home runs. Owen, a mid-season Northwoods League All-Star finished the season batting .297, and led the Mallards with 62 hits and 32 RBI’s. The pitching staff was anchored by Rusty Shellhorn (Texas Tech) who finished with a 5-2 record and an ERA of 2.30 while being named a mid-season and postseason Northwoods League All-Star. Matt Milroy (Illinois) bolstered the Mallards bullpen by leading the team with 7 saves, and struck out 44 batters in just 28 innings of work while being named a mid-season Northwoods League All-Star.
"I feel I have unfinished business and didn’t accomplish what I wanted to last season," said Labbe. "We left a lot on the table, and with the facilities, enviroment and players we have in Madison, I expect to make the playoffs year in and year out."
Labbe currently coaches at Eagle’s View Academy in Jacksonville, Florida, a hot-bed for baseball talent. The school has competed in the last seven 1A Final Fours, while winning three state championships. When he’s not on the field, Labbe is in the classroom at Eagle’s View teaching geometry, pre-calculus, and calculus.
Labbe led the Rochester Honkers to a NWL Championship and received Manager of the Year honors in 2006 after posting a 50-17 regular season mark and perfect 4-0 record in the playoffs.
He became the first field manager to reach the 50-win plateau in the league and Rochester’s one-season winning percentage (.746) in 2006 remains tops in the league’s 17-year history. Labbe’s 114-59 regular season record over three seasons (2005-07) in Rochester also tops the record books in terms of winning percentage (.659).
A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Labbe earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary mathematics education from the University of North Florida in 2002. He received his master’s degree in educational leadership from the same school in 2005.
"For me and my family, it was a no brainer to return to Madison," said Labbe.
He and wife Heather have a four-year-old son, Luke, and a two-year-old daughter, Lily, who reside in Madison during the summer months.
