Play Ball in Jackson, TN

From the West Coast to West Tennessee, meet the new manager of the Jackson Rockabillys.

By Cary Estes on August 9, 2023

Matt Franco is a former Major League Baseball player (1995-2003) who was named manager for the new Jackson Rockabillys Prospect League team in 2023.

As a California native who played professionally for the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, how did you end up in Jackson?

I met (Rockabillys owners) Dennis and Lisa Bastien back in 1991 when I was playing minor-league ball for the Winston-Salem Spirits. Dennis and Lisa owned the team. They became very friendly with my grandparents, who were following me around at the time, watching me play. Cut to 30 years later, and Dennis reached out to me and gave me this opportunity.

What intrigued you about the position?

I hadn’t been in the game for a while other than coaching Little League. It just sounded like a great opportunity to get back on the field and hopefully give some knowledge to these young players.

What is the Prospect League?

It’s made up mainly of NCAA Division I and junior college players from all parts of the country. It’s basically a summer league for college players, so they’re at an advanced level of play, which is nice for me because I’ve been coaching 12-year-olds for a while.

What have you thought about Jackson so far?

What a great little town. The ballpark is beautiful. My grandfather was a minor-league owner back in the day and just a diehard baseball fan, so I grew up in that world of small-town baseball. This reminds me of that. It’s great entertainment for the community. I mean, summer baseball. There’s nothing better.