Steve Jeltz: Ambassador

Larry Steven Jeltz (born May 28, 1959) is a French-born American former professional baseball player. He played in parts of eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals. Jeltz primarily played shortstop and batted .210 in his career. Jeltz is one of only a handful of MLB players to have been born in France, and he leads that nation’s MLB players in several career statistical categories.

Jeltz was born in Paris to a military family. When he was young, Jeltz moved with his family to Lawrence, Kansas, where he attended Lawrence High School. He then attended the University of Kansas. He set the school’s stolen base record with 65. Jeltz spent three years in college before he was drafted by the Phillies in the ninth round of the 1980 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 1983.