From the field to the front officeCatching up with Tim NaehringCINCINNATI, Ohio -- He was a heartthrob to many of the women in Red Sox nation.
For eight seasons (1990-97) Tim Naehring stole the hearts of female Red Sox fans, who were googly-eyed for the baseball stud. "It was a lot of fun being a single guy up in New England," said Naehring about being a Red Sox heartthrob. "Anytime you are in a situation where you are in the public eye it's interesting. I never really dealt with any of that growing up in Cincinnati and all through college." He is still involved in baseball as the Director of Player Development for the Cincinnati Reds. Naehring, who took over the job in October 2000, loved returning home. "It's a great experience for me coming back to Cincinnati and staying in the baseball world," said Naehring. "My career has progressed nicely on this side of it and am very excited about the opportunity the Reds have given me." It's been an adjustment for Naehring to go from playing the game to working in the front office. "It's a challenge," said Naehring. "It's not the same as playing, but you still have days where the blood starts to boil and you get that competitive side of things when you see your Minor Leaguers out there playing. It's great to know you can positively affect some of these young kids and try and teach them some of the things I was taught in the Red Sox organization such as respecting the game and how you should go about it on a daily basis." On the job, Naehring has used his Boston connections. One of his first hirings was former Red Sox shortstop Rick Burleson, who is currently the Reds Triple-A (Louisville Bats) manager. "Rick is doing well and is going to be with our organization next year," said Naehring. "He is a great baseball person and he was honored this year by being put in the Red Sox Hall of Fame. That was a great honor for him and shows what the people in Boston think of him. He is a hard-nosed guy and demands a lot from his players. He has been a welcome addition to our organization." Naehring, who grew up in West Cincinnati , now resides just minutes outside of East Cincinnati with his wife, Kris. They just had a baby daughter, Jamison Page, three weeks ago. "I married a girl I met in college and she actually went to graduate school at B.U. (Boston University)," said Naehring. "I met up with her briefly while I was in Boston and when my career finished we started to see each other. It's a life changing event when you get married and start a family. That's been exciting." Continued... |
