Harry Stavrenos returns for his second season as the Northern League’s Director of Baseball Operations.  He is responsible for all day-to-day operations, working with the Directors, General Managers, Field Managers, Umpires and members of the media.

Stavrenos owned the Sioux Falls Canaries for five years, signing amongst others, all-time hits leader Harry Berrios, all-time wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, games started and complete games leader Rich Hyde, as well as standout closer Rob Andrakin (single season ERA record/1.12/1994) and one of the early NL players to reach the big leagues, LHP Ken Grundt, to their first Northern League contracts.  St. Louis Cardinals World Series MVP Pedro Guerrero was also signed by Stavrenos, bringing credibility and national attention to the fledgling league back in 1993.

After selling the Canaries, Stavrenos acted as the Director of Player Personnel for the rival Sioux City Explorers in 1998 and 1999, before purchasing the Duluth Dukes prior to the 2000 season.  Year 2000 in Duluth was magical, as the Dukes went from worst to first in one season, beating the St. Paul Saints (3-1) and then sweeping the powerful Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks (3-0) to capture the central division championship.  That club featured a potent offense, led by Triple Crown winner Anthony (Big Pappa) Lewis, all-star DH Tony Mitchell and future major league outfielder Jim Rushford hiting 3-4-5 in the order.  Closer Terry Pearson, who was acquired near mid-season, later made played in the big leagues with the Detroit Tigers.

After that 2000 season in Duluth, Stavrenos returned to Sioux City and the Explorers for a second stint as their Director of Player Personnel, lasting two more years before exiting independent baseball to concentrate on the San Jose franchise (California League) where he was GM, then club President from 1982 through 2003.  In 1986, he fielded the infamous “Bad News Bees” club, which featured 16 former major leaguers playing class “A” baseball.  Former troubled stars Mike Norris, Steve Howe, Ken Reitz and Darryl Sconiers, among others, attempted to spring-board back to the big leagues via their stint in San Jose.  Fernando Arroyo, Vern Ruhle, Bobby Clark, Steve McCatty, Jerry White and, one year later, catcher Brian Harper, who went on to win a World Series ring with the 1991 Minnesota Twins, also donned the San Jose uniform as the club operated as the only independent team in the California League from 1983 – 1987.

Prior to returning to the Northern League, he was a professional scout for the San Francisco Giants, where he was responsible for scouting independent teams throughout the U.S. and Canada.  He also spent time scouting players in the California and Pacific Coast Leagues.  Former Northern Leaguers Chris Begg (St. Paul), Brian Mazone (Joliet), and Mitch Wylie (Sioux City) are a few of the players signed by Stavrenos, while with the Giants. 

2008 will be his 29th year in baseball.  He graduated with a business degree from Bowling Green State University and first entered professional baseball while attending graduate school at Biscayne College (now known as St. Thomas University).  During graduate studies in 1979, he was employed as an administrative assistant for the Miami Orioles (Florida State League) and the Miami Amigos (Inter-American League) - whose triple “A” independent status was a unique newfound frontier in baseball.  That league consisted of six teams in six different countries.  The next year, Stavrenos moved to the old Western Carolina League where he served as the assistant GM of the independent Macon Peaches – a city whose prior pro club had left thirteen years earlier with a legacy that included Ty Cobb and Pete Rose as two of their infamous alumni.

Stavrenos has also done consulting work for the Seibu Lions (Japanese Pacific League, 1983-1988),  and the Everett Hawks (National Indoor Football League, 2005).  He was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio and now resides in Santa Cruz, California.  He will work out of the NL west coast office and travel to the midwest during the baseball season.  He is dad to four boys; Christopher (15), Andrew (14), Niko (5) and Mikey (3).