Executive decision

Jewish baseball executives made a clean sweep at the recent awards handed out by Baseball America during the baseball’s winter meetings.

Theo Epstein, general manager of the Boston Red Sox, was chosen as Major League Executive of the Year. The Tampa Bay Rays — owner Stuart Sternberg, president Matthew Silverman, and general manager Andrew Friedman — was picked as top organization. Friedman accepted the award at a dinner held Dec. 9 in Las Vegas.

Baseball America, the game’s leading publication, also named Naomi Silver, chair and chief operating officer of the Rochester Red Wings of the International League (Minnesota Twins, AAA), the minor league executive of the year. Silver continues in the family business: Her late father, the late Morrie Silver, is credited with saving Rochester’s minor league presence in 1956 when the St. Louis Cardinals, which owned the team at the time, dropped the franchise.

Naomi Silver served as vice president of the Red Wings from 1989 to 1999, becoming the club’s COO in 1995, a position that she still holds. She has been the club chair since 1990.

According to RedWingsBaseball.com,

Baseball America President and Publisher Lee Folger stated: “Naomi Silver of the Rochester Red Wings is the Baseball America 2008 Minor League Executive of the Year for many good reasons. Naomi and the Red Wings organization have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the Rochester region and recently, Batavia. The history of the Silver family and the organization shows how a dedicated operator creates the community involvement that is the foundation of a successful team/city partnership. From the involvement with community and youth groups to the emphasis on a family-friendly atmosphere, the Red Wings are a model for other baseball organizations regarding their engagement with their market. That philosophy extends to even the hardest decisions regarding stadiums and markets. While there may have been opportunities to relocate to faster-growing markets or newer facilities, the Red Wings never wavered in finding ways to keep baseball in Rochester thriving. That same spirit was shown in the decision to assume responsibility for Batavia. In 2008, it is especially appropriate to recognize the commitment that Naomi Silver and the Red Wings have brought to the baseball fans in their part of New York state.”

Silver is an inductee into the Rochester Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

---

Kaplan’s Korner on Jews and Sports © 2008 New Jersey Jewish News

Powered by WordPress | ElegantBlue theme by Nathan Rice