01/22/2007 12:50 PM - Harry Stavrenos has been appointed as the Northern League’s director of baseball operations, effective immediately.

Stavrenos (pronounced STAV-reh-nos), returns to the Northern League after working as a professional baseball scout for the San Francisco Giants for the last three years. Stavrenos previously served as the president of Northern League clubs in Sioux Falls, SD (1992-1997) and Duluth, MN (2000), and as scouting director of the league’s Sioux City franchise for five seasons.

Stavrenos will be responsible for carrying out the day-to-day baseball operations business of the Northern League, such as the administration of player transactions and the league's salary cap.

"The Northern League is very pleased to have Harry Stavrenos on board as its new director of baseball operations," said Northern League Commissioner Clark Griffith. "Harry’s impressive and extensive background makes him a perfect fit for this vital position within the league."

Stavrenos has more than 25 years of experience as a baseball administrator, including stints as the president and general manager of the San Jose Bees/Giants, the California League (Single-A) affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, across two decades.

Stavrenos graduated from Bowling Green State University in Ohio with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He and his wife Gayle reside in Santa Cruz, Calif. with their four boys -- Christopher (14), Andrew (13), Niko (4), and Mikey (1).

"I am looking forward to the challenges involved in my new job,” Stavrenos said. “Although I loved working and scouting for the San Francisco Giants, I am prepared to shift gears and return to familiar ground and rekindle my passion for the Northern League."