Former Red Sox hitting coach Hebner named Navigators’ manager

Former Red Sox hitting coach Richie Hebner is the new manager of the North Shore Navigators baseball team.Hebner, 64, played nearly 20 years in the major leagues and after his playing days ended, he managed and coached at different levels, including a three-year stint as a hitting coach with the Red Sox (1989-1991) under manager Joe Morgan. He was also a hitting coach with Philadelphia in 2001.”I’m anxious to be here this summer and have 54 games to show off some talent from the area and from across the country,” Hebner said in a release issued by the Navigators. “I was out of baseball last season and it’s a nice feeling to get back on the field and to be managing close to home.”Hebner, a Norwood native, was most recently a member of the Baltimore Orioles organization, where he was a hitting coach for Triple A Norfolk in 2010. He also managed Single A Frederick in 2008 and 2009.Hebner takes over the manager role held by Lynn’s Jeff Waldron. Waldron’s baseball career took him from Lynn Classical to Boston College and then into the minor leagues. He made it to Triple A ball while playing in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization. Waldron is a guidance counselor at Masconomet Regional High School in Topsfield. He’s also an assistant coach at Lynn Classical – a job he kept during his tenure with the Navigators.Two years ago the Navigators won the New England Collegiate Baseball League Championship under Waldron. Last year, the Navigators lost in the playoffs. During the course of the offseason, the team changed ownership, and it is now a member of the Futures Collegiate League.Team owner Pat Salvi called Hebner one of New England’s “best players of all time.””On behalf of the entire Navigator organization, we are absolutely thrilled to have a former major leaguer of the caliber of Richie Hebner agree to join us as our manager. Richie will be a terrific mentor to our players in guiding them towards their dream of ultimately playing in the majors,” Salvi said.Hebner played between 1968 and 1985. He was with Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Detroit, the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs. He played in eight National League Championship Series and started for the 1971 Pirates World Series-winning team.During his 1,908-game career, Hebner hit 203 home runs and drove in 890 runs. He played first base and third base.Navigators general manager Bill Terlecky was excited for the Navigator players to get an opportunity to play for Hebner.”It will be a great experience for them, as well as all of us with the club, to have him at the ballpark all summer. It’s just another reason for baseball fans to make a visit to Fraser Field this season,” Terlecky said.The Navigators’ season begins on June 7, with the home opener on Friday, June 8, against Torrington (7).