Since he was 10 years old, Kevin Gregg had a feeling he was going to work in baseball. It helped he had a father, former National League umpire Eric Gregg, who led him in that direction.
Through his father, Kevin enjoyed meeting other umpires and players, and visited different stadiums around the United States from an early age.
“That was it. That was everything for me,” Kevin said via telephone. "I thought about umpiring, but that was a little too much pressure for me.”
Like his father before him, Kevin is in the game of baseball. He currently is vice president of public relations for the Red Sox, facilitating communication between the team and media.
During Black History Month, it's worth noting that Kevin is the first African-American to lead a public relations staff in the Red Sox organization. He has been at the post since 2013.
The Red Sox are one of the most demanding teams in terms of media coverage and Kevin doesn’t flinch. He always is organized and ready for the media when there is breaking news.
After the Red Sox won the World Series over the Dodgers last October, Kevin was cool, calm and collected during the celebration, setting up interviews between the media and members of the Red Sox on the Dodger Stadium field.
“Any job in PR for a professional sports team is going to have its challenges, but in a media market like Boston, it's very challenging because the team is one of baseball’s cornerstone franchises,” Kevin said. “There is a tremendous amount of interest and passion for the team. With that comes so many reporters and so many requests.
“The thing that makes it challenging is, we really have some talented players. People have a lot of interest in them. There are only so many who can play at the level of Mookie Betts or Chris Sale. The game is the players. The players run the game. You are working so closely with them.
“The success has been icing on the cake. That what makes it even sweeter. My job doesn’t feel like work. I get to go to a ballpark every day, one of the most historic ballparks [Fenway Park] ever. I get to work with great people.”
Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo, who passed away unexpectedly last week, was one of those great people. Kevin called Cafardo’s Sunday notes column “appointment reading,” and admired the way Cafardo went about his business. He said he never heard a player or executive have an issue with Cafardo.
“The column had this prestige, being handed down from Peter Gammons to Nick,” Kevin said. “I knew Nick had so many connections with people in baseball. You knew it was something you had to read if you were in to baseball. His loss is really, really tough on a lot of people in the game, especially in New England."
Kevin said he would not be where he is today if not for his father, who passed away in 2006. It was Eric who helped Kevin get his first PR job with the Philadelphia 76ers. He knew then-general manager Billy King and helped set up an interview.
Kevin didn’t disappoint. He was in the Phillies’ public relations office for six seasons before landing his current role with the Red Sox. During his time in the Major Leagues, he has earned three World Series rings (2008 Phillies and '13, '18 Red Sox).
How would Eric feel about Kevin’s career up to this point?
“He would be jealous,” Kevin said with a laugh. “He had one World Series [1989]. He had a couple of All-Star Games. He would be proud, but he would be a tad bit jealous. My mom and I joke about it all the time.”