Joe Naiman has been a freelance writer since 1985. He is also the co-author of The San Diego Padres Encyclopedia and the author of The School with All the Catchers, which is a history of the Crawford High School baseball program. Joe is also active in Crawford High School alumni matters including as the Class of 1982 reunion co-chair and as a board member of Team Crawford Athletic Foundation. He was a member of the Society for American Baseball Research for 37 years and organized SABR’s 1993 national convention in San Diego. He has lived in San Diego County since 1966.
About Joe Naiman
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
Joe has four adult biological or acquired children, one grandchild, and two godchildren.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
Joe has written for various suburban weekly newspapers and magazines in the San Diego County area and has also written for a handful of trade publications. He desires to complete book projects in the future. He enjoys working with other people and learning information as he works on his articles and book projects.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Joe advises prioritizing personal desires over professional desires.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Joe hopes to have some of his book projects completed, possibly be writing a syndicated column, and to find the right woman and remarry.
Joe Naiman & Our Community
Q: What are a few of your favorite restaurants in our community?
La Palapa (Lakeside), D’Carlo’s (Ramona), Miner’s Diner (Julian), Fat Ivor’s (Valley Center), Rainbow Oaks Restaurant (Fallbrook/Rainbow), Pernicano’s (El Cajon), Anthony’s (La Mesa), Rosati’s Pizza (City of San Diego), Red Fox Steakhouse (San Diego)
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
Lived in San Diego County since 1966. Began working in San Diego County in 1980 (assistant baseball instructor, San Diego State University Summer Youth Fitness Program).
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
The word “interesting” includes someone who left part of his brain in Vietnam; his name will be omitted here for obvious reasons.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
When I was growing up we sometimes went to Marshal Scotty’s and Lakeside seemed so far away. Now I live in Lakeside.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
I like how the mountains, the desert, the beach, and the big city are all-day trips.
Q: If you could choose anyone alive today and not a relative, with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would you meet for this lunch?
Princess Caroline of Monaco and I share the same birthday (she’s seven years older than I am) so the royal families of Monaco and Denmark (my great-great-grandfather was the tailor to the Danish royal court) are more interesting to me than the British royal family (although my children are related to the Stuart monarchs on their mother’s side). Based on the above list of favorite restaurants, which ones are open for lunch as well as dinner, and what would be in ideal surroundings I would take Princess Caroline to Miner’s Diner in Julian.
For Fun
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
My favorite movie of all time is Star Wars. My favorite current television show is Street Outlaws.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
After a co-worker purchased a car phone in the early 1990s so that she could call in case her car broke down, I decided it would be less expensive to purchase a citizen’s band radio and call Channel 9 if there was an emergency. When the extension of State Route 52 from Tierrasanta to Santee opened in 1993 I timed my trip to become one of the first people to drive on the new freeway and utilized Channel 19 (the traditional truck driver channel) to notify others that the Highway 52 extension was now open.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper performed before being taken to the airport.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
When I want something I think of Eliot Ness putting together the Untouchables, of King Arthur gathering knights for the Round Table, of S. Truett Cathy hiring Chick-fil-A executives. The key to success is having the right team.
Q: What community organizations and/or local nonprofits do you admire/support?
I am a member of my Knights of Columbus council, of the Lakeside Historical Society, and of the German-American Societies as well as being involved in Crawford High School athletics in an alumni capacity.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
When I was in junior high school I attended a series of sessions with science fiction writers. Some of the previous writers had mentioned that they began writing when they were teenagers. When Theodore Sturgeon spoke and noted how young he was when he began I asked how old one should be to begin writing science fiction. Theodore Sturgeon responded that when you think you can do better than what’s out there that’s when you start.
Q: What Neighborhood do you live in?
I live in the Riverview Farms neighborhood of Lakeside.
What I love about my Neighborhood:
The people are friendly, I have land (about a third of an acre) as well as a house, and I’m close enough to have access to the big city but far enough away that it’s not crowded.
Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend:
An ideal weekend for me would be staying home other than going to church and possibly dinner on Saturday. My best social nights are Tuesday through Thursday. An ideal off-day would involve driving various two-lane highways east of Interstate 15.
Q: Finally, what three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Stability, taking care of domestic tasks, chatting with the neighbors.
