Question for Mlbscout

First of all, welcome to the board:



We are glad to have you here and look forward to some great posts from you.

My question------what do you look for when scouting players? And how important is attitude?

 

Thanks for the welcome, Braves. First we look for tools...foot speed, arm strength, fielding ability, hitting ability, and the ability to hit with power. We also look for other things such as makeup. Makeup would include a players attitude along with other things such as desire, hustle, etc. Most scouts will not rule a player out for a bad attitude. However, a good attitude will contribute to a players overall makeup grade.

 

Welcome aboard Scout

Are you primarily interested in the '03 players right now?

 

The 2003 players will demand most of my time. However, I'm always looking for the younger players too. I've found players as young as 14 who I have placed on my "future follow" list. These players can then be tracked during the HS season as well as during the summer and fall.

 

What an awesome job! How did you get into the profession?

 

I had been in the game my whole life, as a player and coach. Then, I was just in the right place at the right time........and knew some people.

 

Who'd you play for bro?

 

Part is true...I have been very busy lately. I didn't mean to duck AppleJack's question. My playing career ended in college...after tearing the ulnar ligament in my right elbow.....pre Tommy John days. I do believe that we have at least one player in common, AppleJack. I do think you've mentioned the name Milt Thompson before. Milt played American Legion baseball for me in Maryland in the late 70's and remains a close friend.

 

MLBScout:

A lot of readers would be interested in the sort of schedule you keep. How about outlining a "typical week" once the high school and college seasons are in full swing, leading up to the June draft.

Also, you might describe the well-defined hierarchy that exists in major league scouting organizations (Scouting Director, Cross-checker, Area Scout, Associate Scout). How do the positions' scope and responsibilities vary?

 

Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. Those "typical weeks" are beginning. They run seven days a week. Phone calls and paperwork and travel during the day, games in the afternoons and evenings. Sometimes, if you plan well and get lucky, you can see parts of three or four games in a day.

With regard to the scouting positions and their scopes, typically they would be like this:

Scouting Director - The Boss. He hires and fires and is responsible for setting the overall tone and direction for the upcomming scouting season. He will see all of the TOP prospects and has final say on draft day.

Cross checkers - They can be national or regional. They will come into a territory ( such as eastern US ) and see the top prospects in that region.

Area Scout - he covers a subset of those regions, such as NC, SC and TN. He is the guy who first reports on a player he likes and gets his name into the system. He must have a detailed knowledge of his area and the players within.

Part time Scout - A part time Scout functions much like the area scout, except he does not usually sign players. He is paid a salary and expenses and will cover a wide area. Due to budget constraints, many teams do not use part time scouts.

Associate Scout - an Associate scout, also know as a bird dog, usually covers a more narrow area and reports to the area scout and part time scout those players that he thinks may be prospects and need to be seen. He is unpaid, but may sometimes get a commission from the club if they sign and retain a player who he recommended.