SluggerDad- I am a full-time scout for a Major League team.
I was in attendance at a high school game a while back, watching a particular kid on Team A. Another player for Team B had a great game. He hit 2 HR's, drew a 9-pitch walk, and stole a base. He showed a good arm in the infield and plus athleticism. I wrote notes on him and made a point to get back and see him.
When scouting pitchers, I need to stay behind the plate for some of the time in order to track velocities and gauge pitch movement. During those times, it's quite obvious that I am a scout, holding a radar gun and a notepad. When I am scouting position players, I hang down one of the foul lines. Among a few reasons, one of the purposes of me doing this is to remain "incognito." This is partially to ensure I am not easily identifiable in the crowd, whether it be by another scout or coach I don't know, or by pestering fans.
When I went back to see the position player from Team B the second time, I happened to be standing behind the third base dugout. I was standing among parents, none of whom knew who I was. One of these parents happened to be the father of the position player I was watching. For the good part of three innings, the father complained about various decisions made by the coaching staff - bunt situations, lineup optimization, communication with players, even the extent of in-season lifting done by the team. His complaining wasn't necessarily pinned specifically on the handling of his son, but of the team in general. I calmly stood by, listening to his woes about the season.
After the game, I approached the head coach of Team B, with whom I have a fairly good relationship. I asked him about the position player, not mentioning anything about the father. The coach told me that the player is quite talented, but needs to do some maturing. Before I responded, the coach told me that he noticed I was standing among the crowd of parents and that "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." I nodded, understanding exactly what he meant.
The position player was the best player on his high school team, and yet the coach made it a point to hint that there are some behavioral issues with the kid that could potentially be harmful to his progress as a baseball player. These tidbits are crucial to my job, as it helps to evaluate the overall future potential of a player. Within scouting reports include sections for items such as "character" and "makeup."
I'm not sure if this story will hit worthy eyes in this thread, or if there is even a connection. But I felt as though it was a worthwhile thing to share.
