After I was released out of baseball I thought that, at that time, that I wanted to pursue a career in baseball. So, I attended the Gerry Craft Professional Baseball Scouting School Academy in Anaheim, CA. Mr. Craft was an excellent teacher and I learned a lot about scouting. Around 2003, I contacted Mr. Craft in St. Clairsville, Ohio and asked if he would kindly reissue and mail me another certificate of completion from his scouting academy. We talked for a long while over the phone catching up with one another. And I did receive the certificate again that I had lost over the years. Mr. Craft could not have been any nicer. Mr. Craft would come into Houston around two weeks before the MLB June Draft to help prepare the Astros for the draft .Mr.Craft would come into Houston at other times during the year for Astros organizational meetings. Since he was the Astros U.S. Eastern Regional Scouting Supervisor for many years.When he flew into Houston, he e-mailed me to meet him at the Four Seasons Hotel main lobby to go out to eat. In 2004, the Astros were in the playoffs. And the Astros invited in all their scouting/player development personnel for the playoff games in Houston. Mr. Craft contacted me to go out to eat. Mr. Craft and Mrs. Craft and I all went out to eat at an italian restaurant located just behind The Four Seasons Hotel. They even invited me to go to the Astros playoff game that same night as their guest. But, unfortunately, I could not go to the game with them because of a prior commitment. Mrs. Craft is a very nice person also.Today, alot of clubs have their own scouting school that their scouting staff new hires complete first before going out into the field. Probably based on what Mr. Craft taught. Mr.Craft is a good friend of mine. And he will be missed by many people.
Martin L. Lazarine, Jr.
Martin Lazarine
