Please read the story of my friend Don Lyle from Northern California. We visited every year at the Area Code games and College games in Santa Rosa.
Many times comparing notes on HS and College Players and Coaches.
Don was one of my professional advisors in "fine tuning" the AC games.
Bob
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Bob,
Link is blocked.
He posted on the HSBBW many many years ago. Forgot his name.
Parent and TPM:
Thank you. The "inside story of scouting". My favorite movie is Clint Eastwood "Trouble with the Curve"!
Bob
@Consultant posted:Parent and TPM:
Thank you. The "inside story of scouting". My favorite movie is Clint Eastwood "Trouble with the Curve"!
Bob
Bob, he posted here years ago, do you remember his name here?
Thanks AP!
Maybe Dan Sozzi, youth baseball Coach from Sacramento.
Bob
"Back when I played professional baseball, after the game was over players would often times sit around together and talked about the game. We learned from each other by listening; what went right, what went wrong and how to get better. We didn’t take an immediate shower to see how fast we could get out of the clubhouse".
The same is true as a professional baseball scout. If there is one thing I have learned after 29 years of being a baseball scout, is that you never stop learning. Scouts who think they know it all or have it all figured out are only setting themselves up for failure. The scouting industry will humble you, and quickly.
The past few days I have spoken to a few veteran scout friends of mine; a Scouting Director, National Crosschecker and Area Scout in different organizations. Just talking about the game, scouting philosophies, ideas, thoughts, things to look for, tools, data, etc.. Veteran baseball scouts continuing to learn, grow and get better. I assure you, it is a lost art in our industry today. Sadly, I rarely see this among young scouts who are just getting started in their careers.
I recall when I stated scouting in the fall of 1991 that older scouts were respected, listened too and admired. As a young scout, you listened to them and showed respect to them. If you did, they helped you, if you didn’t, you were left to figure it out on your own and that would prove to be a foolish choice!
Scouting is hard. It is difficult. Like a player, you have to have instincts and the guts of a burglar. It takes a young area scout a minimum of 5 years just to figure out their area; what to look for, building relationships with coaches, scouts and parents, who they can trust and not trust, what programs and schools produce players and which ones don’t, etc.. Experiencing a handful of drafts is vital, figuring out why a player went in a specific round? Just developing a data base for your area is so important. And all that takes time!
Today, I am thankful for so many who have influenced my life and career as a professional baseball scout. The list is extensive. I encourage every scout, no matter what experience level to keep listening, keep growing and keep developing your skills as a scout. You won’t regret it.
To all Parents, players and Coaches, please thank the pro scouts at your next game.
Bob Williams
"founder of the Area Code games and Goodwill Series"
