Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Quotes & Notes: Managing & Scouting

■ A correction to my posts earlier this week about former Tiger Jayce Tingler. According to The Raw Feed, Tingler has been named the Manager of the Dominican Summer League team in the Texas Rangers organization. This will be his second year in that position.

■ Thanks to CollegeBaseballBlog (an internet source that has become a daily habit for me) for tipping me off to a great article in the Boston Globe about the details of scouting for a major league organization. An excerpt:
"It's still the most unexact science in the world," said Rob English, who scouted for 18 years in Georgia, including the last eight for the Sox. "If there was a set thing you could do, it would be easy. You're going to make a lot of mistakes. When you get one right, that's what's really gratifying."

Each scout looks for something, whether it's athleticism or body type or energy on and off the field. They cite Dustin Pedroia, as if to say that in baseball a player doesn't have to be 6 feet 2 inches and 220 pounds. He doesn't have to be an Adonis. He has to be a baseball player.

"Not everybody understands that we want to like players," Fagnant said. "I remember when I was playing, I thought all scouts were cynical curmudgeons, waiting to see what he can't do. It's just the opposite. When I like somebody, you've got to prove to me that you're not a professional prospect. I'll always give him the benefit of the doubt and go back and see him. The bottom line is they still have to show something."

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