...the scouting director will come to watch the player.
As the draft approaches, the area scouts will continue to observe players that have been selected by the club based on the scouting reports. Their next job is to approach these prospects, and determine their interest in pursuing a career in professional baseball.
Scouting is a lifestyle in itself. Catching countless games over a wide territory take scouts away from one’s family for days, if not weeks at a time. It may sound like it’s all fun, but scouting is filled with long days and nights.
THE DAY
An area scout begins the day by checking the Weather Channel during breakfast. Rain, cold, excessive heat or humidity are all factors that can affect the players and need to be taken into consideration. A rain out of a game can mean reworking the schedule. Working in the Midwest means constantly having to fight the weather each spring and having alternate plans for the day and week.
Communication is key to success for the scouting department of a major league club. You check the company voice mail and e-mail systems as part of the morning ritual. Then you might make a call or two to double-check the field conditions of the game site, or to verify if a pitcher was still hurling that day.
Depending on the game time, you venture out to the ballpark. Sometimes the game might be a half-hour away, but often a couple of hours of driving might lie ahead.
Getting to a game early is critical. The pre-game workout regime can enlighten the scout regarding a player’s talent and their work ethic.
It is important to catch batting practice. You might see a player walked three times who gets just a swing or two in the game. BP may be the only time that you get to see them work out.
Observing how the player interacts with his coaches and teammates in a workout or pre-game setting is interesting to note, versus just seeing his game face.
Once the game starts, I observe the players in a way that is different from the casual fan, and even the hardcores. I may be focused on a player, or a couple of players. When they bat, or take the field, they have my attention. How do they swing? How do they use their defensive tools? Sometimes I watch a game and don’t even know who won because I was focused on the players and not the game itself.
What do you do when the game is over? You might drive to another game. You might go home, or to back to the hotel for dinner and a stimulating evening of report typing. You might make a few calls to set up the schedule for the next day and beyond, maybe...
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