One Scout?

I was just reading Doc shorebirds list about spring training info and noticed one scout listed. Does that mean we have only one dominican scout? If so, I'll have alot more to say.. Doc, or anyone, whats the scoop here.?

I was just reading Doc shorebirds list about spring training info and noticed one scout listed. Does that mean we have only one dominican scout? If so, I'll have alot more to say.. Doc, or anyone, whats the scoop here.?

It's a little place. It's only twice the area of Massachusetts with only 1.5 times the population. How many scouts do you need? You think they have a dedicated scout or two for Massachusetts?

It's a little place. It's only twice the area of Massachusetts with only 1.5 times the population. How many scouts do you need? You think they have a dedicated scout or two for Massachusetts?

First off, it was a straight forward question. No need for sarcasm. Second, YES, I do think they should have more than one scout down there, for god's sake, what do they pay them, 20 grand a year. I think we could afford more coverage due to the fact that so many excellent players come from there, and whatever they have been doing for the last, well forever, obviously hasn't been working. Perhaps another 3 or 4 scouts might change that.

It's a little place. It's only twice the area of Massachusetts with only 1.5 times the population. How many scouts do you need? You think they have a dedicated scout or two for Massachusetts?

Baseball isn't a year-round way of life in Massachusetts.

It's a little place. It's only twice the area of Massachusetts with only 1.5 times the population. How many scouts do you need? You think they have a dedicated scout or two for Massachusetts?

5 people born in Massachusetts after 1980 have played in the majors.

88 people born in the Dominican Republic after 1980 have played in the majors.

First off, it was a straight forward question. No need for sarcasm. Second, YES, I do think they should have more than one scout down there, for god's sake, what do they pay them, 20 grand a year. I think we could afford more coverage due to the fact that so many excellent players come from there, and whatever they have been doing for the last, well forever, obviously hasn't been working. Perhaps another 3 or 4 scouts might change that.

I agree.

We could hire a second to cover more ground and to get second looks/opinions on prospects that are on the radar. "Two heads are better than one".

It's a little place. It's only twice the area of Massachusetts with only 1.5 times the population. How many scouts do you need? You think they have a dedicated scout or two for Massachusetts?

How many players do you need?

Perhaps this (only one scout in baseballs biggest diamond mine) is why our record of finding and developing jewels (DR players) is so lame.

I have faced this issue in business. Do we hire one salesperson for a territory so that we can have a presence? Or do we hire 5 with the intent to take over the market?

The Orioles have either not had a presence or barely had a presence in Asia, DR, Australia, other Carribean countries, Venezuela, etc......

We have one full-time person responsible for supervising our scouting in the DR. However, he is responsible for developing a network of scouts and "sources," evaluating their reports, cross check and scouting the players suggested by his part-timers.

We're making far too much of this. Also, our DR staff will increase when the new academy comes on line, as well.

First off, it was a straight forward question. No need for sarcasm.

Take a pill. I wasn't being sarcastic. You were gonna have "a lot more to say" if we only have 1 guy down there. Why? How many scouts you think we need? Your OP made it sound like sending 1 guy down there was somehow stupid. Why is it stupid? It's a little place. Scouts get local guys to feed them info and tell them who to look at. That's what scouts do, they don't look at every kid who plays baseball. They look at guys they hear about from local contacts. That's how it works. How do you know that 1 guy isn't enough to do that?

I don't know how many they need either, but they are going-in on that baseball academy, and in general are acting like they've got a clue. So how come you're so sure their idiots if they have 1 guy? Maybe what they need is 1 guy to take charge and set things up properly with the local folks.

Take a pill. I wasn't being sarcastic. You were gonna have "a lot more to say" if we only have 1 guy down there. Why? How many scouts you think we need? Your OP made it sound like sending 1 guy down there was somehow stupid. Why is it stupid? It's a little place. Scouts get local guys to feed them info and tell them who to look at. That's what scouts do, they don't look at every kid who plays baseball. They look at guys they hear about from local contacts. That's how it works. How do you know that 1 guy isn't enough to do that?

I don't know how many they need either, but they are going-in on that baseball academy, and in general are acting like they've got a clue. So how come you're so sure their idiots if they have 1 guy? Maybe what they need is 1 guy to take charge and set things up properly with the local folks.

I don't need to " take a pill", and yes, you were sarcastic in your initial reply. All the other post above answers the rest of your questions. You won't find the word "stupid" in my post in my original post.

We have one full-time person responsible for supervising our scouting in the DR. However, he is responsible for developing a network of scouts and "sources," evaluating their reports, cross check and scouting the players suggested by his part-timers.

We're making far too much of this. Also, our DR staff will increase when the new academy comes on line, as well.

thank you for answering my question about this.

In the Dominican they have guys called buscons, who operate sort of like brokers, that find the players and bring them to the academies.

If the Orioles are willing to pay the price (literally) and treat the kids right whether they develop into the next Vlad Guerrero or not, their relationship with the buscons they go into business with (formally or informally) will take off.

I was leafing through the Orioles 1974 yearbook recently, and was surprised to find they had a scout then in the DR. Surprised because Baltimore didn't sign their own Dominican player and bring him to the big leagues until Luis Mercedes debuted in 1991.

No doubt the Orioles are late to the game, but the good news is the country is overflowing with talent and the O's will get their fair share if they make the right moves. Here's hoping!

In the Dominican they have guys called buscons, who operate sort of like brokers, that find the players and bring them to the academies.

So, these guys deliver? Cool. They not only tell the scouts who to look at, they deliver the kids to the scouts. Didn't know that... thanks.

Surprised because Baltimore didn't sign their own Dominican player and bring him to the big leagues until Luis Mercedes debuted in 1991.

Amazing guy. Crazed but amazing. He's the only guy I ever saw hit a bloop-triple, and I saw him do it in-person *twice*. He looped a weak one into bloop-ville and it plopped down where neither 1B, 2B or RF could quite get to it. He never thought twice or hesitated once, he just kept running. From the moment he hit it, he was off on a 90-yard-dash. It was plenty gutsy just to go for a double. Just seeing him speed around 1st and head to 2nd got everybody on their feet. That was exciting... like CPat, but with balls. But Luis didn't slow down when he got to 2nd either. He hauled butt around 2nd, and next thing you know he's sliding safely into 3rd. Everybody was watching it happen and not even believing what they were seeing. Damnedest thing I ever saw. Twice. Too bad he was insane.

ps: The second time was an exact copy of the first time. When he rounded 1st and looked at the-ball-and-the-fielders for the last time, I said "Bloop triple!" When the play was over and all the hollering died down, the guy in front of me bought me a beer ;-)

So, these guys deliver? Cool. They not only tell the scouts who to look at, they deliver the kids to the scouts. Didn't know that... thanks.

Love the Mercedes stories! He won multiple minor league batting crowns if I remember right, but I remember an anonymous quote in The Sun years ago where an Oriole that played with him in the majors and minors called LM the biggest a-hole they ever met. At least he was nice to me when I got his autograph.

The buscon system is plagued by corruption, but yes, they do steer players to certain teams. Daniel Cabrera, while signed by Salvador Ramirez, said baseball initially got on his radar when a buscon spotted him playing basketball and told him his wingspan could make him an intimidating pitcher. That buscon eventually brought him to Ramirez.

One of the most notorious buscon stories is detailed here:

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/sports/dominican-ballplayers.htm

(Willy Aybar is now with Tampa Bay)

Love the Mercedes stories! He won multiple minor league batting crowns if I remember right, but I remember an anonymous quote in The Sun years ago where an Oriole that played with him in the majors and minors called LM the biggest a-hole they ever met. At least he was nice to me when I got his autograph.

I think the O's soured on him when he was in Rochester. He was standing on 3rd base... I don't know how he got there, but I know how he *might* have got there ;-) ... apparently, the 3B-man said something he didn't like... so Luis took of his batting helmet and smashed the guy in the face with it. Not many AAA stories-and-suspensions make the papers, but that one did... I think that was the end of our boy Luis Mercedes as an Oriole...