I was wondering if anyone had any concrete direction on how to apply to be an associate scout "bird dog" for a MLB team.
I am a 34 yr. old ex-baseball player from Cincinnati that graduated from Roger Bacon HS, Cincinnati, OH in 1991. Played summer ball with Midland, drafted in June 1991 MLB by Phillies, played 2 years juco, coached & help develop junior & seniors 10years ago in the summer leagues.
I would love any and all info about entering the scouting arena. I love & respect the game of baseball. Just looking for an entry level position.
wittyball - I'm sure any scouts in your area could provide you some direction. You may want to send a PM to Orioles42 and ask for ideas or suggestions. You can find his name in the directory or find a post by him here in this forum, click on his name, and then click on "send a private message".
Posts: 5357 | Location: Kentucky | Registered: December 30, 2004
Hope you realize that being an Associate (bird dog) Scout is pretty much a volunteer position. That said, here’s a suggestion… Find out who the most talented players are in the area you live, especially the one or two players who are the very best prospects. Hopefully there are some in your area and if that area is Cincinnati and northern Kentucky there usually will be some good prospects. Then start going to the games they are playing in or showcases they might attend. Hopefully you will see some area scouts at some of those games. At some point (Not while they are watching the game) strike up a conversation with an area scout and tell him exactly what you posted above.
Now if this sounds like it would be too hard to do, you probably wouldn’t have much value to a full time scout.
Also, if you can afford it and have the time, I’d recommend spending a few days in July at the WWBA 17U or 18U in Marietta Georgia. You will see lots of scouts including many who run the scouting departments from all 30 Major League teams.
Good luck
Posts: 4843 | Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Registered: December 27, 2002
I know a few Assoc scouts and they get paid very little. One told me he made about $2000 a year so it is a tough road. Lots of travel and at your expense. I would attend some MLB camps in your area and talk to the scouts in attendance before registration. Also you can try getting in touch with the director of scouting and player development for a few teams and see what they suggest. One guy who graduated from a local university became the roving scout for the Jays a few years back is has risen in the scouting ranks. He gets paid well. I believe he contacted the Jays after graduation and they hired him. He was a pitcher at Brock U.
Posts: 4181 | Location: Canada | Registered: October 13, 2005
Hope you realize that being an Associate (bird dog) Scout is pretty much a volunteer position. That said, here’s a suggestion… Find out who the most talented players are in the area you live, especially the one or two players who are the very best prospects. Hopefully there are some in your area and if that area is Cincinnati and northern Kentucky there usually will be some good prospects. Then start going to the games they are playing in or showcases they might attend. Hopefully you will see some area scouts at some of those games. At some point (Not while they are watching the game) strike up a conversation with an area scout and tell him exactly what you posted above.
Now if this sounds like it would be too hard to do, you probably wouldn’t have much value to a full time scout.
Also, if you can afford it and have the time, I’d recommend spending a few days in July at the WWBA 17U or 18U in Marietta Georgia. You will see lots of scouts including many who run the scouting departments from all 30 Major League teams.
Good luck
Excellent advice!
wittyball - welcome to the hsbbweb
The responses you have gotten show why this is the top baseball site in the world. My advice would have been to contact PGStaff and he was kind enough to post here to begin with. orioles42 is a scout and I am sure would be glad to pass along advice as lafmom suggested. I just spoke with him the other day and he said he will be posting here more over the holidays. You certainly appear to have excellent baseball credentials for a career in scouting. I am guessing you would like to progress up the ranks of scouting someday as well? Good luck.
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3. Try contacting Frank Marcos, Director of the Major League Scouting Bureau (MLSB)
Major League Scouting Bureau 3500 Porsche Way, Suite 100 Ontario, CA 91764 Phone: 909-980-1881 | Fax: 909-980-7794
"The bottom line with all scouts is that you have to love it and really want to be doing this. Scouting is a demanding, grueling and let's face it, sometimes lonely and thankless profession. It's a tough line of work to get into, and even tougher getting started. And you have to pursue the path yourself. You'll never see a team put an ad for a scout in the Sunday classifieds. But if it's what you want to do, then your gender, race, religion or anything shouldn't prevent you from making it happen."
Good Luck
Posts: 1521 | Location: Fairland, Maryland USA | Registered: December 26, 2002
I sent orioles42 a pm. Thanks for all the great advice. Being a newbie to this site I wasnt sure of the response that I would get. I appreciate all the comments!
Reading thru the message board I thought of a experience that I'd like to share while coaching about 8-10 yrs ago.
I was coaching my little brothers summer league team here in Cincinnati. We had a home game at Forest Park hs (now called Winton Woods). There was a guy playing 3rd base for the Springfield Warhawks. As I would every game I chit-chatted with the 3rd baseman before taking on my duties as 3rd base coach. I asked the kid if he was going to play any college ball and he replied Miami. And I said wow, thats great. They way this kid carried himself you could tell he had some game. This kid comes up to bat and hits the 2nd pitch to straight away center, no fences, but parked it on a wood deck more than 420 ft away. The Warhawks half inning is over and I walk out to coach 3rd base and I say to him: thats Miami of Florida your going to right not to Miami of Ohio... Pat Burrell just smiled and said "Yep"
There are many college coaches that also rely on others to identify talent for their programs.
This helps to build relationships and your credibility. If you recommend someone who becomes a valuable player to their staff, you might get the backing of the coach to help in future endeavors that might help in making some money at it.
Welcome and good luck!
Posts: 10774 | Location: South Florida | Registered: July 28, 2003
