Do scouts check newspapers to find talent?

I dont mean articles on a cetain player, just game to game looking for a player whos name may show up on a some what regular basis???

Good question, I'd be interestd to know that too.

Trust me they do no different than we do---if a kid keeps showing up in the boxscore and we have not heard of him before you quickly check him out---consistency is not a fluke regardless of the level of play

At this time of year, fulltime scouts are traveling nearly every day from one place to the next. They will spend more time on the road and on the phone than they do at games. They have a schedule made out to cover their territory for the upcoming draft. Most are kept very busy just trying to see the players they have on their list.

It's not to say that scouts don't read newspapers, but it is highly unlikely that they read every newspaper (even online) within their territory.

That said, most full time scouts will have some associates (unpaid volunteers for the most part) and other contacts who probably do read their local newspapers and notice players. He (the associate) might go out and see the player getting all the press and report what he saw to the area supervisor. Then it's possible the supervisor will go see the kid depending on just how talented he appears to be.

So in that respect, yes, it is possible that a player can be found via newspaper articles.

Wait a minute... I am pretty sure I read in Moneyball that most scouts can't even read. So how are they supposed to use a newspaper?

Hey Rob Kremer,

It's a known Krak-fact that all scouts rely almost exclusively on the newspaper seen below....


Gotcha Again!!

quote:

most full time scouts will have some associates

Sometimes the umpires are sub scouts. They're at the games.

I am not a scout...but I have been sought out by area scouts and asked about players whom I have just umpired

OS8 - I don't know what the newspaper in your town is like, but where I live, I would never dream of doing that with the local rag.

That would be an insult to my rear end.

A lot has to do with the newspapers in your region---in our region they do a pretty decent job of covering the games and players---some even go so far to name players of the week---I know of one paper in NY that even has videos on line

Anyone know a scout named Dahltry?

dacoach1,

There is a scout that works for the Diamondbacks in the midwest named Mike Daughtry.

He's been around for a long time and is highly respected.

Maybe that is who you mean?

Daughtry is a good guy. Gave my son pitching lessons in the past.

Yes-thats got to be him-thanks for the help..

My dad has been scouting on and off for the last 30 years, mostly as an associate scout. The associate scouts are the guys who will be doing the majority of this type of work. My dad always checks the local papers not only for names, but for upcoming H.S. and JUCO games to watch. These are the scouts most likely to find the unknowns. One thing my dad has done over the years too is get more involved in recommending players to colleges. There are so many players that are not and probably never will be pro material, but can compete well in college at one level or another.