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How can I become a MLB scout?


iWiN4PreP

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I dropped out of college.

 

There is no job out there that I'd really be happy with, so after month(s) of thinking, the only job I really came up with that i'd be able to devote my life to was - becoming a scout.

 

With that being said, I understand how hard it is to become a scout, key is to have connections, what if you're like me tho - 19 year old drop out, loves baseball, and can learn to become a mlb scout, can devote my life to it. How would I go about doing that?

 

Any information is helpful, I'm pretty sure there was an old topic on soxtalk about this same issue, but I can't find it :(.

 

Thanks

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All I know is its pretty hard. You'll have to start interviewing like crazy and probably do some amateur scouting or try to get a job in baseball and than get into that route from there. It's a very difficult, unrewarding path though. Take it from someone who had an offer or two to go into scouting, but as much as I love baseball and think it would be fun, I just didn't have the overall faith that I could make it to a position where I could really meet my long-term goals.

 

Don't mean to be a downer, but it's the reality. The other thing I'd do, get your ass to spring training and find some scouts and talk to them (your in florida right?), so go to the grapefruit league and watch the minor league games and get educated (your going to want to talk about guys that impress you and really wow people, imo).

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Crypt,

 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you want to be a scout it really is in your best interest to go back to school, or even a community college.

 

Even those with college degrees are fortunate if they get hired as scout. Most scouts are hired because they are former players, typically they either have played in the minor leagues, or have played at least 4 years in college. This makes it easier when they head off to Scout School in the spring. In order to go to scout school, you have to be sponsored by a Major League team. You just can't pay to go there by yourself. Your best bet would be calling a Major League team in your area and inquiring about the process. They'll most likely ask you about your experience in baseball, where you can fill them in.

 

As for the PBEO job fair: Don't go there if you want to work in Major League Baseball. Those jobs are basically minor league jobs, where most of them are openings in ticket sales. However, it is a good place to start if you have nothing on your resume. After you get a couple of minor league internships, then you can focus on a Major League one.

 

Again this is just my take on things, but I can tell you that a college degree is in your best interest.

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I think it is ridiculous that MLB teams require a college degree when so many people cheat their way through school these days. The position is more of a skill/passion. If I were running a MLB team I would hire someone with the passion cryptvill seems to have, not some schmuck with a piece of paper.

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QUOTE (rangercal @ Mar 11, 2009 -> 11:31 AM)
I think it is ridiculous that MLB teams require a college degree when so many people cheat their way through school these days. The position is more of a skill/passion. If I were running a MLB team I would hire someone with the passion cryptvill seems to have, not some schmuck with a piece of paper.

 

Most of the scouts now days aren't just a "schmuck" with a piece of paper. They usually played all four years in college, or at the minor league level. Those are the types of guys that get hired, the other group of people that are hired are guys that work hard to get there foot in the door, and after multiple internships are hired by an organization. Once these guys are hired they are sent to scout school over the winter.

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Your best bet is to try and get in touch with a ML scout. Get the Baseball America Directory and pick up the phone. Call the Baseball Operations Departments. You want to seek out an Associate Scouting opportunity. It's the lowest level of scouting. You work with an Area Scout (the next level up). It'll be unpaid. The money sucks even as an Area Scout. In fact, some that I have worked with in the past only get paid if their particular team drafts someone they recommend. So, if you're thinking you'll be able to fully support yourself through scouting off the bat, it's not going to happen.

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QUOTE (rangercal @ Mar 11, 2009 -> 11:31 AM)
I think it is ridiculous that MLB teams require a college degree when so many people cheat their way through school these days. The position is more of a skill/passion. If I were running a MLB team I would hire someone with the passion cryptvill seems to have, not some schmuck with a piece of paper.

 

How about someone with that passion and a piece of paper that shows he can make it through 4 years of college?

 

To be harsh, because it is a harsh world out there, would you really hire someone who came to this forum to figure out how to be a Scout?

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I think it is ridiculous that MLB teams require a college degree when so many people cheat their way through school these days. The position is more of a skill/passion. If I were running a MLB team I would hire someone with the passion cryptvill seems to have, not some schmuck with a piece of paper.

If you were running an MLB team I highly doubt you'd want reports that said "yo, this guy is the shizz."

 

People need to learn how to properly write papers, put together presentations, and use spreadsheets. You can get that education at a community college. Places of business will offer classes or refreshers as well, but if you were running a business, why would you want to pay for someone's classes like that if there are a 1000 other candidates that already know how to use them effectively?

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I'm with you Santo. If I'm running a franchise, my scouts have either showed there committment by attending college, learning how to put together good reports and just a better understanding and education of how things work or they have went through another type of college in a sense, the baseball college (ie, playing through college and into the minors). This isn't to say all minor league players are worthy of being scouts, but certain guys have that eye for talent and they understand exactly what it takes to succeed and can identify players that have that ability even if they didn't.

 

If I'm hiring a guy that didn't have baseball experience, they better A impress the hell out of me with there enthusiasm and overall knowledge of baseball and on top of it have a hell of a resumse because overall there are a lot of people who have an overall interest in becoming a scout or getting involved in baseball and because of that I'm going to be picky as hell and pick the guys with the best overall resumes and that means the kid who busted his ass through college while interning for baseball teams and doing some sort of amateur scouting (I'd hope that his resume would include some amateur scouting reports as well).

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Looking over the Ivy League educations of many baseball GMs, I'm guessing they think education is important also. And there is more than just baseball specific knowledge required. There have been more than a few multi-sport Scouts, some at very high levels. So of someone really does have that enthusiasm and drive, I am certain that drive and enthusiasm could carry them through a four year degree. And while college is also not a guarantee of honesty, with the number of cases of fraud that have been exposed in recent years, character indicators, such as a college degree, will become even more important.

 

I'm thinking a Kinesiology degree with a business minor would be appropriate. Perhaps Psychology or Physiology.

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