When you play ball in front of a scout, you’re really auditioning for a job, much in the same way that young actors, dancers, or musicians audition for their jobs. You’ve probably heard the old line that “there’s a light for every broken heart on Broadway.” Much more than Broadway, baseball is a very competitive business, and getting signed to a pro contract is not easy.
It is important to for you to understand that playing professional baseball is just that a profession, a job, a career. A scout is paid by the ball club not just to reward nice guys who had a good year in high school or college, but to find talented people who can make solid contributions to the future of the team. That’s why the scout’s evaluation is so important. He must decide just how good a youngster will be in a few years. Will he get better, or has he already peaked?
It’s not uncommon for a Scout to draft a player a college player who is second string instead of a player playing first string and the first string player not get drafted. In the coaches eyes the first stringer is right now the better player and the scout would likely agree but, in the terms of long range potential, the scout sees that the second stringer WILL BE bigger, stronger and the better player in the end.
So if you are not starting DON’T GIVE UP you may end up being the better player in the eyes of the scout.
Sometimes a SCOUT may suspect that a player is playing out of position and given the chance to play somewhere else the player may become an all-star. This has happened on many occasions. A player that comes to mind is Dale Murphy. When Dale played for us he became an all-star and had a great career in the outfield. You may be surprised to learn that Dale used to be a catcher. He had problems throwing to second base but he still had a good bat. So we, (The Braves), found a place where he became an all-star. THE SAME CAN HAPPEN TO YOU!!
This week’s question comes from Mike and Sara both from New Tazewell. “If I’m not starting now do I still have a chance to be good?”
Mike and Sara after reading your question, it prompted me to write this column. YES, you can still”‘be good”. As”I mentioned before, sometimes players develop later than others. Trust me when I say, SCOUTS know this and they are trained to find those with talent. Please do not worry if you are a player starting or not Me or another Scout will find you. Keep trying!
Johnny Smith is a native of Claiborne County, Tenn., and is a 1977 graduate of Powell Valley High School. He is under contract with the Atlanta Braves. He currently resides in Knoxville with his wife and twin daughters. Any questions, comments or speaking invitations may be directed to Smith at johnnysmithscout @claiborneprogress.net.
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