Of all the mail we get to WebBall, what surprises us most is the high number of questions about scouting. Players want to know how to get scouted of course. But more than that coaches want to know how to be scouts.

We turned to Kurt Kemp for some general guidelines and how peope become scouts. Please understand this is not an absolute answer. But it represents both his inside insights and info from other sources as well.

That said, see the bottom of the page for the better question - why should you become a scout?

QHow does anyone become a scout?

AScouts usually land in the scouting business via one or two different routes. Some scouts are former professional players who have a background in the professional game. They have played with and against other professional players and have a level of experience in seeing which players became Major League Players and which ones did not make it. Other scouts come to the game from the angle of having experience evaluating players over a period of time. An example would be a former high school or college coach who has spent many years evaluating players.

QHow do you connect with a team?

A

It's not mandatory to be affiliated with a Major League team but you have to have someone or some organization that wants and values your opinion and evaluations. You could speak to some scouts in your local geographic region and see if they know of any specific job openings in your area. It would then be up to you to contact the scouting departments of the individual clubs to let them know of your interest in a scouting position and to find out about the specific hiring process.

QIs this a full-time job?

A

Another option would be to try to get on as an Associate Scout or a part-time scout so that you can get your foot in the door with a specific organization in hopes that your work may lead to a full-time position at some point down the road. Many organizations utilize part-time and associate scouts in certain areas of the country. A part-time scout might possibly receive a small stipend and/or have expenses paid for.

QWhat about the guys we see locally?

A

An associate scout  does not receive any financial compensation but just goes to games in his area and reports to the area scout if he sees someone he deems to be a prospect. The experience gained as a part-time or associate scout may possibly lead to a full-time scouting position at some point down the road. [Editor's note: the first rung is as a volunteer, often called a 'bird dog' scout. Often the 'obvious' scouts - wearing team caps with guns in hand are bird dogs.]

QHow do you learn the finer points of scouting?

A

The final stage is to go to the Major League Scouting Bureau scout school but this is not open to the public, a person must still have sponsorship from a Major League team in order to attend the MLSB school. [Editor's note: we understand that very infrequently there might be a session for non-sponsored individuals. The advice might be valuable; it would not get you a position.]

QCan anyone be a scout?

A

[This answer from WebBall's Richard Todd...]
To Kurt's comments above, I would add that you need to take seriously the info on WebBall about player evaluations. If you can't spot the details, can't see the subtleties, and don't have experience with kids at different ages (right through college), you won't be able to project their forward development - and projectability is the key to effective scouting and successful scouts.

The other catch is that there really is nowhere to go to learn to be a scout - until you are already recognized as one. The Major League Scouting Bureau does run training (as noted above), but only by invitation or referral - meaning some club already wants you... and for that to happen you would have had to prove your worth already - through the networking and bird-dogging role of an unpaid associate (as Kurt explained above).

Q Why Would You Become a Scout?

A

[This answer from WebBall's Richard Todd...]
This is the other side of the coin. I challenge anyone who thinks their most valuable contribution to the future of baseball is to become a scout. We at WebBall would rather see you as a coach than a scout - no matter what your background.

If you've already been a parent-coach, then baseball needs you again. You may have become a mentor for kids, and as we've said elsewhere on the website, many young people need this kind of focus, direction and guidance in their lives. It's hard to find parents willing to take on the task and too often they go through their own kids growing years and then quit - just when they've started to learn something about the art of teaching and the skills of baseball. If your own kids are grown now and either advanced beyond your coaching abilities or (sadly) dropped baseball, then better that you should start the cycle over again with the next generation of enthusiastic youngsters.

If you've been a non-parent coach already, then it's likely you've continued to learn about the physical and mental skills needed in players. And you're just the kind of person that youth baseball needs at even the youngest levels - to help out those parent-coaches who may be in over their heads. Stick with it, please.

If you're a former player looking to stay in baseball in some capacity, your insider knowledge of the pro game is invaluable. Your experience and perspective as a former player is something that young teens especially will pay attention to. Can you say 'role model'?

Final point: Many youth coaches at the older levels (high school age) also work as bird dogs, so becoming a coach is also a good way to become a scout.