Pirate Raid
From the Free Lance-Star:
THE RICHEST TEAM in baseball usually doesn’t try to raid one of the poorest for talent. That’s why Tony Beasley thought someone was kidding when he was told the New York Yankees wanted to interview him.
The Yankees had an opening for their Triple-A managerial job in Columbus, and they were impressed with the job Beasley had done in five years managing in the spendthrift Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization. So they called and asked to talk to the Bowling Green native.
He didn’t get that job–it went to former Cincinnati Reds skipper Dave Miley–but the Yankees liked Beasley enough to hire him as a roving minor-league fielding instructor.
I wonder if he’ll be as good at listening to problems as Mrs. Beasley?
With the contracts of Jeter, A-Rod, and Giambi – and the presence of Cano – it might be a long time until the big league club benefits directly from his work. But, when you look at his track record, it seems like a good idea to have this man on your staff somewhere.
I’d rather know what they’re doing at the scouting level. With the $$ they have, they should have scouts all over the world, and a pipeline of players coming out of the system.
They run that organization the way they’re supposed to, there wouldn’t be as much of a need to go to the FA market as much as they do.
There are no NEW places to be opened up to ML scouting. Every baseball-playing country, including China, Korea, Madagascar, what-have-you, is literally crawling with scouts. The time when having more cash allowed you first crack at places like Japan, the Dominican, Aruba, Venezuela, etc. has long past. It’s a seller’s market now. I’m sure Felix Hernandez was known by 90% of the teams in baseball…he went with the Mariners because his idol was fellow Venezuelan Freddy Garcia. BTW, check out the kids the Yankees have in the low minors right now…Tabata, Vecchionacci, de la Rosa, etc….they’re pretty impressive. The Yankees’ problem is scouting at the major league level — both in acquiring players and in game-planning opponents — not the amateur level.
Actually, Felix Hernandez went with the Mariners because they offered him more money.
There are no NEW places to be opened up to ML scouting.
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There’s no need to go to new places, current places are hardly close to being tapped out.
They could always check where Ed Porray was born.