Rick Monday---1969
"Scouting...you work in a very gray
arena, where your bosses expect
black and white answers,"
Leon Wurth, scout
In life, there is always a No. 1; and
Rick Monday holds that distinction in
baseball.
A product of Arizona State University,
Monday was the first overall selection
in the first Major League Baseball
Free Agent Draft held in 1965.
After owners spent an alarming $7
million dollars on unproven talent in
1964, led by University of
Wisconsin's Rick Reichardt's
$205,000 bonus from the Los
Angeles Angels, baseball created
their draft to limit the upward spiral of
bonuses and to help evenly distribute
talent.
A sophomore at ASU, Monday hit
.345 with 11 home runs in helping the
Sun Devils down Ohio State in
College World Series. He was the
overwhelming No. 1 choice, selected
by the Kansas City A's. Billings (MT)
prep hurler Les Rohr went to the New
York Mets with the second overall
pick of the draft.
After signing a contract with a
$104,000 bonus, Monday went on to
enjoy a 19-year career that included
two All-Star Game appearances and
five dances in the post-season,
highlighted by the Dodgers six-game
waltz over the Yankees in 1981.
Though his numbers fell short of Hall
of Fame caliber, as he hit .264 with
241 big flies, Monday did have a
solid career.
As for Les Rohr, he went on to win
just two games in parts of three
seasons with the Metropolitans.
Oops.
Around the game, scouting is
referred to as an "inexact science."
Scouts rely on their observations,
instincts and their personal history
data bank of watching players to form
an opinion of the player. Yes,
nowadays, stats do come in to play.
But as we say in the scouting
business, "a stat can't measure
heart."
Amen.
(6/3/08)
arena, where your bosses expect
black and white answers,"
Leon Wurth, scout
In life, there is always a No. 1; and
Rick Monday holds that distinction in
baseball.
A product of Arizona State University,
Monday was the first overall selection
in the first Major League Baseball
Free Agent Draft held in 1965.
After owners spent an alarming $7
million dollars on unproven talent in
1964, led by University of
Wisconsin's Rick Reichardt's
$205,000 bonus from the Los
Angeles Angels, baseball created
their draft to limit the upward spiral of
bonuses and to help evenly distribute
talent.
A sophomore at ASU, Monday hit
.345 with 11 home runs in helping the
Sun Devils down Ohio State in
College World Series. He was the
overwhelming No. 1 choice, selected
by the Kansas City A's. Billings (MT)
prep hurler Les Rohr went to the New
York Mets with the second overall
pick of the draft.
After signing a contract with a
$104,000 bonus, Monday went on to
enjoy a 19-year career that included
two All-Star Game appearances and
five dances in the post-season,
highlighted by the Dodgers six-game
waltz over the Yankees in 1981.
Though his numbers fell short of Hall
of Fame caliber, as he hit .264 with
241 big flies, Monday did have a
solid career.
As for Les Rohr, he went on to win
just two games in parts of three
seasons with the Metropolitans.
Oops.
Around the game, scouting is
referred to as an "inexact science."
Scouts rely on their observations,
instincts and their personal history
data bank of watching players to form
an opinion of the player. Yes,
nowadays, stats do come in to play.
But as we say in the scouting
business, "a stat can't measure
heart."
Amen.
(6/3/08)
