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How to Become a Major League Baseball Scout
The path to becoming a Major League Baseball Scout is not an easy one but if you are passionate about doing it and committed to working hard until you get there, then it is possible. Be prepared to put in a lot of time networking and working without pay helping current baseball scouts.
According to the MLB’s website there is no formal career path to follow for scouts; the best way to get your foot in the door is to get to know someone who is currently working as a scout and spend time with them.
Former baseball players and managers will have the easiest time making connections but it’s not impossible for anyone else. The most important thing is that you are passionate about becoming a scout and that it is something you really want to do, and not just a passing fancy.
The first step is being appointed as an associate scout, which is a volunteer position. An associate is required to help the area scout with his job and collect information. This is a chance to get to know the high school coaches in the area and become practiced in evaluating players. Congratulations! You are on your way to landing your dream job.
If you succeed as an associate you may get a job as an area scout–a paid position! You are now a Major League Scout. Here you will be responsible for scouting all players in a geographic area-remember, you will have help from associates in your region, who are hoping to be promoted someday.
The area supervisor is in charge of all the area scouts in a region. You will have more responsibility in this job and many more scouting reports to take care of.
The next promotion may be as national cross checker, whose job it is to collect information on the top players and make sure the evaluations are consistent. This is how you know you've really made it to the top!
Tip
A good scout must be pro-active in finding about the top schools and players in his area and make sure he keeps himself informed. Organization is very important as there is a lot of information to keep on top of as well as being open to the stream of new prospects trying to get the attention of a scout.
Anyone who is serious about becoming a scout should definitely try to get sent to one of the scout schools run by the Major League Scouting Bureau. These scout schools are held in Arizona every fall. Major league teams can send people who are interested in learning to become a scout-these are usually former players or team employees.
As the game of baseball has grown and become more international so has scouting. There are scouts and scouting opportunities all over the world, especially in Latin America and the Pacific Rim where more players are developing and being drafted into the major leagues. If you are passionate about becoming a major league baseball scout, opportunities abound–but it is up to you to make your dream come true.
Tips
- A good scout must be pro-active in finding about the top schools and players in his area and make sure he keeps himself informed. Organization is very important as there is a lot of information to keep on top of as well as being open to the stream of new prospects trying to get the attention of a scout.
- Anyone who is serious about becoming a scout should definitely try to get sent to one of the scout schools run by the Major League Scouting Bureau. These scout schools are held in Arizona every fall. Major league teams can send people who are interested in learning to become a scout-these are usually former players or team employees.
- As the game of baseball has grown and become more international so has scouting. There are scouts and scouting opportunities all over the world, especially in Latin America and the Pacific Rim where more players are developing and being drafted into the major leagues. If you are passionate about becoming a major league baseball scout, opportunities abound–but it is up to you to make your dream come true.
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