Skills Showcase
Armed with radar guns, stopwatches and clipboards, scouts from many of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball converged on Pullman Park Wednesday afternoon.
They were there to see the best players in the league, which is full of college baseball players and pro hardball hopefuls, go through workouts and drills before the Prospect League All-Star Game.
“The Prospect League, to me, every year has gotten better,” said Milwaukee Brewers scout Don Fontana. “It's a league that is a priority for us to scout. One thing my boss said, 'You need to make sure you watch that league in the summer.'”
Fontana is a regional scout for the Brewers and lives in the Pittsburgh area.
He watched as players took batting practice, fielding grounders in the infield and made throws from the outfield.
The scouts also graded catcher's on their throwing ability from home to second base.
Fontana said a showcase like this is not the place where he picks a player's skill set apart.
“All we're doing is trying to make our list for next spring stronger,” Fontana said. “Maybe look at a kid for the first time, or get another look at a kid we've seen already so next spring, when time is really tight, we spend the time watching the kids on the top of that list.”
Fontana was looking for raw skills in particular.
“These guys are not a finished product,” he said. “What you are looking for is glimpses of a skill set. The two skills that always play are speed and throwing. Arm strength is the one thing that really seems to be diminishing.
“Those two skills (speed and arm strength) should be able to play every day,” he added. “That doesn't slump.”
As far as pitchers go, Fontana was looking at mechanics, body build and arm action.
“The last thing I'll do is pick up a radar gun,” he said.
Jarrett England, a scout for the New York Mets, said he was looking for many of the same things.
England traveled from Tennessee to get a look at the Prospect League All-Stars.
“These are some of the better players playing summer ball,” England said. “There are some big colleges represented here. I'm not picking these guys apart. Just looking for names to put in the system. I'm looking for something intriguing.”
England has traveled most of the country looking at baseball talent over the past five years.
“It's fun. I love it, man,” he said, smiling. “I get to travel around watching baseball. I couldn't ask for a better job.”
Butler BlueSox infielder Matt Peters fared well in his workout, particularly the fielding portion where he showed off his soft hands and strong, accurate arm at shortstop.
Peters admitted to feeling the jitters knowing there were numerous scouts in the stadium watching his every move.
“You just have to treat it like a practice,” Peters said. “Do what you would normally do and hope they see something they like. Everybody is a little bit nervous, but you just have to give it your best shot.”
