Bill The Media Hall Director.The Forming Years- Working for the Braves

       First today I want to thank Bill. He runs the media area and food hall for the San Diego Padres. He does a great job looking after everything and I want to thank him for the way he treats the scouts. Tim Schmidt -AZ D Backs scout personally went up to him and shook his hand and told him thank you. I thought that was great. Bill likes the Reds and he's excited for May when we come to Petco for 4 days. I would recommend a vacation for everyone-San Diego is beautiful, the ball park is a great place to be and by that time our Reds from the help of the BLOG will be near First Place.   

     As we call them the forming years, before we grow up and have some kind of assemblance of what we are really doing. I was fortunate to work for the Atlanta Braves in my forming years. I was fortunate to work for the great John Schuerholz and  Asst GM Dean Taylor. Never really got to work under John and learn things from him but when he set up an organization- he let the people that ran those dept's run them.

    My first Boss with the Braves was a man named Chuck LaMar. I Love Chuck. He is by far the best motivator I have ever been around, he was outstanding-he used to make me want to be the best scout in the universe. Quick story when I had left Baseball the first time-Seattle Mariners, my friend Bart Braun an outstanding scout for the Tampa Bay Rays called me at 10PM PST , he said to me call Chuck LaMar right now he's looking for a scout in the Northwest. So I called him immediately, I told him I would be the best person for that Northwest job and he shot back at me-Mr Baccala I'll be the judge of that. WOW! hit me right in the face. I was flown to Atlanta a week later and then given the job the following day. Chuck LaMar went on to be the GM of the Devil Rays and is now the Pro Scouting Director for the Philadelphia Phillies. Chuck had the reputation of being militant, but I saw a different person-I like Chuck LaMar.

     We had an unbelievable scouting staff. Here's a list of the stars. Dayton Moore-KC Royals General Manager, Dave Wilder-Asst To GM Chicago White Sox. Scott Nethery-Asst To GM Cincinnati Reds, Roy Clark Scouting Director-Atlanta Braves, Deric Ladner-KC Royals Scouting Director, John Flannery-Cross-Checker with KC and Steve Jongewaard a cross-checker with the Seattle Mariners, thats just to name a few were all spread out over the baseball world.

     We were a very competitive group of scouts always wanting to out do the other, but always remaining competitively friendly. We were on a hunt for ANIMALS, players that were gonna be strong enough mentally and physically to someday play in Turner Stadium.

     Our Organization was built around Pitching and Middle field defense. Animals on the corners that could hit and have sock in there bats and a manager Bobby Cox that had the respect of the normal player as well as the Superstar.

     Its pretty easy to preach pitching when you have Steve Avery (in which we named our son after) Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and then Greg Maddux-an unbelievable staff two home grown Avery And Glavine. We also developed Jason Schmidt, Jason Marquis, Kevin Millwood, Joe Nelson,Bruce Chen,Rob Bell and many others that I'm just having a recollection problem right now, but the key was they were all strong minded and it didn't hurt that we had guys like Bruce Del Canton,Jerry Nyman and others raising our pitchers.

      The reason I wrote about the Braves was because I see many similaraties beteen our club and there's, I can say it because I was there from 1990-1999. Thru the championships, the good scouting, the good player development. I'm happy to say with pride our Reds organization is so close to doing what they did-have a solid Major League team and a consistent flow of Minor Leaguers that you could use to trade for players to help your club, or the Bruce's, Cueto's, Bailey's that u want to keep for your club.

      We are at that point. Our player development is doing a good job, because now were getting them good players- You can't make chicken salad out of horse shit. From 2000-2003 our drafts were I'm sorry to say horrible. We weren't a team. I felt sorry for Kasey McKeon- great scout, great instincts but didn't have the people helping him as the Scouting Director that u need.

      Were developing Pitching now because we have a Pitching Coordinator named Mack Jenkins that loves and cares about the players, plus it helps he can coach. We have Teddy Powers, we have Joe Ayrault an ex Braves player- he gets it. The Cincinnati Reds are a united group- I couldn't say that when I joined the staff in 2000.

       Well I'm headed home tonight after the Game. Get to see the family for late dinner then the morning. I go to the Doctor again Monday morning- My Doctor is awesome Dr Fox- he wears one of those things around his head with a light coming out the front and his office is in an old house right above the Downtown area of Colfax. went to the DR for the first time in 20 years last week not a good thing to do-my blood pressure was sky high, they gave me some pills and had me give blood. Looked good blood wise-no high chlosterol or Diabetes but I had some abnormality in my EKG-the Pumper so after I see the Rockies, I have the old stress test to determine whats going on. Truly feel like I will be fine- I'm overweigth. I have begun to lose weight and last night for the first time in 3 years I slept thru the entire night. Man that felt good. Looking forward to watching Peavy and Webb- a matchup of the two premier pitchers in the NL West.

     Until we talk again from AT&T park- Good day everyone. After we win today in SF the Blog will be 2-0. National Holiday noy yet, but the writer from Sports Illustrated left me an e-mail again-he is going to ask the Reds permission at my insistence if he can write an article about the blog. Could be alot of fun, maybe my wife ill start liking me again. You know in baseball season your on waivers everyday, thats why ther's no mailman or milkman that come to my house.

    And the one golden rule I've had my entire Married Life- call home before you go home, to show up without warning. that would be terrible if something really happened, I'll go with what I don't know won't kill me. You All knopw why by now. THERES NO CRYING IN BASEBALL.

     Keep It Real

     Butch Baccala

    ML Scout Cincinnati Reds

     bbaccala@vzw.blackberry.com

Comments

[Rick D in Chicago]

Butch,

Thanks for your honesty. I think it's pretty apparent that we had shitty drafts in the time period that you mention. No need to beat a dead horse there. I know the players tried and it just didn't work out for whatever reason.

Who in the organization flies under the radar that makes you "if this guy connects the dots, then we got one hell of a guy"?

Also, what the heck happened to Barry Zito?

Thanks,
RICK