Cliffy T

Scouting Matters! The Boston Red Sox selected Jeff Bagwell in the fourth round (110th overall) of the 1989 Major League Amateur Baseball draft. In his first professional assignment, the Red Sox sent Jeff Bagwell to Single-A, Winter Haven Red Sox in the Florida State League, where in 1989 he batted .310 with two home runs. Then in 1990, while playing for the Double-A New Britain Red Sox, Bagwell won the Eastern League MVP Award. In 136 games with New Britain, he batted .333 with 160 hits, 4 HR’s, 61 RBI, 34 doubles, seven triples, 73 BB, 57 strikeouts, 422 OBP, .457 SLG. He finished first in the league in hits and doubles, second in batting, OBP and OPS, fourth in BB’s, fifth in SLG, ninth in runs scored and tenth in RBI’s. Late in the 1990 season, the Red Sox, who were in search of relief pitching to improve their chances of making the playoffs contacted the Houston Astros about RHP Larry Andersen. Stan Benjamin who scouted the New England region for the Houston Astros, recommended that they ask for Jeff Bagwell in return. The Astros initially hesitated concerned about his sparse home run production, but Scout Stan Benjamin stuck to his guns and didn’t waver, and persuaded the Astros quipping that “New Britain's Beehive Field was so large that Babe Ruth couldn't hit home runs in that ballpark.”’ On August 30, 1990, the Red Sox took the Astros' offer. The trade is now considered one of the most one-sided trades in baseball history. Jeff Bagwell went on to be inducted into MLB’s Hall of Fame. Scouting matters! Whether it’s Intentional scouting, Pro scouting or Amateur scouting, it matters!