THE SCOUTING CLASSROOM Stories Behind the Report WHAT DOESN’T BELONG IN THE SCOUTING REPORT Separating What You Know From What You Think You Know. A scouting report can influence a young man’s professional future. Where he’s drafted, what he’s offered, or whether an organization pursues him at all. That’s a tremendous responsibility for someone sitting behind the backstop with a radar gun, stopwatch and notebook. During my 20 years scouting for the Angels and Brewers, I learned that what you leave out of a report can be as important as what you put into it. OBSERVATION VS. INTERPRETATION There’s a difference between what you witnessed and what you believe it means. A player strikes out and slams his helmet. That’s an observation. Calling him immature, selfish or a poor teammate based on that incident is an interpretation. Maybe he’s frustrated with himself. Perhaps it’s part of a pattern worth investigating. One incident doesn’t establish a player’s makeup. A good scout recognizes the behavior and gathers more information before reaching a conclusion. INFORMATION VS. RUMOR Background work is an important responsibility of an Area Scout. You’re talking with coaches, teammates and instructors who’ve watched a player develop. But not every source carries the same credibility. One coach questions a player’s work ethic. Another calls him the hardest worker on the team. Who’s right? How long has each known him? Have they worked directly with him? Are their opinions based on repeated observations or one disagreement? Personal relationships and past conflicts can influence what people tell you. Your job isn’t simply collecting information. It’s determining whether that information is reliable. MAKEUP REQUIRES MORE THAN A CONVERSATION Makeup can separate players with similar physical ability. Competitiveness, preparation, coachability, accountability and handling adversity all matter. But makeup isn’t established through one conversation or a handshake after a game. Watch how a player prepares and responds to failure. Does he adjust? How does he interact with teammates and coaches when things aren’t going well? Compare those observations with credible background information. A makeup evaluation should be built over time, not formed from one impression. WORDS CARRY CONSEQUENCES Scouting reports become part of an organization’s decision-making process. Your words may be read by Crosscheckers, Supervisors, Scouting Directors and front-office personnel who’ve never met the player. They’re depending on you to paint an accurate picture. Describe a player as lacking effort, having poor makeup or being difficult to coach, and those statements can follow him through the evaluation process. That doesn’t mean avoiding legitimate concerns. If there’s a weakness, document it. If there’s a pattern of questionable behavior, investigate it and communicate your findings appropriately. But distinguish firsthand observations from secondhand information. Never present speculation as fact. THE REPORT ISN’T ABOUT YOU A scouting report isn’t a place to settle disagreements, demonstrate how critical you can be or prove you’re the smartest evaluator in the ballpark. It’s an objective assessment of present ability, future projection, strengths, weaknesses and relevant background. Sometimes that means including an uncomfortable truth. Other times, it means leaving out something you cannot substantiate. Both require professional judgment. THE LESSON An Area Scout owes his organization an accurate evaluation and owes the player fairness. Those responsibilities aren’t in conflict. Accuracy serves both. Your job is to evaluate the player, not damage his reputation. If you’re putting something in writing that could affect his future, you’d better be able to support it. #BehindTheRadarGun 🔎