Coaches and Scouts Speak: Pet Peeves at the Field

The spring is here in North Carolina and our staff has been on the road for a month watching games, practices, and workouts getting a feel for the talent across the state.  As we are out we will run into college coaches and pro scouts.  Most will bring up players to see if we have any information, and we will ask the same, knowing they may withhold some information from us as our distribution chain ranges long and far.

In conversation, we have been able to ask several coaches and scouts about some of their “pet peeves” at games as well as some practices that stand out.  Today I get to play the part of the curmudgeon who sits on the front porch, rocking in his chair, telling everyone else what is wrong with the world.  I will discuss some of the things we hear on the road that may come across as cynical, but should allow a player to showcase himself in a positive light.  After all, opportunities can pop up out of nowhere and we all want to take advantage when we have eyes on us.

Numbers During Pregame

Coaches and scouts work to get to games in time to see BP and any pre-game work, including infield/outfield.  All of us may be there to see one player, and typically we will be able to identify that player without much help, but we are watching everyone.  When teams take the field without numbers on Scouts and Coaches are not huddled around each other, working through the rosters to figure out which player is which.  We will watch to see if anyone jumps out, and we may try to figure out who that player is later, but unless someone has a tool that jumps, scouts are not able to discern who is who.