Over the past 20+ years, one program has been a constant for attracting the top players in the Las Vegas valley, formerly known as the Cardinals Scout Team and now the Dodgers Elite Scout Team. Created by the late Las Vegas baseball legend, Manny Guerra, in 1998 as an opportunity for the top players in Southern Nevada to come together and play against surrounding states Scout Teams as well as weekly games against the College of Southern Nevada. 

This program has provided a platform for hundreds of players for players to be seen, including a handful of high round draft picks such as Bryce Harper, Tommy Pham, Cadyn Grenier and Austin Wells among others. 

After the passing of Manny Guerra, the program was carried on by Dodgers Area Scout, Burlin Germany, who now spearheads the operation and played a key role in adopting the Los Angeles Dodgers affiliation in 2018. During Part 1 of the interview, we were able to sit down with Burlin to discuss the rich history of the program, the selection process for the team, the progression of player over the past 20+ years.

When was it the Cardinals/Dodgers Elite Scout Team established?

This program started as the Cardinals Scout Team in the fall of 1998 and became the Dodgers Elite Scout Team for the fall of 2018.

How it was established?

The Cardinals Scout Team was established with Las Vegas baseball legend Manny Guerra, along with local scout Carl Cassell. I joined the staff in 2004 to run the club. As a scout with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Manny moving on from the Cardinals organization, the Dodgers wanted to have the ball club transfer over to their affiliation, so in 2018 we established ourselves as the Dodgers Elite Scout Team. 

How do you identify prospects to fill the roster each year?

We track kids year-round, gathering names and seeing everybody we can. In the Spring high school season, we will travel around school to school to evaluate players and determine the ones we want to invite to the tryout in the next August. We rely not only on players that we see through this evaluation process, but also through recommendations from our close connections with the high school coaches throughout the valley, and college coaches that will always contact us about players they know in the area. Additionally, our tryout is an open tryout, so that gives us a hands-on evaluation period for each player.

What do you look for in the players you are selecting?

Beyond the natural five tools that come in every upper level evaluation and scouting process, we also take heavily into consideration the character of a player, their academics, and coachability. Our goal every season is to put a team on the field that makes the Los Angeles Dodgers proud, the baseball community in Las Vegas proud, and gives collegiate coaches and professional scouts a competitive team to come watch and evaluate from.

What can players expect when they make the Dodgers Elite Scout Team?

Players that make the team will receive coaching and evaluations from some of the best baseball minds and coaches that Las Vegas has to offer. This coaching does not just involve what happens on the diamond, but also includes off the field. Everything we do as a program does not just go towards giving players the opportunity to compete at the next level, but to be as successful as possible at that level. Coaches and scouts come watch this team every year because of the name on their chest and the reputation that this program has built historically; every opportunity to get to the next level will be there. We then go a step further and prepare these players for success at that next level. One of the ways we do that, for example, is the weekly games against the College of Southern Nevada. Going back to the days of Coach Tim Chambers, and now with Coach Nick Garritano, we have always received unbelievable support from them and CSN. CSN plays the scout team every year multiple times, and the help that Coach Chambers established and that Coach Garritano continues to provide every year in preparing these players for the next level (and even in recruiting many to CSN as well) cannot be measured. Without what they have done for this program, our teams would not produce or be as successful as they are. 

How have you seen the players progress over the lifespan of the Scout Team?

Every year brings a new crop of players. The best thing that brings improvement year after year is the fact that we always have a great group of returning players. They know what it takes to be successful on this club and what we expect. So, while they improve, they are also bringing their new teammates up to speed. So, every year, the product continues to improve. On top of this, add in that the talent keeps getting better and better in this valley, so the formula keeps getting multiplied. 

Playing in this program myself, it allowed me to see how I stacked up against the best players in the Las Vegas valley. I was able to play with some extremely talented players that have gone onto have successful collegiate and professional careers. This program was one of the vital pieces that allowed me to progress as a player which ultimately lead to me getting drafted out of Green Valley High School. 

In the next installment of the Cardinals/Dodgers Elite story, we will dive into the extended roster of former prospects that have lead onto successful collegiate and professional careers with player insight on their time with the program.