Book review - "Prophet of the Sandlots"

Are you getting tired of hearing about statistics being used more and more by front offices in baseball?  Sick of Moneyball?  Well I have a book for you - Prophet of the Sandlots by Mark Winegardner.   The author accompanies the affable scout - Tony Lucadello on scouting trips throughout the mid-west.   Tony was one of the best.  The only tools he used to evaluate players were his two eyes. 

"Prophet" was an interesting read.  Many of Tony's techniques are described in the book.  Tony is a loveable character who you can probably relate to an old uncle or grandfather.   I found it hilarious when Tony was scouting at a college or high school he had to take some time to look under the bleachers for loose change.  He ate the same meals every day and stayed in cheap hotels where he knew the workers.

Tony's Fedora

Tony never quite made it as a ball player, but he had an eye for talent.  Tony could recognize aspects of a player that statistics could not.  He could tell if a good player would fade or an average player could be a star.  He could see holes in a batters swing or verify if a pitchers motion would get him injured.  The book explains his take on the different varieties of scouts as  well as his "Lucadello System" for player development. 

Tony started his scouting career in 1942 with the Chicago Cubs where he discovered (among others) Fergie Jenkins.  Tony left the Cubbies and worked for the Phillies until 1989.  With the the Phillies his big prize was Mike Schmidt.  

If you can get your hands on this book, please do so.  You may be able to find it in your local library system or used from Amazon.com.  In case  you decide to read it, I won't tell you any more about the book or its ending.

Thanks for reading
-Tom