University of St. Thomas, Minnesota UST Research Online Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership School of Education 2017 Tastes for True Talent: How Professional Baseball Scouts Define aleT nt and Decide Who Gets to Play Scott inesG University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.stthomas.edu/caps_ed_lead_docdiss Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Gines, Scott, "Tastes for True Talent: How Professional Baseball Scouts Define aleT nt and Decide Who Gets to Play" (2017). Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership. 90. https://ir.stthomas.edu/caps_ed_lead_docdiss/90 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Education at UST Research Online. It has been accepted for inclusion in Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership by an authorized administrator of UST Research Online. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Tastes for True Talent: How Professional Baseball Scouts Define Talent and Decide Who Gets to Play A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP, AND COUNSELING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA By D. Scott Gines IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION 2017 @ 2017 D. Scott Gines ALL RIGHTS RESERVED i Abstract A growing body of research focuses on talent identification as a critical building block in the process of talent development. Professional baseball scouts’ level of expertise in identifying baseball talent directly impacts organizations’ competitive success at the Major League level, yet the performance productivity of MLB franchises’ draft selections fails to generate a positive rate of investment return. This qualitative, phenomenological study examined how 13 veteran, professional baseball scouts define player attributes and make decisions to identify or eliminate prospects. My analysis of participants’ in-depth, reflexive interviews employed the theoretical lens of reflective knowledge (Schon, 1983), talent development (Bloom, 1985; Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde, and Whalen, 1993), and performance expertise (Ericsson, 1993; 1996; 1998; 2007, June; 2009). My findings outlined a three-stage talent identification model and uncovered three trends found within professional baseball scouts’ talent identification mindsets and prospect decision-making. First, scouts’ dispositional mindset influences comparative recall and visual knowledge. Second, the makeup traits of competitive adaptability, extra effort, instinct and intellect are highly valued. Third, guess, gut, and instinct integrated with visual knowledge and valued makeup traits direct scouts’ player selection decisions. These outcomes clarify the sources of scouts’ talent identification knowledge, their preferred prospect attributes, and their player selection tendencies. In response to these findings, I recommended six benchmarks that frame the cognitive fundamentals of effective baseball scouting. These fundamentals provide a framework directed toward increasing MLB franchises’ net yield for successful Major League player identification, selection, and development. Key Words: professional baseball scout, talent identification, performance expertise, intuition, repertoire, visual knowledge iii Acknowledgements Eldridge (2010) asks the question – who can give a man his name? Over time I am blessed to answer to the names of “husband,” “son,” “father,” “brother,” and “coach.” Other titles (and nicknames) exist, but the completion of this study grants me the privilege to assume a new name (title, really) that I never anticipated. I read John Wooden’s They Call Me Coach (1971) at the age of 13, and growing up across the street from three college head coaches and an athletics director I set my sights to become one of them. I doggedly pursued this vision, and those personal goals later became reality. What unfolded without closure was the pursuit of an Ed.D in sport psychology at the University of Virginia (1983-87). Although incomplete (ABD), my advisor (Dr. Bob Rotella) transformed my understanding of athletic performance expertise and coaching leadership. Bob served as a reader in this project, but I am most grateful for the interpretive seeds of performance psychology and the questioning mind he cultivated in me so long ago. This educational pursuit nearly unfolded without closure and resulted in a second ABD. Thank you to Dr. Sarah Noonan for an unanticipated outreach in 2015, and for her candor, zeal, and persistence in getting me “unstuck” on this topic and moving forward with clarity. To my chair, Dr. Tom Fish, I convey my deepest gratitude and sincere appreciation for agreeing to take me on and for shepherding me through with his even-keeled demeanor and insightful guidance. Sincere thanks to our committee “draft pick,” Dr. Steve Emerson, for his keen insights and permeating questions – it proved so valuable to have a baseball mind at the table. iv This study is born of personal experiences, a sincere passion for talent identification, and the leadership influence of “brothers in baseball” too numerous to name. I am proud to share that on 10 occasions Division I baseball programs were or are led by one of my former assistant coaches or players. Special thanks to Joe, Marlin, and Terry for helping “Gunny” connect with scout participants. I am so exceedingly proud of each of you - for the work you do and the calling you live every day. Thank you to my 13 scout participants – this is about you. I hate that circumstances do not allow me to acknowledge you publicly by name, but please know that my gratitude overflows and in my perspective you lead lives of great significance. Well done! One of the most shaping and transformational experiences of my “baseball life” encompassed 27 years as the co-director of the Virginia Baseball Camps, Inc. The blessings are so profuse and the relationships so cherished, words are inadequate. However, the brotherly love, guidance, and wisdom of Dennis Womack, the man who first hired me, took a chance on me as a college assistant, and later camp director, swells my heart with thanksgiving. God put you in my life, Dennis, and I am eternally grateful. Camp gratitude is not complete without acknowledging the influence and expertise of our longest-tenured instructor, C. “Bubba” Dorman. A rock, a man of God, and a beacon of baseball insight few ever achieve. Thank you, brother. This is long, but so is my doctoral journey. I take permissive license as author. This process began before the deaths and the births of many. It began before the births of our children (Patrick and Kelly). The insufficiency of words coalesces here, and my wife, Ginger, stands at the point. How do I say “thank you” for faithfully persisting through the journey of coaching nearly 1,000 college baseball games, directing almost 100 sessions of camp, and enduring my v cumulative years of evaluating prospects on the road. One of your cards is ever-present on my desk, and the inside reads: “You are all that I want, and more than I deserve. I love you.” I often find those words hard to believe about me, but it so accurately describes the affections of my heart for you. In the spirit of scouts’ “tastes for true talent,” you are my greatest scouting discovery (God directed me) and overachievement in my life (Hall of Fame). We can now check this educational pursuit off my “list” and attune our hearts to how God wants to expand our territory in the next chapter of our life. Carpe Diem. DSG April 8, 2017 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................1 Problem Statement, Significance, and purpose .........................................................................3 Research Question ....................................................................................................................6 Definition of Terms...................................................................................................................7 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .............................................................................................13 Evolution of the History of Professional Baseball Scouts ........................................................13 Baseball Talents, Tools, an Attributes ......................................................................................24 The Arm .................................................................................................................................24 The Legs.................................................................................................................................27 The Power ..............................................................................................................................28 The Fourth Attribute: Love for Playing the Game ................................................................29 Tastes for Talent .......................................................................................................................37 Nature v. Nurture Debate .......................................................................................................37 Defining, Identifying, and Probing the Presence of Talent ...................................................39 Tastes for Talent in Sport .......................................................................................................43 Summary