When Jim Russo was a scout he was paid to evaluate players, now he gives his opinions on owners and managers. 'A well written, humorous and insightful book that will help many understand the challenges of becoming a major leaguer.'
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Editorial Reviews
From Kirkus Reviews
As a scout for the Baltimore Orioles (originally the St. Louis Browns) from 1952-87, Russo participated in one of baseball's most prestigious and successful franchises. Here, in a loosely structured series of anecdotes, he offers an enjoyable look at those years. Hired in 1952 as a ``commission scout'' for the floundering Browns (paid $100 for each step a player made up the baseball ladder, a scout earned $1,000 if his discovery made the major leagues), Russo had the task of signing quality players for little or no bonus money and not much more than promises. By 1958, he was in charge of 26 states and 14 scouts. The club was in Baltimore by then, and their perennial goal was to knock off the hated New York Yankees. The Orioles finally did that in 1966 and, as Russo proudly points out, with the exceptions of Frank Robinson and Luis Aparicio, they beat the Yanks with home-grown talent. Over the next 20 years, there would be more division and league championships and a few World Series rings. Russo recounts that period with fond, sharp remembrance, profiling the players, managers, and owners he worked with: Earl Weaver, the Robinsons Frank and Brooks, Bill Veeck, Boog Powell, Jim Palmer, and numerous others. Of particular interest are his behind-the-scenes accounts of the scouting and signing of players like Palmer, Dave McNally, Wally Bunker, Davey Johnson, and others. As a judge of talent, a front office confidant, and a pioneer in scouting the other league prior to a World Series, Russo ``saw them all'' and does not hesitate to offer his frank evaluations. Despite a lack of personal data and a confusing chronological sequence: a dandy, feisty take on the grand old game. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Grandfather,
This review is from: Super Scout: Thirty-Five Years of Major League Scouting (Hardcover)
This is a chronicle about my grandfather and his life and his life as well as his unique take on the America's Game. His days were the days before "Moneyball" or SaberMetrics or any of the statistical analysis that turns players into mere numbers and stats. He was able to get to the heart of it all and judge a man based off of his character and not just his performance. He was a very successful man in a time where intuition played a larger part in baseball than it does today. In all aspects of life Jim Russo was a "Super"man. He was a great scout, father, and to me a grandfather for 12 years until he passed away. This is a chronicle of his professional life, but no one knew him quite like his family.
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