PBSHOF gives credit to those who identify baseball talent
Professional scouts are baseball nomads, solitary individuals who traverse their territory in constant pursuit of players with potential.It's a life characterized by seemingly endless processions of amateur ball fields and generic hotel rooms, and anonymity in the world at large is virtually guaranteed. Those who embrace such a profession certainly don't do it for the recognition.
But recognition is what these men are finally getting, thanks to the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame (PBSHOF). This unprecedented shrine to scouting was established in 2008 by the Goldklang Group, which operates three Minor League ballclubs -- the Charleston RiverDogs, Fort Myers Miracle, Hudson Valley Renegades -- and the independent league St. Paul Saints. The PBSHOF exists at all four of these team's facilities, with new members inducted each season. Criteria include a minimum of 20 years experience, with selection also based on "quantifiable success in the field, contributions made to the game in other areas ... and involvement to the local community that is honoring them through induction."
Twenty-eight scouts are members of the PBSHOF, including the five who have been (or will be) inducted this season. This year's honorees include Terry Ryan and Dave Yoakum (Fort Myers, March 30), Jax Robertson (Charleston, April 30), Bob Miske (Hudson Valley, July 10), and Ken Stauffer (St. Paul, August 12).
