Bud Selig, Jerry West, Frank McCourt & Tommy Lasorda |
LOS ANGELES -- While baseball legends such as Hall of Famers Dave Winfield, Tommy Lasorda, Frank Robinson, Robin Roberts and Bob Feller highlighted the seventh annual Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation Awards Dinner on Saturday, it was the unheralded scouts who were the real stars of the event.
The event, now called the "In the Spirit of the Game," was held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel and drew more than 1,500 guests while raising funds for scouts in need of financial assistance.
It's the brainchild of former agent and current White Sox advisor to the chairman Dennis Gilbert, who estimated the event has raised more than $1 million and aided more than 50 scouts.
"It allows the scouts to have security and can help them if they're sick or injured," Gilbert said. "We're here to help them. We've been able to raise a lot of money to help these scouts."
The event was hosted by CNN's Larry King and former big league reliever Rob Dibble with comedian Joe Piscopo serving as master of ceremonies. It also featured an amusing comedy routine by Gary Mule Deer.
The night featured some of the biggest names in baseball with Commissioner Bud Selig at the event as well as MLB's Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations Jimmie Lee Solomon and owners such as the Dodgers' Frank McCourt, the White Sox's Jerry Reinsdorf, the Athletics' Lew Wolf and the Phillies' Bill Giles.
It also featured many current and former executives such as White Sox general manager Kenny Williams, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, former general managers Pat Gillick and Kevin Towers as well as former Dodgers president and owner Peter O'Malley.
So while those were some of the recognizable names for those at the event, it was the little-known scouts that made it all possible.
"Scouts in baseball are the unsung heroes of our game," said Lasorda, who was a scout before becoming the manager of the Dodgers. "They don't get the credit they so richly deserve. They're out there scouting all over the place, day and night, and are out there finding all that talent. They're really crystal-ball gazers."
The night began with a silent auction featuring hundreds of items to bid on from virtually every sport imaginable before the dinner and entertainment began at 7 p.m. PT and lasted nearly four hours.
Lasorda and Reinsdorf kicked the awards ceremony off by honoring Cardinals manager Tony La Russa with the "Tommy Lasorda Manager's Award." But La Russa deflected the credit, instead honoring the scouts that made it possible for him to succeed as a Major League manager.
"The real reason we're here is to raise money and awareness for the Scouts Foundation because it takes care of scouts and families," La Russa said before the ceremony began. "It's turning out to be a great event year in and year out so I'm pleased to be a part of it."
It was one of many awards throughout the night honoring players, executives and scouts for their contributions in baseball.
Former Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson was honored with the "Player Lifetime Achievement Award" with Frank Robinson there on his behalf with Brooks Robinson recovering from a minor surgery.
Feller, who became famous for his blazing fastball during his Hall of Fame career with the Indians, was honored along the late Cy Slapnicka for the inaugural "Bob Feller/Cy Slapnicka Player/Scout Award," which was created to honor young pitchers and the scout that discovered them.
Roberts, who starred with the Phillies during the 1950s, was presented with the "Scout's Dream Award" by Gillick, who was Philadelphia's general manager when they won the World Series in 2008.
And Phillies part-owner Bill Giles was also honored by Selig with the "Bud Selig Executive Leadership Award" for his work in baseball.
In one of the more touching events of the night, television and film producer Laura Ziskin was honored with the "Dave Winfield Humanitarian Award" for her work with Stand Up to Cancer, which is an initiative intended to enable cutting-edge research targeting all types of cancer after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004.
And in another touching event, former Dodgers pinch-hitting star Manny Mota was honored with his entire family, including his wife and eight children, with the "Ray Boone Award" presented by former Major Leaguers Bob Boone, Bret Boone and Aaron Boone.
Then several scouts were honored as Bill Bryk and Hal Haller were awarded the "George Genovese Achievement Award in Scouting" while Larry Barton Jr., Roger Jongewaard, Marty Keough, Gary Nickels, Charlie Silvera and George Zura were recipients of the "Legends of Scouting Award."
It was certainly an event to remember and one that raised money for a good cause.
"I just want to thank people within the industry and even those not in baseball for honoring these scouts," said longtime baseball executive Roland Hemond who helped found the PBSF with Gilbert. "It's something they richly deserve and any of us who ever worked in a front office know that we owe gratitude to the scouts who are a lot smarter than we are."
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