Baseball''s Last Great Scout: The Life of Hugh Alexander

Late in 1937 Hugh Alexander, a kid fresh out of small-town Oklahoma, had just finished his second year playing outfield for the Cleveland Indians when an oil rig accident ripped off his left hand. Within three months he was back with the Indians, but this time as a scoutthe youngest ever in Major League history. In the next six decades he signed more players who made it to the Majors than any other scout.

His story, Baseballs Last Great Scout, reads like a backroom, bleacher-seat history of twentieth-century baseballand a primer on what it takes to find a winner. It gives a gritty picture of learning the business on the road, from American Legion field to try-out camp to beer joint, and making the fine distinctions between performance and tools of the trade when checking out prospects. Over the years Alexander worked for the Indians, the White Sox, the LA Dodgers, the Phillies, and the Cubsand signed the likes of Allie Reynolds, Don Sutton, and Marty Bystrom. This book, based on extensive interviews and Alexanders journals, is filled with memorable characters, pithy lessons, snapshots of American life, and a big picture of Americas pastime from one of its great off-the-field players.