By this point in 1999, I’m sure everyone has noticed the voting for the All-Century Team sponsored by a major credit card company. The century is ending and we must have a “best of” team. I have my opinions, but will keep them to myself (at least for now). What I would like to discuss is a category that has been completely overlooked by all the voters; best baseball scout.
Tony Lucadello gets my vote. I picture many blank stares out there. Who is Tony Lucadello you (and most people) might ask? Let me tell you his story.
Tony was a full-time baseball scout for the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies organizations from 1942 until his death in 1989. At the time of his death fifty of the players he signed had played in the major leagues. It can’t be verified, as records aren’t kept on this, but Tony has to be at the top of the list with this statistic.
Tony played shortstop for the Saint Louis Cardinal’s Class D minor league team in Fostoria, Ohio, the Redbirds. This lasted for two seasons and his career ended with a shoulder injury. He did manage to get his younger brother Johnny signed to a contract with the old Saint Louis Browns worth a two- hundred - dollar commission and his new journey began.
During his 47-year career, Tony combed the Midwest and parts of Canada finding prospects that he felt could make the grade. He never used a speed gun to evaluate pitchers; he watched their mechanics from their feet up. 87% of baseball is played below the waist. He viewed the game and players from “the eight sides” to see everything.
He followed and took an interest in his prospects, sometimes following them from age 14 on, writing them letters and speaking with their parents, making sure the players were good citizens as well as good players. One of the players ended up in Vietnam and received letters regularly and credited it with keeping his spirits up. Tony’s job was finding and signing baseball players and he did it well, but he also looked at the person.
Tony worked, lived and loved baseball. At 75 years of age he was still doing what he loved. When photographs and memories in their den would surround most men, Tony was encouraging, instructing and seeking to improve both players and the game itself. Tony preached “the wall”; a five feet high, four feet wide, angled at the base wall that players were instructed to throw baseballs off of to improve arm strength, fielding ability and footwork. He also preached hitting pitched plastic golf balls for batting improvement. A baseball video, “A Coaching Clinic” was produced in 1987 by Major League Baseball at Dr. Bobby Brown’s, American League President’s recommendation. Tony was the consultant for this project, it’s based on his ideas and he also appears in it. This video is still available and was used by the Soviet Union to establish a competitive Olympic team.
Tony Lucadello was a baseball “lifer”, a kindred spirit and a man who was respected in his trade. He gets my vote for the best baseball scout of the century. Care to cast your vote for him as well?
Below is a roster of Tony’s players, the organization they were signed for, the year of their major league debut and their position.
Signed for the Chicago Cubs:
* John Lucadello, 1938, 2b
** Hank Edwards, 1941, of
Ed Hanyzewski, 1942, p
Russ Kerns, 1945, c
Bob Rush, 1948, p
Wayne Terwilliger, 1949, 2b
Harry Chiti, 1950, c
Bob Kelly, 1951, p
Fuzzy Richards, 1951, p
Don Elston, 1953, p
Duke Simpson, 1953, p
Jim Brosnan, 1954, p
Bob Speake, 1955, of
Bob Anderson, 1957, p
Dick Drott, 1957, p
Eddie Haas, 1957, of
Gordon Massa, 1957, c
Gene Fodge, 1958, p
Dick Johnson, 1958, of
Don Eaddy, 1959, 3b
Ed Donnelly, 1959, p
John Goetz, 1960, p
Lou Johnson, 1960, of
Signed for the Philadelphia Phillies:
George Williams, 1961, 2b
Alex Johnson, 1964, of
Grant Jackson, 1965, p
Fergie Jenkins, 1965, p
Bill Sorrell, 1965, 3b-of
Terry Harmon, 1967, 2b-ss
Clarence Jones, 1967, 1b-of
Mike Marshall, 1967, p
John Upham, 1967, p-of
Larry Hisle, 1968, of
Robert Richmond, 1968, p
Steve Arlin, 1969, p
Toby Harrah, 1969, ss
Dave Roberts, 1969, p
Mike Schmidt, 1972, 3b
Larry Cox, 1973, c
Jim Essian, 1973, c
Tom Underwood, 1974, p
Dyar Miller,1975, p
Bill Nohorodny, 1976, c
Fred Andrews, 1976, 2b
Barry Bonnell, 1977, of
Todd Cruz, 1978, ss
Scott Munninghoff, 1980, p
Len Matuszek, 1981, 1b
Scott Service, 1988, p
* Signed to a St. Louis Browns contract while Tony was still playing in the minors.
** Signed to a Cleveland Indians contract prior to Tony being a fulltime scout.
Note: Mickey Morandini formerly of the Philadelphia Phillies and currently on the Chicago Cub’s roster was signed by Tony, but debuted after his death. To the best of my knowledge he would be number fifty-one.
~ Coach Mike
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