The long, foggy road of baseball scouting:

Tommy Lasorda as a Dodger scout

Here is my the story that aired yesterday afternoon on 790 KABC as part of the Lasorda at His Best series presented by Skechers:

Being a baseball scout is not always easy.  There are many obstacles that can stand in the way of you signing a prospect.  I scouted for the Dodgers on the East coast for a few years before moving out to California.

I’m in Hazleton, PA looking at a shortstop.  I get a call from my birddog, who was a detective for the Allentown Police Department.  He told me that I better get down there right away because Randy Gumpert of the Yankees is going to sign the boy. 

I jumped in the car, but it was very foggy.  Back in those days they didn’t have bright, white lines painted on the streets.  There was nothing but fog.  So I was praying for someone to pass me so I could follow the tail lights. 

I really slowed down, and someone finally passed me, so I followed them. 

Left, right, left; I was really on his tail.

All of a sudden he stopped really quick, and I bumped into him. 

“Hey buddy,” I said as I got out of the car.  “Don’t you give a signal when you are going to stop?”

“Give a signal?” he said. “I’m in my own garage!”

I followed him right into his own garage.