Ed Scott (baseball scout) facts for kids

Edward Scott Sr. (born October 17, 1917 – died January 11, 2010) was an American baseball scout. He made history as the first African-American scout for the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball. Before that, he found talented players for the Negro Leagues. He even signed Hank Aaron, who would become a Baseball Hall of Famer and one of the greatest home run hitters ever, to his first professional contract with the Indianapolis Clowns.

Edward Scott's Early Life

Scott was born in Dade City, Florida. As a young man, he moved to Mobile, Alabama. There, he played baseball for a local semi-professional team called the Mobile Black Shippers. While playing baseball, he also worked at a paper company. He traveled around with his team, playing games.

After his playing days ended, Scott began his career as a scout. This was a time when the "color line" in baseball was just starting to break. Jackie Robinson had joined Major League Baseball in 1947, allowing Black players to play in the big leagues. However, many teams were still slow to sign Black players, and the Negro Leagues were still very important.

Discovering Hank Aaron

One of Scott's most famous discoveries was Hank Aaron. Scott's son, Ed Scott Jr., shared the story of how his father found Aaron. He saw the teenage Aaron playing in a softball game in Mobile. Scott Sr. was amazed by how far Aaron could hit the softball. He wondered, "If that boy can hit a softball that far, how far can he hit a baseball?"

Scott was able to sign Aaron to play for the Indianapolis Clowns. By 1952, when Aaron was just 18 years old, he was offered a contract by the Boston Braves. Aaron went on to play for 23 seasons in the big leagues. In 1974, he broke Babe Ruth's record for the most career home runs. He finished his career with 755 home runs.

Scouting for the Red Sox

Edward Scott Sr. worked for the Boston Red Sox for 40 years, starting in the early 1960s. He helped the team find many talented players. Some of the players he signed for Boston include George Scott (who was not related to him), Oil Can Boyd, and Amos Otis. Amos Otis was later drafted by the New York Mets from the Red Sox's minor league system.

Scott was still working as a scouting consultant for the Red Sox in 2001. His son, Alex Scott, also became a baseball scout for the Red Sox in the Mobile area during the 1990s.

Later Life and Legacy

Besides baseball, Edward Scott Sr. was also a very good golfer. In 2003, he was honored by being inducted into the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame. He passed away in Mobile on January 11, 2010, at the age of 92. His work as a scout helped shape baseball history, especially by discovering one of the sport's greatest legends.