What Paul Ricciarini and Dave Yoakum learned as scouts for the Blue Jays is serving the Astros and White Sox well this post-season
HOUSTON -- Roger Clemens? Two innings. Three runs allowed. Left with the game tied.Cliff Politte? One scoreless inning.
The ex-Blue Jays factor has not been dominant in the 101st World Series as in some years with a former Jay pitching well or getting an important hit: David Cone, David Wells, Luis Sojo or Clemens (New York Yankees); Al Leiter, Devon White (Florida Marlins) or Brendan Donnelly, Brad Fullmer and Ben Weber (Anaheim Angels).
Off the field, contributions by ex-Jays in the front office this October are too close to call.
Former Jays scout Dave Yoakum is the special assistant to Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams, while Paul Ricciarini, also an ex-Jays scout, is senior director, player personnel with the Houston Astros. Both had a lot to do with landing many of the players you are seeing nightly on TV.
Yoakum's Sox lead the best-of-seven World Series 2-0 over Ricciarini's Astros with Game 3 tonight at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Former Sox general manager Ron Schueler hired Yoakum away from the Jays 14 years ago.
"We've discussed practically every trade that we've made. That's my role," Yoakum said, refusing to puff out his chest and take credit for any of the Sox deals.
Of his key contributors only centre fielder Aaron Rowand, third baseman Joe Crede, plus starters Mark Buerhle and Jon Garland are homegrowns.
Sox scouts Bryan Little, Bill Scherrer, Doug Laumann and Yoakum prepared scouting reports on the Boston Red Sox, the Los Angeles Angels and Houston. Chicago has won nine of 10 post-season games.
Yoakum did advance work for the Jays leading into the 1985 American League Championship Series against the Kansas City Royals and things were working well with two home wins at Exhibition Stadium until Doyle Alexander decided to pitch to George Brett in Game 3. The Royals won four of the next five games.
"I was there for the formative years for the team and myself," Yoakum said yesterday. "Everything was first class. At the time it was the best organization in baseball. Back then every scout in baseball would say, 'I'd love to work for the Blue Jays.' "
Ricciarini would fly south to help Yoakum cover Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia.
"I don't think David has a hurtful bone in his body," Ricciarini said. "He's one of the best major-league scouts I've ever met. He's a hard guy not to like.
"I'm happy we're playing the White Sox. It's such a classy organization.
"But I'm rooting against Yoakum. I learned that from my days in Toronto."
Ricciarini left the Jays after the 1987 season to join the Atlanta Braves and was there for two seasons.
"Soon as I left, they started winning and winning," Ricciarini said with a laugh. He was with the New York Mets from 1990-98, before joining the Astros.
Ricciarini largely is responsible for the acquisition of the likes of Willy Taveras from the Cleveland Indians; righty Brandon Backe in a trade with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2003; Mike Lamb, acquired from the New York Yankees; and reliever Russ Springer, signed as a minor-league free agent in 2004.
"A lot of the deals were for complimentary players. Gerry (Hunsicker, former GM) kept me involved and it has been the same way with Tim (current GM Purpura)," Ricciarini said.
He's proudest of putting together the deal to acquire shortstop Adam Everett, who at the time had finished his second year of pro ball at double-A Trenton in 1999.
"We traded an Everett (Carl) for an Everett (Adam)," he said. "I'd first seen Adam as a high school junior and had a lot of background on him. We were fortunate to get a shortstop of that calibre."
Ricciarini's first year with the Jays was 1979. His first assignment? Cover the 13-team instructional league, which had a Japanese team rounding out the loop.
"Then, Pat Gillick phoned and told me to go to Puerto Rico. I was young ... I didn't even know where Puerto Rico was," Ricciarini said. "Pat taught us independence as scouts. I'm forever indebted to Paul Beeston, (the late) Bobby Mattick and Pat.
"Toronto was a great organization and it was a wonderful experience. They were such proponents of scouting."
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EYES FOR TALENT
PAUL RICCIARINI
- Title: Houston Astros' senior director, player personnel.
- Jays days: Area scout, 1979-87.
- Signed: Jeff Musselman, John Cerutti, Todd Stottlemyre.
- Involved in: George Bell and Kelly Gruber.
- Astros influence: Adam Everett, Willy Taveras, Mike Lamb, Brandon Backe, Russ Springer.
DAVE YOAKUM
- Title: Chicago White Sox special assistant to the general manager.
- Jays days: Area scout, advance scout, 1977-91.
- Signed: Pat Borders, future Jays Willie Upshaw and Pat Tabler (while working for the Yankees.
- White Sox influence: A.J. Pierzynski, Jose Contreras, Paul Konerko, Juan Uribe, Scott Podsednik, Jermaine Dye, Carl Everett.
Source: http://torontosun.com/
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