Scouts of the Year honored

Bill Bryk of the Arizona Diamondbacks (Midwest), Bill Kearns with the Seattle Mariners (Directors), Doug Mapson of the San Francisco Giants (West Coast) and Howard McCullough with the Arizona Diamondbacks (East Coast) have been selected by their peers as the 2013 Baseball Scouts of the Year. The award, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, was created to acknowledge baseball scouts that have devoted at least a quarter of a century to the profession, recognizing these ambassadors for their achievements to our National Pastime. Of note, all recipients are also honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York (Diamond Mines). This recently opened Scouting exhibit salutes the unsung heroes of the sport.

Mr. Bryk currently serves as a Special Assistant and Major League Scout to GM Kevin Towers of the Arizona Diamondbacks. During his 44+ years in the sport, Bill has been acclaimed by fellow scouts for developing raw talented youth to successfully make the critical step to the Majors. Some of his signings include Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, Tom Prince and Paul Wagner. In his youth, Bill pitched for the Washington Senators and New York Mets before beginning a whirlwind career in the game that had him perform duties with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres such as Manager, Scout, Scouting Supervisor, Asst. Scouting Director, Asst. Farm Director, National Farm Director and Field/Pitching Coordinator.

Mr. Kearns has been with the Seattle Mariners since their inception having been given the nod to scout talent from their original GM Lou Gorman. He has also scouted for White Sox and Kansas City Royals. In his youth, this master scout was a standout shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers and was signed by the legendary Branch Rickey. After service during World War II, Bill continued an academic and athletic career that got him noticed for his instructional abilities, enabling him to serve as a player-manger in the Minors. Time has definitely not slowed Mr. Kearns down as he as others in this vocation attends hundreds of games yearly, as well as working the Spring Training circuit and winter trade sessions.

Mr. Mapson, a National Cross-Checker with the San Francisco Giants, is in his 22nd year with the club after beginning scouting with the Phillies (1980-82) and Cubs (1982-86). In his own words, Doug's passion for the game is, "As long as I keep getting up in the morning and finding that next prospect, I want to keep doing it. I love my job!" He is proud of being a part of the Giants successful campaigns to the World Series in 2010 and 2012. Over the course of many years, Doug has served as a Bird Dog, Area Scout, Western & National Cross-Checker with involvement in the signings of Greg Maddux, Rich Amaral, Mike Harkey and Tim Lincecum to name a few on Major League rosters.

Mr. McCullough's success can be credited to his talent on the diamond and a solid academic background that led to coaching youth at the University of North Carolina. Through this experience the Boston Red Sox called on Howard to serve them as an Area Scout and Cross-Checker, (1986-95). In 1996, McCullough accepted duties as an Area Scout with the newly formed Arizona Diamondbacks. Howard currently works as a Southeast Scouting Supervisor. His credentials in the profession are clearly defined by former Arizona Senior VP of Scouting & Player Development, Jerry DiPoto: "Howard is a proven evaluator who knows players and provides a calm voice of reason. His loyalty, passion and professionalism serve as a great example of what a 'good baseball man' should be."