Scouts to be inducted to Hall of Fame
The two scouts who will be inducted in ceremonies on June 19 are Tom Burns of the Toronto Blue Jays and Howard McCullough of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The ceremony takes place prior to the Charleston RiverDogs - Savannah Sand Gnats game with the first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m.
This is the second year of honoring pro scouts, with the selections announced by The Goldklang Group - owners of the Charleston RiverDogs - and sponsored by The Topps Company, which also includes eight additional scouts in a trading card set paired with star players they scouted.
Burns is a native of Harrisburg, Pa., and spent 1990-94 as a part-time scout with the Anaheim Angels while serving as head baseball coach at Bishop McDevitt High in Harrisburg. From 1995-03, Burns served as an area scout for Anaheim Angels and was responsible for the signing of 21 players, including major leaguers Scott Schoeneweis and Mike Colangelo.
Named the Angels' scout of the year in 2000, Burns was also selected by his peers in '03 as scout of the year in the Mid Atlantic states. Burns, since '04, has been an area scout for the Toronto Blue Jays and has signed 20 players including top prospect Brett Cecil. For his efforts, Burns was named the Blue Jays' scout of the year in '06.
A 24-year scouting veteran, McCullough has worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks since 1996, and currently serves as the supervisor of the southeast region, a post he's manned since 2003. McCullough was previously the east coast supervisor after beginning his Diamondbacks career as an area scout.
He has signed eight major leaguers, notably Mark Reynolds and Chad Tracy, the latter signing earning McCullough a Topps All-Star Scout Award in '04. He was named the Diamondbacks' scout of the year in '05 and was inducted into the Mid-Atlantic Scouts Association Hall of Fame in '07. Originally with the Boston Red Sox, McCullough began his career as a mid-Atlantic area scout before becoming a Red Sox national cross-checker in '93.
Last year's inaugural year inductees were Lon Joyce of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Donny Rowland of the New York Yankees.
The criteria for induction includes a minimum of 20 years of pro scouting experience, with selection based on a combination of quantifiable success in the field, contributions made to the game in other areas of the sport whether professional or amateur, and importantly, their involvement and dedication to the local community that is honoring them through induction.