FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — For several weeks after the conclusion of last season, the Red Sox kicked around ways to improve the team’s major-league advance scouting staff.
General manager Theo Epstein, manager Terry Francona and the coaching staff were happy with the work of advance scout Dana Levangie, but thought there were ways to better utilize the information Levangie provided.
Eventually, through brainstorming, they came up with a unique arrangement. While a number of major-league teams are cutting back on their advance scouting for budgetary reasons — utilizing video more and actual scouts less — the Red Sox are actually heading in the opposite direction.
This season, the Sox plan to use two advance scouts — Levangie and former Portland Sea Dogs manager Todd Claus — who will alternate series and assignments. The arrangement is unprecedented, though for years the New York Yankees had two advance scouts scouting the same future opponent together.
Typically, for teams that still rely on advance scouts, a scout stays one series ahead of his major-league club. If, for instance, the Red Sox were about to play the Yankees, White Sox and Indians in succession, the advance scout would watch the Yankees immediately before the Sox play them, then while the Sox and Yanks meet, scout the White Sox, then, while the Red Sox and White Sox play, move on to the Indians.
At the conclusion of each series, the scout would file an in-depth report on tendencies, strategy, strengths and weaknesses and which players are currently hot or cold.
But under the Red Sox’ new setup, one scout will watch the next opponent, then join the Red Sox for that series to be on hand to provide on-site assistance.
“I just felt there were things falling through the cracks,” said Francona recently. “We’d be getting calls from the airport at the last minute. It was good information, but it always seemed rushed. The information is there. The more time we have to digest it and implement it, the better off we’ll be.”
Under the new set-up, the advance scout with the team will meet with the coaching staff on the afternoon of the first game of the series. He’ll provide background on the opposing hitters to pitching coach John Farrell, then offer his impressions of the opposing pitchers to hitting instructor Dave Magadan. Later, he’ll get together with first base coach Luis Alicea (who doubles as infield instructor) and third base coach DeMarlo Hale — who works with the Sox’ outfielders — to help with positioning.
During the series, the scout will sit in the stands behind home plate and note any adjustments that can be made.
“We’re not only going to get their reports,” said Francona, “but we’ll have the benefit of their eyes, too. I’m real excited about it.”
To be sure, the Sox don’t ignore the video component of scouting. The team has a state-of-the-art video system that archives pitcher-batter matchups and enables players to view past at-bats, catalogued by pitch selection and count. While Claus and Levangie will be responsible for information on defense, baserunning, positioning and strategy, video will continue to be the primary resource for hitters looking for help on opposing pitchers.
In addition, the fact that the Sox will have two different perspectives from two different scouts over the course of the season will keep the information fresh. At times, some say, managers, coaches and players tend to tune out the same information being delivered from the same source during a six-month season. A new voice — even if the information relayed is essentially the same — can make the scouting reports sound fresh.
By introducing Claus to the staff and players in his new capacity as scout, the Red Sox could also be preparing him to join the major league coaching staff in the not-too-distant future.
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