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A day in the life of a Cubs scout
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When you hang around Wrigley Field as much as I do, you get to know a lot of people – the security people, the medical staff, vendors, the people who sit near you day after day, and even an occasional front office person.
Through some of my bleacher friends, I became friends with a guy who works in the front office. Jake’s official title is Player Development/Scouting Assistant. His job is not an easy one. In 2008 he was away from his Chicago home 145 days – 42 of those days for Spring Training.
Jake Ciarrachi started working for the Cubs in 2006 as an intern in the Baseball Operations Department. As an intern, he had many responsibilities and reported to Jim Hendry, Randy Bush, Oneri Fleita, Scott Nelson and Tim Wilken.
”My first experience in 2006 was Spring Training. I traveled down to Mesa for six weeks, assisting in both Major and Minor League operations,” Jake told me. “I assisted Tim Wilken and the scouting department with the Amateur draft at the end of May and beginning of June. During the course of the season, I performed many projects for the front office and other related duties. It gave me a great grasp on what goes on in the day-to-day operations of a MLB club.”
Jake was hired by the Cubs in Nov. 2006, after his internship ended. He started scouting for the Cubs this past season. I asked Jake exactly what a scout does.
“A scout is one who watches and evaluates players’ tools, instincts, makeup, etc., and grades them on a scale from 20-80 (50 being Major League Average),” he said.
A typical day on the road for Jake begins with waking up in the morning and writing reports on the position players he saw the previous night. He can always add to the reports if he sees something different the next four games. Jake explained that he sees five games when he sees a club so he can see all five starting pitchers. After writing the reports, he has to do office work, so he doesn’t get behind there. He then gets in a workout and lunch and heads to the ball park about three hours prior to game time to watch batting practice and the infield/outfield practice.
Jake is assigned to one or two organizations, depending on what his bosses tell him. This past season, he covered one organization, thought he was not at liberty to divulge what team he watched.
For Jake, this is a dream job. He loves what he does and you can tell when he talks about it. “I love everything about my job,” he said. “I love waking up and working for the Chicago Cubs. How many people say they have to go to Wrigley Field for their work? I am very, very lucky to be working for an outstanding organization like the Cubs who really care about you not only as an employee, but most importantly as a person. I wake up and always consider myself one of the fortunate ones who get to work in baseball.”
Jake comes from a baseball background. His father played ball and is one of the owners and VP of Baseball Operations with the Rockford RiverHawks, a team in the Frontier League. His brother Kevin, a catcher, was selected by the Mets in the 17th round of the 1999 draft. Jake grew up rooting for both the Cubs and White Sox, but he tells me he is only a Cubs fan now. He played baseball at Northern Illinois University for three years and after his college career he played for RiverHawks for a year and coached there for three years.
“I learned a lot in those four years,” he said. “I owe everything I know about the game to my father. He is the one who spent countless hours, both on and off the field, talking baseball and working me to the bone to be the best player I could be. In anything I set my mind to, I always remember my dad telling me that if I am not going to give 100 percent, then don’t waste your time doing it. That has always stuck with me, both with baseball and life in general. One of my proudest moments was in 2004 when we won the Frontier League championship. Being part of something like winning a championship is something I will never forget.”
I asked Jake if he had any advice for anyone trying to get a job in scouting or in baseball.
“Be persistent when looking for a scouting job or any job in baseball,” he said. “The right time will come if you are patient. Also, be ready to get your hands dirty and work long hours and weekends. There are really no vacations or days off in baseball. Most importantly, have fun working in the game. Remember that it is a game!”
For more info: cubs.com, rockfordriverhawks.com
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