Scout’s Alley

Enjoy an in-depth look at the world of baseball scouting! Find out how scouts evaluate a player’s tools, what attributes they look for in a player off the field and more. Plus, learn more about many of the great scouts and staff members who have contributed to Reds baseball over the years.

A number of staff members have played critical roles in Reds scouting and player development over the years. Here are some of the greats who have made a tremendous impact on Reds baseball.

The Barton family was directly involved in Reds scouting for 47 years and left a lasting legacy behind. Larry Barton Sr. worked with the Reds from 1968-1990, including 10 years as a scouting supervisor. Larry Jr. was in the scouting department from 1972-2006 and served in a number of different roles including 14 seasons as Senior Special Assistant to the GM/Professional Scout. In 2004, he was named West Coast Scout of the Year. Notable signings include Future Reds Hall of Famer Eric Davis, MLB All-Stars Mike LaCoss and Kurt Stillwell and starting pitchers Paul Moskau, Frank Pastore and Joe Price. Jeff Barton, son of Larry Jr. and grandson of Larry Sr., worked for the Reds scouting department from 1989 until his passing in 2015. He signed all-time Major League save leader Trevor Hoffman and pitcher Michael Lorenzen to their first contracts and also influenced the Reds’ signings of Joey Votto, Robert Stephenson, Tony Cingrani and Mike Leake. In 2015, like his father, Jeff earned West Coast Scout of the Year honors.

Tony Robello served the Reds scouting department for 32 years. Starting off as a scout in 1962, Robello became a scouting supervisor in 1971 before assuming his final position with the club as a scouting consultant starting in 1980. His biggest contribution to the Reds was the scouting and signing of Johnny Bench, who the Reds drafted in the second round of the inaugural amateur draft in 1965. Other players he scouted and signed over the years include Reds Hall of Famer Gary Nolan, 1976 NL Co-Rookie of the Year pitcher Pat Zachry, Darrel Chaney, Milt Wilcox, Joel Youngblood and Frank Duffy who was the key player the Reds sent to the Giants in 1971 in exchange for Reds Hall of Famer George Foster.

George Zuraw came to the Reds organization from the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1968, remaining with the club through the Big Red Machine era and all the way until 1988. He served the last 18 of those 20 years as a scouting supervisor. He scouted and was responsible for the signing of many notable Reds, including Reds Hall of Famer Mario Soto, All-Star third baseman Ray Knight, and starting catcher for the 1990 world champion Reds, Joe Oliver. Knight went on to become a Major League manager, as did fellow Zuraw signings Dave Miley and Larry Rothschild, the latter of which was the pitching coach for the 1990 Reds.

Larry Doughty worked in the Reds scouting department from 1970-1987. Beginning as a scout, Doughty worked his way up to Scouting Director by 1983. Under his tutelage, the department constructed several components of the 1990 World Series champions Reds. As director, the scouting department signed Jack Armstrong, Tom Browning, Rob Dibble, Barry Larkin, Joe Oliver, Chris Sabo and Scott Scudder. Doughty’s staff also scouted, drafted and signed Kal Daniels and Kurt Stillwell who both directly contributed to the Reds on the field and were used in trades for key pieces of that 1990 team, Mariano Duncan and Danny Jackson. Soon after he left the Reds, Doughty became Pittsburgh’s General Manager and was still GM when the Pirates lost in the 1990 NLCS to the very team Doughty helped build.

The Bowen brothers joined the Reds organization in 1968. Rex headed the scouting department at first, but younger brother Joe, who was better suited for the administrative role, assumed the position shortly after and served as Scouting Director from 1969-1982. In the meantime Rex, always with an eye for talent, became a Special Assistant to the General Manager. Working alongside Chief Bender, Dick Wagner and Bob Howsam, the Bowen brothers were a big part of constructing the Big Red Machine teams that would dominate the 1970s and claim two world championships. The Bowens spent more than 20 years with the Reds.

Gene Bennett took a part-time scouting position with the Reds following the 1958 season and gradually saw his responsibilities increase until he was named Scouting Supervisor for Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Indiana in 1975. His many notable signings include Reds Hall of Famers Don Gullett and Barry Larkin, All-Stars Paul O’Neill, Jeff Russell and Chris Sabo, and longtime big leaguers Charlie Leibrandt and Dave Tomlin. Bennett also served as an advance scout at the Major League level for the Reds and supervised countless amateur tryout camps. In 1992, he was named Special Assistant to the General Manager. A 14-time winner of the TOPPS Scout of the Month Award and recipient of the TOPPS All-Star Scout Award in 1988 and 1995, Bennett was elected to the Middle Atlantic Major League Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame in 1996.

From his hiring in 1967 until his retirement in 2005, Sheldon “Chief” Bender’s lifetime of accumulated baseball knowledge influenced virtually every aspect of the Reds player development and personnel departments. Bender spent the bulk of his tenure overseeing Reds Minor League operations. Under his watch, the Reds farm system enjoyed the most fruitful period in club history, producing Reds Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Dave Concepcion, Ken Griffey, Sr., Don Gullett, Mario Soto, Tom Browning, Eric Davis and Barry Larkin. The talent that emerged from the farm system under Bender’s direction was critical to the Reds championship seasons of 1975, 1976 and 1990. The Reds’ annual Minor League Player of the Year Award is named after him. In 1998, Bender was crowned the “King of Baseball” by the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues for his long, successful service to the game.

Wilma Mann served in the Reds’ scouting department for 37 seasons from 1973-2009. She began her career as an administrative assistant for the scouting department and was promoted to Director of Scouting Administration in September of 1997, where she was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the department. A native of Williamson, West Virginia, Mann and her husband, Dr. Millard Mann, reside in Cincinnati. Their son, Mark, spent seven seasons as the head athletic trainer for the organization’s Major League club from 2003-2009.

Lois Hudson spent 29 years in the Reds organization, starting off in 1984 as a part-time secretary for scouting/player development and concluding in 2016 with her role as Director of Minor League Administration. In 2014, Hudson received the Sheldon “Chief” Bender Award from Minor League Baseball for her distinguished service and instrumental work in player development. A native Cincinnatian, Hudson and her husband Jack still reside in the Queen City and have three sons.

Ray Shore is considered baseball’s first advance scout. Shore worked for the Reds from 1961-1981 and began his advance scouting duties heading into the 1968 season. With his keen eye for talent, Shore was a big player in influencing GM Bob Howsam and the Reds to land several key pieces through trade and free agency, including Joe Morgan, George Foster and Pedro Borbon. His detailed reports on opponents’ trends, situational defensive vulnerabilities, and many other important stats served as guides for in-game decisions from Sparky Anderson. Shore was an invaluable member of the most successful era of on-field performance in Reds history.