Lou Maguolo

Louis Dewey Maguolo (8 June 1899 – 14 May 1977) was an American Major League Baseball executive. A baseball scout for the St. Louis Browns and New York Yankees, he was best known for signing Yankee greats Bill Skowron, Tony Kubek, and Fritz Peterson. He is credited with signing at least 40 athletes who eventually played in the major leagues.[1] Maguolo also scouted such players as Bob Keegan, Al LaMacchia, Don Lenhardt, Herb Plews, Lou Skizas, Bob Wiesler, Al Pilarcik, Whitey Herzog, Cal Neeman, Norm Siebern, Lee Thomas, Bud Zipfel, Jerry Kenney, Dave Bergman, Dennis Werth,[2] Roy Sievers,[3] Paul Hinrichs,[4] Zach Monroe, Babe Martin, George Hausmann, Lloyd Merritt, Jackie Red Juelich, Steve Kraly, Joe Pactwa, Jerry Lumpe, Jim Bouton, and Elston Howard.[5]

Though only 5'5" tall and 112 pounds, Maguolo made the all-city team in St. Louis as an outfielder at Yeatman High School, where he also quarterbacked the football team. He was named to the all-Missouri Valley Conference baseball and football teams as a student-athlete at Washington University in St. Louis. His father, however, often told him, "Baseball is a bum's game, and so is football," and withheld his allowance in high school and financial assistance for college. Maguolo helped pay for college on barnstorming baseball teams with other college players, including future major league player and manager Eddie Dyer. Maguolo performed under the name "Meyers" to avoid losing his college athletic eligibility. He graduated from Washington University with a degree in civil engineering, but he pursued a baseball career instead, at first as baseball coach for McKinley and Beaumont high schools in St. Louis. His childhood friend Andy High, a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers, also employed him as a "bird dog" or part-time scout.[6] The St. Louis Browns hired Maguolo as a full-time scout in 1936, and he worked for the Browns until 1942, when he went into the army during World War II. When Maguolo finished his military service in 1946, the New York Yankees hired him as a scout.[7]

Lou Maguolo, LTC, US Army[8]

During World War II, Maguolo served in the US Army in the Pacific Northwest. His duties were primarily in Special Services Recreation, and he attained the rank of major.[8]

The son of a furniture maker, Maguolo spent his off seasons working at Century Skilcraft Co., the family furniture factory in St. Louis, where he built back bars, stools, lamps, chairs, and stairways out of broken bats and other sports equipment.[9]

Maguolo and LaMacchia[8]

In the 1950s, Maguolo hired and trained legendary Yankee scout Art Stewart. He reportedly gave Stewart this advice: "Keep your eyes open. Keep your ears open. Keep your mouth shut." Then, the story goes, Maguolo zipped his mouth, for emphasis.[10] Maguolo was based in St. Louis, Missouri and scouted primarily in the Midwest.

Maguolo on a scouting trip to the Chicago area - 1964[8]

References

  1. ↑ Russo, Neal (November 4, 1970). ""Scout Who Signed 40 Major Leaguers"". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  2. ↑ "Lou Maguolo". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  3. ↑ George H. Wolf, "Roy Sievers," Society for American Baseball Research, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/c8add426.
  4. ↑ Bill Nowlin, "Paul Hinrichs," Society for American Baseball Research, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/607014a4
  5. ↑ Russo, Neal (November 4, 1970). "Scout Who Signed 40 Major Leaguers". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  6. ↑ Russo, Neal (November 4, 1970). ""Scout Who Signed 40 Major Leaguers"". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  7. ↑ Play Ball with the Yankees. New York Yankees. 1964. p. inside cover.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Personal files, CPT Werner J. Albrecht, US Army during WWII
  9. ↑ Russo, Neal (November 4, 1970). ""Scout Who Signed 40 Major Leaguers"". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  10. ↑ Posnanski, Joe (2001). The Good Stuff: Columns about the Magic of Sports. Kansas City, MO: Kansas City Star Books. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.