Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Guess who’s coming to dinner? Would you believe Frank Robinson, Willie Mays, Duke Snider, Reggie Jackson, Curt Schilling, Bob, Bret & Aaron Boone, Maury Wills, Bobby Cox, Bret Saberhagen, former baseball executive Pat Gillick, and legendary scout Bob Zuk? Top that off with Olympic Gold Medalist Jennie Finch and the one and only Tommy Lasorda.

Those are just some of the 1000 or so who attended the second annual Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation fundraiser “In the Spirit of the Game” at the Beverly Hilton last Saturday evening.

The foundation was established by Chicago White Sox Executives Dennis Gilbert and Roland Hemond; and MLB scouts, Dave Yoakum (Chicago White Sox) and Harry Minor (NY Mets), all of whom felt compelled to do so. Despite the fact that scouts primarily find the athletes that teams sign to lucrative deals, the average baseball scout's income is modest; therefore healthcare and pensions are often nominal. Consequently, when hardships occur, scouts are extremely financially susceptible.

Saturday’s fundraiser included a silent auction of sports memorabilia that included baseball, football, basketball, hockey and soccer.