There was some significant news to come out of the most recent New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series staff meetings, which were held virtually on Tuesday afternoon and featured nearly two dozen members of the scouting, development and core front office staffs.
Butch Baccala, former VP of Scouting for the FSS during the early days of the company, is set to return in a Special Assistant to Scouting/Player Personnel role.
Baccala, who is in both his high school and college’s respective hall of fames as a player and was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies, has decades of experience as a big-league scout with the Atlanta Braves as a Regional Crosschecker, then the Cincinnati Reds as a National Crosschecker, and lastly the Seattle Mariners where he started as an Area Supervisor and then circled back later in his career as a National Crosschecker.
Current FSS CEO and President of Baseball Operations, Jeremy Booth, worked with Baccala during their time together in the Mariners organization, and was eager to bring him back into the fold when the opportunity arose.
“Butch is family,” Booth said. “Always was, whether he was a part of this or not. Always will be. To have him back and have his perspective and knowledge at our events is just another sign that we’re going to do whatever needs to be done to make sure our players and partner programs have every opportunity to be seen by the right people. Butch’s acumen at every level of the game is unparalleled, but particularly in the amateur space, and we’re thrilled to be able to have him back.”
Turns out, Baccala and the rest of the crew will be busier than expected.
According to Booth, while nothing is able to be announced just yet as various contracts are signed and finalized, there will be some additions coming to an already loaded event calendar — the most updated version can always be found here — as he hinted at some expansions in both the international and collegiate spaces. To the latter end, it’s anticipated that long-time San Jac coach Kory Koehler will continue as the organization’s College Coordinator with as visible of a presence as ever.
As it currently stands, the FSS is set to get back on the road with an appearance at the Best of the West event in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, followed by Mississauga Tigers Scout Day, set for May 11, which is shaping up to kick off an extended trip through Toronto and Ontario. Additionally, a domestic calendar adjustment is in progress with the reintegration of international play, MLB stadium selection, and the college calendar.
Stay tuned for further updates as they become available.
Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked seven Super Bowls, 11 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,200 games covered in his career.
An avid card collector and sim racer, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son William, and their beloved dog, Bailey, and cat, Smokey.
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