If you know New Balance Future Stars Series president and CEO Jeremy Booth, then you likely don’t know anyone who’s busier than he is.
That he had time to write a book, no less one of this magnitude, surprised many around him. Finding time for it, however, was important to him, as the exclusive, behind-the-scenes look into the world of baseball scouting and comprehensive guide was aimed at easing the anxiety parents and players feel when a pro scout is at their game and helping them navigate the competitive world of baseball with confidence.
A long-time, successful scout in the big leagues himself following a long career as a player before ultimately founding Program 15, Booth had been approached numerous times about book deals, but wanted to start with this one given the importance of wanting to provide some transparency to a side of the game he’s made a big impact on.
“I was probably asked to do a book over the last five years, one way or the other, but this all came together in a way that made some sense,” Booth told FSS Plus.
“When I wrote Scout School, it really turned into, ‘Hey, why don’t you do this in a way that parents can see it and kids can have some questions answered.’ Everybody wants to know, but I don’t really think anybody knows because it’s been a secret. Well, it’s supposed to be a secret; they don’t want anybody knowing the process, it’s trade secret stuff. But the reality is, we live in a world where parents are chasing a certain area of what they think, but there’s so much misinformation. So, just understanding that process was going to be helpful…so, I did it, and the end result is this first book. It won’t be the last book, but it’s definitely the first book. If it can bring some people some knowledge and some joy and make their life easier, I’m happy about it.”
In this riveting book, Booth demystifies the world of baseball scouting as he shares unique insights from his 18-year career as a player, coach, and talent evaluator, having worked for Major League organizations like the Minnesota Twins, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Seattle Mariners.
Breaking down the process of how scouts hunt for talent, Booth busts myths and misconceptions about what it takes to get on a scout’s radar to be drafted. Uncovering not only what scouts look for in specific positions but also how they evaluate a player’s character and the importance of mental and emotional resilience.
“A player in any sport is going to want to understand how people evaluate,” Booth said. “This is is baseball specific, so you’re not going to get a whole lot out of it that isn’t baseball-oriented, but there’s stuff that you can apply in there on how people are thinking across the board. There’s stuff in there that you can use to your advantage to have a better understanding of where you fit. Some of it applies to all sports; a player’s makeup, what people are watching for, how they evaluate for their sport and their teams and what they’re trying to do to win.”
“Inside the Mind of a Scout” is an essential guide for parents and players and a heartfelt account of the passion, commitment, and sacrifice it takes to chase baseball greatness. The book emphasizes the importance of loving the journey and the game, embracing mentorship and guidance, and the role of hard work and dedication in chasing the dream.
“Ted Williams did his book a while ago, ‘The Science of Hitting,’ and everybody knows what that is now, but 25 years ago, not many people did,” Booth said. “It became popular again, and you never know when it’s going to find you. Since then, we’ve had a lot of people write these self-help and how-to books. That’s what these things are. This is the introduction for that. This has some stories in it, this has some relate-ability to it…this is first.”
A must-read for anyone looking to understand the enigmatic world of baseball scouting and the secrets, strategies, and insights that can fuel a player’s path to baseball success, “Inside The Mind Of A Scout” is available for pre-order now, with signed copies shipping no later than May 31. The book will also be available on Amazon on May 22, and at multiple big-box retailers like Barnes & Noble and Walmart.
While, as Booth says, there are multiple books headed down the pipeline after this one — tentatively including a look at his fascinating life story of how he was born into the game and his early interactions with countless legends of the game — he’s been extremely pleased with an enormous response to this one, especially given how much he enjoys educating others about the finer points of a game he’s spent his entire life in.
“It comes natural, it becomes second nature, so for me, this is all my eyes were ever set at,” Booth said.
“My earliest years were going into clubhouses and being on the field, shagging flies and taking BP with Hall of Famers, so applying that to this circuit, it helps you understand how different and how unknown some of this stuff is when you’re going along the way to help these families. They don’t really know anything about the process. Nobody’s telling them, not travel coaches, not anyone. Until you’ve gone through it, you don’t know…so to see all the pre-orders, that’s very humbling and gratifying. The pre-orders have my signature in them, too…the fact that my signature is worth something to people is humbling, even if it’s one person. It takes me back to a different point in time. And even then, I would say that my career on this side of the ball is far more accomplished than it was as a player. So on this side, it’s gratifying and it’s great to see people have interest in this topic. I’m excited to see where it goes, and I’m hopeful that it brings some knowledge to people.”
(Materials from press release/book website used for this story)
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