Joe Devine (scout)

Devine as manager of the Mission Reds, circa 1932.

Joseph Vincent Devine (March 3, 1892 – September 21, 1951) was a baseball scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees, credited for signing Joe DiMaggio to the Yankees.[1][2][3]

Baseball career

Born in Oakland, California, Devine was an outfielder in the minor leagues,[1] and was on the spring training roster of the Boston Red Sox in 1917, but never advanced to the majors.[4] He managed a local team in Seattle during World War I,[1] scouted with Seattle Rainiers, and managed a baseball team in Calgary before joining the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

After the Pirates he managed the Mission Reds of San Francisco.[1] By 1932 he was hired by Paul Krichell to be the New York Yankees chief scout in the West.[1] He also signed Andy Carey, Jerry Coleman, Fenton Mole, Johnny Lindell, Cliff Mapes, Charlie Silvera,[5] and Leo Righetti.[6][7][8]

Scouting style

Devine's scouting style was similar to Krichell's; he not only looked for ability, but also checked a player's personality and character to see if they could handle the pressure of playing for the Yankees.[5] He also looked for size, signing only two players under six feet (1.83 m) in height.[5]

Joe Devine Airway Park

Shortly after his death in 1951, the ballpark in Boise, Idaho, was renamed Joe Devine Airway Park. The team had just become a Yankees' affiliate and Devine had played for the Boise Irrigators of the Union Association.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Cramer, Richard Ben (2000). Joe Dimaggio: The Hero's Life. Simon & Schuster. p. 66. ISBN 0-684-85391-4.
  2. ^ "Yankee hunter, Joe Devine dies on Coast". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). United Press. September 22, 1951. p. A3.
  3. ^ "Joe Devine, baseball scout, dead at San Francisco". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. September 22, 1951. p. 3.
  4. ^ Creamer, Robert (1974). Babe: the legend comes to life. Simon & Schuster. p. 135. ISBN 0-671-21770-4.
  5. ^ a b c Emmons Bryne (February 18, 1948). "All California Lineup by 1950, Scout Joe Devine Aim". The Sporting News. p. 9.
  6. ^ "Leo Righetti, 70, Ballplayer's Dad Natural Athlete's Son Pitched in Majors". San Jose Mercury News. 1998-02-20. p. 5B. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05.
  7. ^ Kling, Dwayne (November 2011). Joe Devine. Can He Play? A Look at Baseball Scouts and their Profession. pp. 41–42. ISBN 9781933599236.
  8. ^ Chipman, Dee (April 13, 1952). "Joe Devine's Pioneer League help is missed at Boise's spring camp". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. C3.
  9. ^ "AIRWAY PARK" (PDF). City of Boise. Retrieved April 1, 2019.