Philly Leader

The Scout of the Year program marked its 40th anniversary at the Winter Meetings in Dallas, recognizing key figures for their contributions to baseball. This year's domestic winners included Chris Buckley from the Reds for the East Coast, Tim Kelly from the Yankees for the Midwest, and R.J. Harrison from the Rays for the West Coast. Eddy Toledo of the Phillies was named international scout of the year, while Pat Gillick received the director's award and Sandy Dengler was honored with the Roberta Mazur distinguished woman in baseball award.

Pat Gillick, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011, became the first Cooperstown inductee to be recognized by this program. "Pat did it every place he went and he didn't take all his people with him everywhere he went," said Chris Buckley about Gillick. "That's how good he is."

Chris Buckley's career includes signing seven major league players as an area scout before taking on roles such as scouting director and special assistant for Toronto and Cincinnati. He attributes his success to influential mentors like Pat Gillick and others at Toronto.

Tim Kelly began his scouting career with reluctance after initially declining an offer from Stan Saleski post-1990 season. His tenure saw him rise through ranks from area scout to national crosschecker until his retirement after this year's draft.

R.J. Harrison's path led him through managing roles before settling into scouting when hired by Mets' Roland Johnson in 1991. Harrison contributed significantly to Tampa Bay's drafts which produced notable players like Evan Longoria and David Price.

Eddy Toledo's journey began as a bird-dog scout after an elbow injury ended his pitching aspirations. Over decades, he has signed 38 major leaguers including Nelson Cruz and Jose Reyes.

Sandy Dengler started her baseball career in 1975 through a connection with John Gaherin, leading to a long tenure that culminated with her role at Tampa Bay until 2018. Her recognition came unexpectedly but was deeply appreciated: "Roberta has worked tirelessly for decades to support scouts and get them recognition," she noted about Mazur.