George Genovese, former Dodgers scout, dies at 93.

George Genovese, regarded as one of the greatest baseball scouts of all time, died Sunday at age 93. He scouted Southern California for the Giants and Dodgers for five decades and lived in North Hollywood. The version of his obituary that ran in print is here.

Fifteen years ago, our Kevin Modesti wrote about Genovese, who by then was scouting part-time for the Dodgers but hardly slowing down.

I collected a couple anecdotes about Genovese that didn’t make it to print but are worth passing along here.

Dennis Gilbert, the chairman of the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation, told me that Genovese sponsored youth baseball teams around Southern California with money out of his own pocket.

“Around Los Angeles, anywhere from the South Bay to North Hollywood,” Gilbert said. “I played on one of his teams when I was 16, and I’m now 68 years old. He was a manager. He was doing it years before that.”

These teams also allowed Genovese to scout players, which was his passion. It was through one of these teams, Gilbert said, that Genovese discovered a shortstop from St. Bernard High School in Playa Del Rey named Royce Clayton. Clayton went on to play more than 2,000 major-league games.

Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ general manager who hired Genovese in 1995, called Genovese “the best of what scouting should be.”

“I think what’s really key to that is, that was so recognized by everybody in the game,” Claire said. “Because he was a very quiet man. Humble man. But everybody recognized just his total dedication, having had the chance to spend time with George, it really was a life’s journey in the game. His stories were remarkable, about his start as a player and his love for the game, involvement going back to Branch Rickey’s days. He just exemplified everything that was good about the game.”

Claire said that Genovese was still a regular figure at Dodgers games in recent years.

“He would sit there on the club level and be with his daughter,” Genovese said. “I’m so thankful the book was done on his life. The last time I saw George was earlier this year in South Pasadena, when there was a book signing. It was great to see the response and the people who were there who knew George, either personally or by reputation.”

 

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About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.