I had the opportunity to talk with Francis Connolly, a MLB scout in Baseball Info Solutions’ Advanced Scouting Department, and he told me a bit about the company and what he does for it.  Some of it had me impressed and amazed.  If you’re a baseball fan, this is one interview you can’t afford to miss as you’ll get some inside info on how player’s performances are scouted.

EndScore: Can you tell me about Baseball Info Solutions (BIS) and what they do?
Connolly: Baseball Info Solutions is located in Bethlehem, PA. It is a company that functions essentially as a consulting agent for about ten Major League Baseball teams.  We collect information through in-depth game scoring and pitch charting and provide the teams with daily stat/info packages.
EndScore: Can you give me some MLB teams that you work for? And how you do your work – video, in-person?  And do you personally work for any specific team?
Connolly: I’m not 100% sure that I can name the teams that we provide info for, due to confidentiality concerns, but we do most of our work through the computer and video. We score games the day they are played, and usually pitch chart them the next day. We have some elaborate computer programs that help us track everything, and I mean absolutely everything. The computer guys then do their magic and bundle/synthesize the data for the individual teams.  I would say that our clients are an interesting blend of perennial contenders and traditionally weaker teams.  And I do not work for a specific MLB team, just BIS.

EndScore: Are there any other types of companies you provide services for? Such as fantasy baseball sites? I would think that what BIS does would interest them as well.
Connolly: No, only the MLB teams. I would agree that this type of data could be valuable to fantasy sites, though I think it may be more in-depth than a fantasy site would need.  In any case, this company is in its fourth or fifth season, and has gradually acquired more clients each year.
EndScore: Do you scout on the minor league level as well?
Connolly: We have satellite scorers in every AA and AAA minor league city, as the minor league games are usually not televised. They score the games for us and enter the info into our database. We usually send two scorers to each game, so we can check any discrepencies and be certain we get everything right.
EndScore: Daaaaaamn.
Connolly: (laughing)
EndScore: So, do you get to go to any games - Major or Minor league? Or are you at a computer and in front of a video monitor all day?
Connolly: Mostly in front of the computer. We have every game on TiVo, so we can go back and forth over unusual plays as many times as we need. If I were at a game, I wouldn’t be able to get every little detail nearly as well. Sometimes we send people out to minor league games, but only in the emergency case that one of our satellite scorers cancels on short notice.  It really is all about data collection for us.
EndScore: How do you organize this info and in turn disseminate it to the MLB clubs you are working for?  And how far in advance are you scouting upcoming opponents? A week ahead of time? A few days?
Connolly: Well, again that’s where the magic of the computer-savvy guys comes in. But, I do know that teams often ask for team-specific data to help them prepare for upcoming series. We have every game from the past few seasons charted as well, so that can sometimes prove more useful considering this season is yet quite young.
EndScore:Wow… BIS must have some archive going on. I feel bad for the librarian!!!
Connolly: Yeah, we’re making the switch from VHS to DVD this year which should cut down on space.
EndScore:  So what is the best part of your job?
Connolly: I would say the best part of my job is getting to do something that I love and am interested in. Most of my friends can get yelled at if their boss sees them on ESPN.com too much. For me, it’s almost required to surf the web reading about sports. When you get to spend your whole day doing something that interests you, it helps you focus and work hard, because you aren’t busy wishing you were doing something else.
EndScore: Wow, what an excellent perk! if i did that for my job as a Medical Editor, I’d have to check out liverdiseases.com or graphicbirthdefectpics.com… care to switch jobs? Seriously, it sounds like a dream job for sports junkies, but what if you get caught looking at a sport other than baseball, say curling.  Will you get busted then or just laughed at?
Connolly: Probably just laughed at. My last job was an internship with the New England Patriots, and now I’m working in MLB. Not sure what will be next, maybe curling… (laughing).
EndScore: What is the most challenging part of your job and what did you think about baseball scouting before working for BIS and what has opened your eyes about it, something you’ve never thought about but learned?
Connolly: The most challenging part of my job is fixing the scored minor league games. For the most part our satellite scorers do an excellent job, but there are times when we get what we like to call “debacles.” Sometimes, I have to completely take apart an inning and put it back together, making sure all the player and lineup links are correct.  What I have learned about baseball scouting since working for BIS is that it really can provide an edge. Data is valuable no matter what the business, and we provide teams with massive amounts of data/info that they can’t really get anywhere else.
EndScore: Can you give a few examples? What do you look for when scouting a pitcher and/or a hitter?
Connolly: Well, if you are a team getting ready for an upcoming series it is certainly helpful to have a chart of every single pitch the opposing pitchers have thrown that season.  You can better guage a pitchers tendencies and habits.  Same goes for hitters and their swinging tendencies.  More in depth, you can get a sense of when teams like to use hit-and run, and which particular players they employ for them. You can see what rattles pitchers into repeated pickoff attempts. We also chart defensive plays that do not show up in the box score. Things like turning quickly on a double play, or kicking a ball that has already dropped for a basehit, resulting in an extra base.
EndScore: Wow.  Do you look at things like batting stance and arm slots?  Does it get that specific or intangible?
Connolly: Stance and arm slot aren’t things we look at really. Though arm slot can help identify what pitch a pitcher is using.
EndScore: Is there anything else you’d like to say about your job?
Connolly: Not really, other than that I feel very lucky to be able to something that I really enjoy.
EndScore: Okay, concluding questions…. favorite baseball team?
Connolly: Boston Red Sox.
EndScore: Who do you like to watch hit?
Connolly: Manny Ramirez and Ichiro are my favorites.
EndScore: Who do you like to watch pitch?
Connolly: Pedro Martinez above all others, but I like Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, and Rich Harden.  Tim Wakefield too.
EndScore: Favorite baseball term or quote?
Connolly: When I was a kid, my dad used to tell me all of Yogi Berra’s quotes. My favorite has always been: “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.”
EndScore: Haha.  Gotta love the Yogisms. Okay two more questions.  What is the single hardest thing to do in sports (any sport)?
Connolly: Hitting a triple in baseball   or scoring 100 points in the NBA.
EndScore: Last question - when you die and go up to sports heaven and the sports god asks what sport you would like to play and with whom, who would it be and why?
Connolly: I would want to play for the 2004 World Champion Red Sox team. As a sports fan, I know that playoff run will be the highlight of my life. Nothing will ever top it from a fan standpoint. The excitement and nervousness was unparalleled, I can only imagine what it felt like to be a player on that team.
EndScore: Francis, thanks A LOT for doing this interview.  I really appreciate the time.
Connolly: No problem.  Sure thing.