Longtime baseball pro scout Gary Hughes dies at 79

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Gary Hughes, a beloved professional scout for numerous big league organizations during a 54-year career, has died in Northern California after a battle with cancer. He was 79.

Hughes was a regular at Bay Area ballparks in recent years working for the Red Sox and Diamondbacks. Arizona announced his death in a statement Saturday, saying he passed earlier in the day.

“Gary Hughes was the quintessential baseball man,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “He coached at various levels. He scouted. He developed players. And he helped put together major league rosters.”

Hughes had lived for years in the scenic coastal city of Santa Cruz.

“Gary’s impact on the game of baseball was exceeded only by the number of friends he made throughout it," the Diamondbacks said. "He was a member of the Giants, Mariners, Mets, Yankees, Expos, Marlins, Rockies, Reds, Cubs and Red Sox organizations before joining the D-backs and it was an honor to have a legend like him be part of our family for two seasons."

A member of the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame, Hughes always was a popular figure when he turned up before games with a briefcase and a big grin, ready to work or share his baseball knowledge with genuine care and love for the game.

“He scouted me in high school, I’ve known Gary for that long,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said immediately after a win against the San Francisco Giants when told of Hughes’ death. “I consider him a friend, a good friend. I knew he was struggling some, I knew he went into hospice. It's awful.”

During his years with the Cubs, Hughes was Jim Hendry's right-hand man assisting in many matters — even handling media duties at the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, in December 2006 when Hendry was...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Longtime-baseball-pro-scout-Gary-Hughes-dies-at-79-15580941.php