Bob Zuk, Former MLB Scout Who Signed Three HOFers
Bill Schenley
(Staff Reports)
http://www.sbsun.com/Stories/0%2C1413%2C208%7E12588%7E2825054%2C00.html
As a child, Bob Zuk would sneak off to play baseball. As an adult, he
would sign players to play in the major leagues.
A professional baseball scout and longtime Redlands resident, Zuk died
April 9 at St. Bernardine Medical Center in San Bernardino after a
long illness. He was 77.
He was born April 12, 1927, in Detroit and signed with the New York
Giants in 1948.
A month into his stint with the Giants, a shoulder injury caused the
team to release him. After that, he attended UC Berkeley and worked
with the recreation department in Oakland. He also played semi-pro
baseball in that area.
During those years, he got to know George Powles, a legendary baseball
and basketball coach in the Bay Area. Powles introduced him to many
baseball people, and in 1957 Zuk got his first scouting job with the
Chicago White Sox.
He was a professional baseball scout for more than 40 years, retiring
in 2003.
Zuk settled in Redlands in 1966 and worked out of Redlands until he
retired.
He scouted for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, Montreal
Expos, Kansas City-Oakland A's, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds,
Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers.
Zuk signed three baseball players who are in the Baseball Hall of
Fame: Willie Stargell, Reggie Jackson and Gary Carter.
As a territorial scout, he signed 22 players who reached the major
leagues. The accumulated home runs by players he signed total 2,444,
putting him second on the all-time list for scouts in that category.
His last position before retiring was as a special assistant to the
general manager of the Cincinnati Reds.
His wife, Dolores, said he always loved baseball.
"As a youngster, he used to sneak off and play baseball,' though his
parents didn't necessarily approve, she said.
In 1997, he was inducted into the RBI Inner City Hall of Fame, and on
Jan. 8 he received the George Genovese Lifetime Achievement Award from
the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Dolores; two sons, Warren Zuk
of Redlands and Robert F. Zuk of Atherton; a daughter, Laura Hamlett
of Corona; and six grandchildren.
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(Reggie Jackson)
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/jackson_reggie.htm
(Gary Carter)
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers%5Fand%5Fhonorees/hofer%5Fbios/carter%5Fgary.htm
(Willie Stargell)
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers%5Fand%5Fhonorees/hofer%5Fbios/stargell%5Fwillie.htm