Also during the 1972 and 1973
college seasons, while still a student, and having forgone his
eligibility for collegiate athletics to sign on with the Phillies, Mick
worked as assistant baseball coach at Rutgers.
Following an uneventful two
seasons in the pros, Mick hung up his catchers glove and coaches cap,
and began working for Lipton Tea in Quality Control, a position he held
off and on for the next eight years. In his spare time he tried his hand
at comedy, among other things.
There is definitely a trace of
the showman in Mickey, and these roots can be traced back to a local
Brookline pop band which
during his high school years made its way around the local dance venues.
The band featured Mickey on keyboards, Danny
McGibbeny on drums,
Joey Moreno and Ronnie Adamese on guitar, and Jerry
Bucciarelli as the
singer.
But baseball was in his blood.
In addition to his feats as a player, during his teen years Mickey also
worked with the clean-up crew at Forbes Field. So, after leaving Lipton
in 1981, Mickey finally broke into the major leagues, with the Cincinnati
Reds. His big chance did not come as a player however, but as a scout,
and he set out to make the best of this new and exciting
opportunity.
Mick always had a good eye for
talent. After signing on with the Reds in 1982 as Scouting Supervisor
for the New England area, Mickey and his team set out in search of
baseball talent. His stint with the Reds is noted for his discovery of
pitcher Rob Dibble.
Leaving the Reds in 1987, Mickey
signed on with the Seattle Mariners for two years as their East Coast
Scouting Supervisor. Then came a three year run as Scouting Director
for the Cleveland Indians.
During his time with the Indians,
Mickey's team brought in 18 players that eventually signed major league
contracts, including All-Star Manny Ramirez.
As with most things in the
professional baseball world, nothing remains constant, including jobs.
Mickey soon found himself working with the International Management
Group, organizing their new baseball academy to train young hopefuls.
Then, in 1995, he signed on as Special Assistant to the General Manager
of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, using his organizational skills to help
prepare this expansion team for their professional debut.
Finally, in 1998, the Traveling
Man found himself back home, mending the roots that had frayed but not
broken during his 20-odd years away from the nest.
From 1998 through 2002, Mickey
worked hard on mending the Pirates faltering farm system. His team of
scouts had a difficult job to do, but true to form, Mick and his crew
helped turn the Pirates minor league teams into winners, stocked with
a bevy of fine young prospects. The Buccos may have been struggling with
their Major League team, but the future looked a lot brighter due to the
diligence and talent of their scouting department.
Unfortunately for Mickey, in July
of 2001 the Pirates began a front office overhaul, and David Littlefield
was named their new General Manager. Despite the success of the scouting
department, Littlefield prefered to reshape the front office and bring
in a new staff. Brookline's Traveling Man was again packing his
bags.
In February of 2002, Mickey resigned
his post as scouting director. His departure was met with mixed emotions
in the front office. "It was a very difficult decision to let Mickey go
because he is a very talented guy," Littlefield said.
For those who knew him best, their
were no mixed emotions involved. It was sad to see Mickey moving on,
after rekindling a little of that neighborly bond and seeing his
Brookline roots mending so nicely.
Today, in August of 2004, you can
find Mickey White working with the Baltimore Orioles. Undoubtedly the
Orioles farm system will be looking up under the watchful eyes of our
Mick.
What does the future hold in store
for Mickey White, the traveling man? Who knows? One thing is for certain,
success breeds success, and Mickey brings success wherever he goes. Major
League baseball has benefited greatly from Mick's services, and those who
know him have benefited greatly from his friendship.
We wish the best of luck to Mickey
as he continues his journey through the back streets of professional
baseball. Just don't forget where your roots are, right here in
Brookline!
* Written by
Clint Burton - August 25, 2004 * |