Art Stewart

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Art Stewart
Art Stewart.JPG
Born
Arthur Stewart

(1927-02-06)February 6, 1927
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedNovember 11, 2021(2021-11-11) (aged 94)
Occupation Baseball scout
Organizations

Arthur Stewart (February 6, 1927 – November 11, 2021) was an American baseball front-office executive and scout. He began his Major League Baseball (MLB) scouting career with the New York Yankees in 1953. He later joined the Kansas City Royals in 1969, becoming its scouting director in 1984, before serving as senior advisor to the general manager from 1997 until his death. [1]

Contents

Early life

Stewart was born in Chicago on February 6, 1927. [1] His father died when he was four years old. Stewart turned down minor league contracts offered by George Sisler and George Moriarty, opting to coach semi-pro baseball instead. Twenty-eight players coached by Stewart eventually signed professional contracts, drawing the attention of the New York Yankees. [2]

Career

New York Yankees

Stewart was hired as a territorial scout by the Yankees in 1953. [1] [3] He was trained by Yankee scout Lou Maguolo. [4] He scouted, suggested and signed many players for the Yankees. Working as the organization's Midwest scouting supervisor, [1] the first player Stewart discovered and steered to the Yankees was pitcher Jim Bouton, who had not attracted any interest from major league teams while in high school. [5] Bouton eventually played seven seasons with the Yankees and was selected an All Star in 1963, the year when he won 21 games. [6]

Kansas City Royals

Stewart served in multiple roles for the Kansas City Royals after joining the MLB expansion franchise in 1969. [1] [7] He was appointed as director of scouting in 1984 and served in that capacity until 1997, [1] [7] while having the responsibility of Player Development from 1986 to 1987. [7] He later became the senior special assistant to general manager in 1998, before serving as senior advisor to the general manager until his death. [7] [8] Seventy players that Stewart drafted went on to play in MLB. They include Bo Jackson, Kevin Appier, Brian McRae, Mike Sweeney, Johnny Damon, Joe Randa and Carlos Beltrán. [9] [10]

Stewart was the longest tenured Royals associate at the time of his death, having served 52 seasons with the organization. [11] He was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Baseball Hall of Fame on June 28, 2008, [12] [9] becoming the 23rd member of the elite group. [8] That same year, he was conferred the Midwest Scout of the Year Award by the Scout of the Year Foundation. [1] He was later inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2016. [2]

Author

Stewart co-authored a book, The Art of Scouting, with Kansas City newspaper writer Sam Mellinger in 2014. [13] In an interview with Dick Kaegel of MLB.com on October 17, 2014, as the Royals advanced to their first World Series appearance since 1985, Stewart recounted a story from his Chicago childhood: "When I was 8 or 9 years old, playing ball as a kid, my mother said, 'You know, you're going to be in professional baseball someday.' I said, 'What do you mean, Mom?' She said, 'Because you were born on Feb. 6, Babe Ruth's birthday, in 1927, the same year that he hit 60 home runs.' She was right. Talk about scouting!" [14]

Personal life

Stewart married his first wife, Donna Wakely, during the 1960s. They met at a baseball game while he was scouting and remained married for almost 50 years until her death in 2008. [15] Together, they had one child, Dawn. [1] He later married Rosemary, to whom he was originally engaged to in 1959. They reunited at the Lutheran church in his hometown where they had first met almost 50 years before. [15] They resided in Racine, Wisconsin, during his later years and remained married until his death. [10] [1] He died on November 11, 2021, at the age of 94. [11] [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas City Royals</span> Major League Baseball franchise in Kansas City

The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team was founded as an expansion franchise in 1969, and have made four World Series trips, winning in 1985 and 2015, and losing in 1980 and 2014. Outside of a dominant 10-year stretch between 1976 and 1985, and a brief, albeit dominant, resurgence from 2013 to 2015, the Royals have combined for a bottom-ten all time winning percentage in MLB history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Brett</span> American baseball player (born 1953)

George Howard Brett is an American former professional baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitey Herzog</span> American baseball player and manager (1931–2024)

Dorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager, most notable for his Major League Baseball (MLB) managerial career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Patek</span> American baseball player (born 1944)

Freddie Joseph Patek, nicknamed "the Flea" or "the Cricket", is an American former professional baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals and California Angels. At 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) tall, he was the shortest MLB player of his time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buck O'Neil</span> American baseball player (1911–2006)

John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil Jr. was an American first baseman and manager in the Negro American League, mostly with the Kansas City Monarchs. After his playing days, he worked as a scout and became the first African American coach in Major League Baseball. In his later years he became a popular and renowned speaker and interview subject, helping to renew widespread interest in the Negro leagues, and played a major role in establishing the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022 as an executive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Negro Leagues Baseball Museum</span> Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is a privately funded museum dedicated to preserving the history of Negro league baseball in America. It was founded in 1990 in Kansas City, Missouri, in the historic 18th & Vine District, the hub of African-American cultural activity in Kansas City during the first half of the 20th century. The NLBM shares its building with the American Jazz Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank White (baseball)</span> American baseball player (born 1950)

Frank White Jr. is an American politician and former professional baseball player, coach, and television sports commentator who is currently the first base coach for the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He played his entire eighteen-year career in Major League Baseball as a second baseman for the Kansas City Royals from 1973 to 1990 and was an integral member of the 1985 World Series winning team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dayton Moore</span> American baseball executive

Dayton Moore is an American baseball executive who is currently serving as senior advisor of baseball operations for the Texas Rangers. Moore's baseball career began as an assistant coach at George Mason University. He transitioned to professional baseball after being hired by the Atlanta Braves. In the Braves' organization, Moore worked in the team's scouting department and was later promoted to the baseball operations department. In 2006, Moore was hired by the Kansas City Royals to fill a vacancy in their general manager position, replacing Allard Baird. Moore was the Royals' general manager during the team's 2014 American League championship and 2015 World Series titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Duckworth</span> American baseball player and scout (born 1976)

Brandon J. Duckworth is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who is currently a scout. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, and Kansas City Royals, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Since 2014, Duckworth has worked for the New York Yankees professional scouting department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Getz</span> American baseball player (born 1983)

Christopher Ryan Getz is an American professional baseball executive and former player. A second baseman, Getz played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays from 2008 to 2014. Getz currently serves as the vice president and general manager for the White Sox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trey Hillman</span> American baseball coach

Thomas Brad "Trey" Hillman is an American professional baseball coach. He has also served as the manager of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan's Pacific League, the Kansas City Royals in the American League and the SK Wyverns in the KBO League. Therefore, he is the only person to have served as manager in these three countries. He has also been a coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and the Miami Marlins.

The Kansas City Royals' 2008 season began with the team searching for its 15th manager in franchise history. Trey Hillman, former minor league baseball and Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters manager, was hired as the team's skipper on October 19, 2007.

The 2009 Kansas City Royals season was the 41st season for the franchise, and their 39th at Kauffman Stadium. The season began on April 7 with a game against the Chicago White Sox at U. S. Cellular Field, which Chicago won. On April 10, the Royals hosted the New York Yankees in the first game at the newly renovated Kauffman Stadium for the Royals' home opener. Interleague opponents included the St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Richard Pendleton Balderson is a retired American professional baseball player, front-office executive and scout. A longtime scouting and player development director, Balderson was the general manager of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball from late October 1985 through late July 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanekoa Texeira</span> American baseball player & coach (born 1986)

Kanekoa Jacob Texeira is an American former professional baseball pitcher and the current manager of the Gwinnett Stripers, the Triple A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Hosmer</span> American baseball player (born 1989)

Eric John Hosmer is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legacy Awards (NLBM)</span> Professional baseball awards

The Legacy Awards are presented annually by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The "Hall of Game Award"—established in 2014 and honoring players who personify "the spirit of the way the game was played in the Negro Leagues"—is the only such award actively presented since 2018.

Matthew John Quatraro is an American professional baseball former minor league player, minor league manager, and major league coach, and the current manager of the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was previously the bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2019 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lou Maguolo</span> American Major League Baseball executive

Louis Dewey Maguolo was an American Major League Baseball executive. A baseball scout for the St. Louis Browns and New York Yankees, he was best known for signing Yankee greats Bill Skowron, Tony Kubek, Fritz Peterson, Jim Bouton, and Elston Howard. He is credited with signing at least 40 athletes who eventually played in the major leagues, ten of them for the Browns, including Al LaMacchia, Don Lenhardt, Marlin Stuart, Fuzz White, Jackie Juelich, Babe Martin, George Hausmann, and Roy Sievers. Others signed for the Yankees include Whitey Herzog, Cal Neeman, Norm Siebern, Lee Thomas, Jim Robertson, Jay Ward, Bob Keegan, Herb Plews, Lou Skizas, Bob Wiesler, Al Pilarcik, Bud Zipfel, Paul Hinrichs, Zach Monroe, Lloyd Merritt, Steve Kraly, Tom Metcalf, Mike Jurewicz, Hal Stowe, Jim Finigan, John Gabler, Joe Pactwa, Larry Murray, Jerry Lumpe, Jerry Kenney, Dave Bergman, and Dennis Werth.

Richard James Kaegel is an American sportswriter. As a beat writer, he covered the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball, and also served as the editor-in-chief for The Sporting News.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rogers, Anne (November 11, 2021). "Royals mourn passing of scout Art Stewart". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Art Stewart". Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  3. ↑ The Art of scouting Royals' Stewart has amassed talent, lots of stories, By JOE POSNANSKI, Published on 2000-12-03, Page D1, Kansas City Star, The (MO), Search The Kansas City Star Archive
  4. ↑ Posnanski, Joe (2001). The Good Stuff: Columns about the Magic of Sports. Kansas City, MO: Kansas City Star Books.
  5. ↑ Nathanson, Mitchell (May 1, 2020). Bouton: The Life of a Baseball Original. University of Nebraska Press. p. 30. ISBN   9781496217707.
  6. ↑ "Jim Bouton Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC . Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Titles of Art Stewart". www.baseballamerica.com. Retrieved August 10, 2008.
  8. 1 2 "Royals Hall of Fame Class of 2008: Art Stewart". royals.mlblogs.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
  9. 1 2 "Art Stewart selected to Royals Hall of Fame". MLB.com . Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  10. 1 2 "Art Stewart – Senior Advisor to the General Manager". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  11. 1 2 Skretta, Dave (November 11, 2021). "Longtime Royals baseball scout Art Stewart dies at 94". Associated Press. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Art Stewart Royals Hall of Fame induction ceremony set for June 28". MLB.com . Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2008.
  13. ↑ Stewart, Art (2014). The Art of Scouting : seven decades chasing hopes and dreams in major league baseball. Olathe, KS: Ascend Books. ISBN   9780991275618. Contributors: George Brett, Sam Mellinger
  14. ↑ Kaegel, Dick (October 17, 2014). "Scouting Royals has been an Art form". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  15. 1 2 Mellinger, Sam (November 11, 2021). "My tribute to Art Stewart, a friend and KC Royals baseball icon who lived his best life". The Kansas City Star . Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.