R.I.P. Former Blue Jays scout Ben McLure -- updated
April 6, 2024
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Ben McLure’s name will never be on the Level of Excellence at Rogers Centre.
Yet, McLure was an excellent scout for the Toronto Blue Jays and a reason for the 11-straight winning seasons and back-to-back World Series championships.
McLure, 84, passed away on April 2 in Hummelstown, Penn.
He won three World Series rings: two with the Toronto Blue Jays and one with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a scout from 1972 to 2015 also working for the Montreal Expos. After his days as an area scout with the Blue Jays, he was a pro scout for the San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Among others he signed
_ RP Bob File in the 19th round from Philadelphia Textile School, which was renamed Thomas Jefferson University in 2017. File broke in during the 2001 season under manager Buck Martinez pitching 74 1/3 innings in 60 innings. He was 5-3 with a 3.27 ERA. In three seasons File pitched in 89 games with a 4.20 ERA. He walked 43 and struck out 55 in 111 1/3 innings. He signed for $4,000.
_ LHP Bob MacDonald, a 13th rounder from Rutgers in 1987, who pitched three seasons with the Jays. He then went on to pitch for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees and the Mets, appearing in 197 games.
McLure also signed, according to Hot Rod Nelson of the SABR minor leaguers Scouts Research Committee, minor leaguers ...
_ RP Tom Wasilewski, a ninth round selection in 1984, who pitched at Medicine Hat during his three seasons, and worked in 116 games, including a year in the San Francisco Giants organization.
_ RP-INF Bob Watts, a 24th pick in 1986 who was a two-way man in the Jays system for three years including The Hat and St. Catharines, plus one season with the Brewers, appearing in 127 games as a pitcher and 167 as a position player.
_ RP Terry Wilson, a 66th round selection in 1987, who played three seasons with the Jays -- two at The Hat -- appearing in 52 games.
_ RP Tim Bruzdewicz, a 19th rounder in 1988, who pitched three seasons in the Jays season, including The Hat, working in 57 games.
_ RHP Greg McCutcheon, a 27th round pick in 1988, pitched three seasons -- two at St. Catharines -- appearing in 33 games
_ C Wayne Williams, a 45th round pick in 1988, who played one year at The Hat appearing in 15 games.
_ RHP Scott Gordon, a 15th round pick in 1989, who pitched at The Hat in 16 games.
_ RP Ken Kulina, a 38th pick in 1989, who pitched three seasons including St. Catharines and The Hat, pitching in 51 games.
_ 1B D.J. Boston, a 39th rounder in 1990, who played eight seasons in the Toronto system, including The Hat and St. Catharines, plus the Colorado Rockies and Pirates system, as well as eight years of independent ball, 1,502 games in all.
_ OF Stoney Briggs, an eighth rounder in 1991, who played 10 seasons in the minors, including The Hat, plus two seasons of indy ball, playing in 1,002 games.
_ Reliever Tim Adkins, a ninth rounder in 1992, who pitched at class-A St. Catharines and appeared in 390 games over 12 years reaching triple-A at Columbus and Louisville.
_ C Dave Becker, an 18th rounder in 1992, who played three seasons in the Jays system, including rookie-class Medicine Hat, appearing in 102 games.
_ C Jeff Ladd, a 41st rounder in 1992, who played four seasons in the Jays system, including St. Catharines, appearing in 259 games.
_ OF Matt Farner, a first rounder (37th over-all) in 1993, who played four seasons, including The Hat, appearing in 93 games.
_ INF Rob Mummau, a 29th pick of the 1993 draft, who played eight seasons in the Jays system -- including St. Catharines -- and one year of indy ball playing in 658 games.
_ C Brent Lutz, a 30th round pick in 1993, who played five seasons, including The Hat, appearing in 373 games.
_ 1B Mike Landers, a 28th rounder in 1994, played in 134 games at The Hat and St. Catharines.
_ C Ryan Cisar, a 46th round selection in 1995, who played one season, getting into 35 games.
_ RHP Josh Bradford, a 15th round selection in 1996, who pitched four seasons in the Jays system including St. Catharines, as well as three seasons in indy ball, appearing in 124 games.
_ RHP Joe Casey, an eighth rounder from 1997, who pitched six seasons in the Jays system, including St. Catharines, appearing in 166 games.
_ RP Matt Weimer, an 18th rounder in 1997, who pitched three seasons in the Jays system including St. Catharines and two seasons of indy ball, appearing in 166 games.
_ C Mike Kremblas, an eighth round choice in 1998, six seasons with the Jays, including a stop in The Hat, plus the Oakland A’s and Brewers systems, appearing in 364 games.
_ OF Ryan Fleming, an 18th round pick in 1998, who played nine seasons in the minors, including The Hat, as well as the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies systems, appearing in 939 games.
_ RP Mike Stafford, a 41st rounder in 1998, who pitched at The Hat and St. Cataharines in his two seasons in the Jays organization as well as time in the Yankees and Brewers systems, appearing in 131 games.
_ RP Matt Bimeal, a 35th rounder in 1999, who played four seasons in the minors with the Jays, including The Hat, and the Pirates, appearing in 86 games.
A true gentleman and “an excellent scout,” as former Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said, McLure has been honored a number of times ... high school coach of the year from the Harrisburg Old Timers Association, the Jack Sutch memorial award from the Central Penn Umpires Associationm Middle Atlantic Baseball Scouts Association career achievement award, Scout of the Year by both the Middle Atlantic Scouts Association and the Padres.
He was elected to six Halls of Fame: the Pennsylvania American Legion Hall, Butler County Sports, Middle Atlantic Baseball Scouts Association, the West Shore Chapter, Central Chapter of Lebanon County, and the Capital Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall.
Ben is survived by two children, three grandchildren and one great grandson.
Deepest sympathies are extended.