14 Facts About Tom Greenwade

Thomas E Greenwade was an American baseball scout.

Tom Greenwade is best known for discovering players such as Mickey Mantle and Elston Howard, and for his role in Jackie Robinson's ascent to break baseball's color barrier.

The family was poor, instilling a frugality in Tom Greenwade that influenced the rest of his life.

Tom Greenwade could kill rabbits by throwing rocks at them; locals subsequently purchased the rabbits from him for a quarter apiece.

When Tom Greenwade went to meet with Mexican League president Jorge Pasquel about the possibility of recruiting Garcia to the United States, the Mexican League official and his brother began the talks by brandishing firearms.

Tom Greenwade was later assigned to follow Jackie Robinson and observe his play.

Tom Greenwade scouted for the Yankees between 1949 and 1964, discovering players such as Elston Howard and Bobby Murcer.

Tom Greenwade is best known for scouting Mickey Mantle, however.

Scared to lose Mantle to another scout, Tom Greenwade noted the date of Mantle's planned high school graduation and signed him the night of the high school commencement.

Mantle said that the Class D contract was worth $1,500, while Tom Greenwade said that Mantle received $1,150.

Tom Greenwade stood out from other scouts because he avoided taking notes on players, believing that most scouts missed out on key observations because they were writing notes and had their heads down.

Tom Greenwade continued to visit the Yankees clubhouse when they played in Kansas City, and he remained popular among Yankees players.

Tom Greenwade died of heart failure in 1986 at a nursing home in Ash Grove, Missouri.

Tom Greenwade had saved enough money to own a bank, a water company and a farm, which he turned over to one of his sons.