MacKenzie wins scout of the year

* Bill MacKenzie, shown here as coach of the Ottawa Fat Cats, along with Intercounty commissioner Joe O’Neill was scout of the year in 1995. .....    

June 10, 1995

By Bob Elliott

How many scouts selected pitchers last June who have combined for double-figure win totals?

Few, if any, even working hotbeds like California and Florida.

So the winner in our second annual scout-of-the-year poll has to be Bill MacKenzie of the Colorado Rockies. MacKenzie has Canadian coverage for Colorado and works out of Ottawa.

He and Brockville’s Brian McRobie signed LHP Mike Kusiewicz, 18, of Nepean (eighth round) and RHP Brent Crowther, 22, of North Vancouver (10th). Both have been selected to the Class-A South Atlantic League all-star team.

Crowther has won seven straight, the past six on the road, for the Ashville Tourists and is 8-3 with a 2.51 ERA. Kusiewicz is 3-1, 1.86 (the seventh best ERA in the league) and returns to action this weekend after losing three starts because of elbow problems.

Marlins scout Bill Scherrer, of Buffalo, was our initial winner for work above and beyond the call of duty.

A dozen scouts had driven hours to see a prospect, but the game was rained out. Scherrer volunteered to throw batting practice. The final pitch was lined through the box and Scherrer, wearing new street shoes and white pants went down in the muck like Charlie Brown.