Al LaMacchia, veteran baseball scout, dies at 89

LOS ANGELES - Al LaMacchia, a former executive with the Blue Jays during their World Series championships and a longtime scout, died Wednesday. He was 89.

Los Angeles Dodgers spokesman Josh Rawitch said LaMacchia died at his home in San Antonio. Other details were not immediately disclosed.

"Al was the epitome of a baseball scout. He loved the game and the people in it," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said.

"Knowing that Al was always available to help with a player or a thought process was always a comforting combination. I found his wisdom of life and baseball to be rare."

LaMacchia pitched in 16 games for his hometown St. Louis Browns (1943, 1945-46) and the Washington Senators (1946) after 16 seasons as a pitcher in the minor leagues, including a 15-2 mark for San Antonio in the Texas League in 1942.

He scouted for the Braves organization from 1961 to 1976, and later for the Devil Rays and finally for the Dodgers, beginning in 2002.

He joined the Toronto organization at its inception, in 1977, and was a vice president when the Blue Jays won the World Series in 1992 and 1993.

LaMacchia was born on July 22, 1921, in St. Louis.

The Dodgers said players he scouted or signed included Dale Murphy, George Bell, Cito Gaston, Dave Stieb and David Wells. He touted Double-A outfielder Andre Ethier to Colletti before the Dodgers acquired him from Oakland in 2005.- AP