Need help finding an old A's scout

by BaseCrawl on Aug 27, 2008 11:31 PM PDT Comment 17 comments

Hey A's fans:

About four weeks ago I went out on the message boards and asked A's fans if they could help me track down an old scout who had an enormous impact on my life. He worked for the "Oakland Athletics Baseball Company." He gave me a business card and promised me a personal tryout when I turned 18.

I was just 7 at the time and this kind gesture totally effected the trajectory of my childhood. I'm 30 now and all these years later we found the business card in my dad's office. The scout's name was Fred Rocco Granato and I'm trying to find his whereabouts.

I wrote up a blog that explains everything in great detail, and why I want to locate him. It would mean a lot to me if anyone knows what became of Mr. Granato.

I posted my story here.

Some people pointed me in some good directions. We found the addresses of a few different people in different states named "Fred Granato," but nobody on the message boards I visited had ever heard of this guy. Nobody knows which Fred Granato or "R. Granato" (there were a few of those) is the real Fred Rocco Granato.

I would appreciate any leads I can get, especially if you ever worked in the A's organization or knew Mr. Granato. An A's fan on a different message board encouraged me to post this here.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Troy Foster

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Did you try contacting the A's Front Office?

facepalm.jpg

by Zonis on Aug 28, 2008 12:02 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes

I wrote about it in my blog but I did not get much help from the A’s, although the person who wrote me back noted in her e-mail that they were busy with the upcoming draft. I also made some phone calls to the organization but none of them were returned. Then I began searching for Mr. Granato on the net and I really thought someone somewhere out there would have heard of this guy. I’m still holding out hope. But if nobody has ever heard of him I have a list of different people by the name of Fred Granato in several different states to send letters to.

http://www.basecrawl.com

by BaseCrawl on Aug 28, 2008 12:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

try them again, they aren't busy now

by jdr on Aug 28, 2008 11:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Have you tried contacting the hall of fame?

They keep records of everything.

I'm not a big wine guy... Where do you grow the BEER?

by str8tarrow on Aug 28, 2008 8:59 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I think that's the Elias Sports Bureau

Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog

by Flashfire on Aug 28, 2008 9:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

hate to potentially spoil the party and a lot of dreams but

is that real? Are they the Oakland Athletics Baseball Company? Usually its “Club”

Let's have our Piazza and eat the Cust too - SPWC

by closetasfan on Aug 28, 2008 9:55 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

"Company" was part of the official name of the ownership group

when the Haas famiy owned the team.

"Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it?"-Steve McCatty

by 5Aces on Aug 28, 2008 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

shooty

might know. Ask Shooty Babbit if he knows your scout’s wherabouts. You can either ask him in person, over the phone, or contact him via Marty Lurie’s website.

by VivaOakland on Aug 28, 2008 11:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

All the old scouts were fired by Paul DePodesta's computer

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Aug 28, 2008 12:21 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Great story

I don’t have any ideas beyond what you’ve already tried, but let us know if you succeed in tracking him down.

Overqualified to be an A's fan.

by andeux on Aug 28, 2008 12:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

How old was he?

If you can estimate his his age, you might try a zabbasearch.

by bamaA'sfan on Aug 28, 2008 12:34 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

He might have been in his 50s or 60s

I was just 7 years old and my memory is foggy. My dad, brother and father all remember meeting him but as this story has become a legend in my family we all have different recollections of the circumstances. I wrote a blog about it if you’re curious.

He had grey hair and it was sometime around 1984 or 1985. He could have been in his 50s or 60s. I have found addresses and phone numbers for people named Fred Granato in several different states and nothing is stopping me from just cold calling all of them but I’d rather send a letter and know it’s going to the right guy.

Hey shooty: Who is Shooty Babbit? You? I will Google that and try to find the Marty Lurie’s website that you speak of.

Thanks everyone for your help. I feel like I’m getting closer.

And if I didn’t make it clear this man is the reason I loved the A’s.

http://www.basecrawl.com

by BaseCrawl on Aug 28, 2008 1:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

various people-search sites indicate there's a "Rocco Granato" in Philadelphia who's ~86

I’m curious, though: you say that it was the business card that portentously “changed everything” … aside from your allegiance to the A’s, what did it change?

There were a lot of stupid, long confusing words that I’m sure normal people don’t use. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Aug 28, 2008 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Monkeyball: It totally shaped my childhood. The A’s were my life after this encounter. A’s A’s A’s A’s A’s everything. After Mr. Granato gave me the business card I became obsessed with the baseball in general and the A’s in particular. Entire family vacations were planned around trips to Seattle to watch the A’s in the Kingdome.

Now I never obviously became a baseball player because I wasn’t good enough. But if Mr. Granato gave me anything he gave me hope and a dream. And when you’re that young and your mind is so impressionable it’s amazing the impact such gestures can have.

If I hadn’t had that encounter I may have never been that into baseball. And, God forbid, I may have even turned into Mariners fan. Gasp!

http://www.basecrawl.com

by BaseCrawl on Aug 28, 2008 2:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

ah, gotcha

I was afraid you were about to dress up as Inigo Montoya.

There were a lot of stupid, long confusing words that I’m sure normal people don’t use. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Aug 28, 2008 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, there are some guys out there by that name

and they are pushing 90… I hate to tell you what that normally means as dead folks seem to still be in those listings as I found yesterday when I found an uncle over 95 and an aunt up around the same age. Both have been gone for at least 12years. I think you probably waited until too late in your life to realize what he meant to you; Join the crowd.

I did a search for him on google, but you have asked for help on so many sites that that is what comes up on the searches.

Incidently I told you how to find him on another site and it was not presued apparently.

Charlie Brown GO A'S WIN

by Charlie Brown on Aug 28, 2008 7:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

i just read your blog entry

the area code has since changed from 415 to 510…if it makes a difference.

"If you hit .440 with 20 bombs, you don't have to do s---. You don't have to bring a glove to practice, just hit and leave whenever you want. You can bring a 40 and smoke a cigarette and call me from the parking lot asking me what time the game is, and I'll tell you. You can even say 'F--- you, Steve!' Actually, don't say that, that wouldn't be very nice." -Steve Friend, Head Coach, Chabot College Gladiators Baseball

by flipgatey3 on Aug 29, 2008 3:59 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs