Dodger Scout Gary Nickels To Be Honored

Gary Nickels, the man who hired and mentored Logan White in his formative scouting years, and who has been with the Dodgers as a scout since 2003, overseeing the signings of Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw, among others, will be inducted into a pair of Halls of Fame this month.  Per the Dodgers press release:

Dodger Midwest Scouting Supervisor Gary Nickels will be inducted into the Midwest Scouts Association Hall of Fame on November 7 and the Mid Atlantic Scouts Association Hall of Fame on November 14.

"Gary is the most professional, punctual, organized and thorough baseball man I know," said Dodger Assistant General Manager of Scouting Logan White. "I have had the good fortune to have been hired and mentored by this man when I was a young scout, and he is the epitome of a class act in all facets of life."

The 2009 season is Nickels’ 38th as a scout, and seventh in his current position. Notable current Dodgers drafted under his supervision include Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, Scott Elbert, Blake DeWitt, Cory Wade, and A.J. Ellis. His scouting territory includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

The Midwest Scouts Association Hall of Fame induction will occur at the Midwest Scouts Association Banquet at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City , Missouri . He will be inducted along with Mike Radcliff of the Minnesota Twins and Bill Bryk of the San Diego Padres during the event’s dinner at 7:00 p.m.

The Mid Atlantic Scouts Association (MASA) Hall of Fame induction will take place at its annual banquet at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen , Maryland .  Nickels’ name will also be added to the Hall of Fame plaque which hangs permanently at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore , Maryland .

Nickels worked for four clubs prior to joining the Dodgers in 2003. From 1999-2002, he served as the San Diego Padres’ Pro Scouting Director following nine years in Baltimore as the Orioles’ Scouting Director (1991-98) and Midwest Supervisor/Crosschecker (1989-90). He also was the Chicago Cubs’ Midwest Region Supervisor from 1982-88 and got his start in baseball as an Administrative Assistant, Scouting (1972-75) and Area Scout (1976-81) for the Philadelphia Phillies.