Jim Gabella Named Winner of Giants Dick Tidrow Scout of the Year Award?
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. ¨CThe San Francisco Giants announced today that amateur scout *Jim Gabella *was named this year¡¯s winner of the Dick Tidrow Scout of the Year Award. The award, established in 2022, is given annually to the Giants scout who represents the integrity, character and work ethic exemplified by the late Dick Tidrow. Keith Snider, also in SF¡¯s amateur scouting department, was the winner of the inaugural award last year.
Gabella is entering his 47th season in professional baseball and his 10th with the Giants in 2023, currently serving as an Area Scout covering Central and Northern Florida. Gabella is credited with signings of David Villar, who was the Pacific Coast League¡¯s MVP last season and had a solid end to his season with San Francisco, as well as Vaun Brown and Grant McCray. Brown and McCray, two of the Giants top outfield prospects, both had breakout campaigns in 2022 with Brown reaching Double-A after starting in Low-A and McCray finishing the year in High-A.
As a player, Gabella signed with the White Sox in 1976 and played for five years in the White Sox and Mariners organizations. He began his scouting career with Milwaukee from 1986-1988, where during that time he was credited with signing Gary Sheffield. He then went back to the field in 1989 as manager of the Burlington Indians of the Appalachian League in 1989. He¡¯d manage Cleveland affiliates in 1990-91 and 1993-94 before scouting and managing in Montreal¡¯s system in 1995 and 1996. Gabella was a scout for Cleveland from 1997-2003. In 2004, he went back to the bench and managed in the minors for Kansas City affiliates until 2010 and then Padres affiliates from 2011-2013. He joined the Giants organization in 2014.
*About Dick Tidrow *
Dick Tidrow passed away at age 74 on July 10, 2021. Tidrow was a San Francisco native who graduated from Mount Eden High and Chabot Junior College, both in Hayward, and he served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1968 to 1971. He was drafted four times - once by the Giants in the first round - before he signed with the Cleveland Indians. From 1974 to 1979 with the Yankees, he competed in three World Series and won two rings, one in 1977 and another in 1978.
A former American League Rookie Pitcher of the Year and 13-year Major League veteran, he spent 28 seasons in the Giants front office. He came to the organization prior to the 1994 campaign, serving as the club¡¯s Major League scout for the American League. Throughout his tenure with the Giants, he held the titles of Special Assistant to the General Manager, Director of Player Personnel, Assistant General Manager for Player Personnel and Senior Vice President and Senior Advisor to the General Manager. He was instrumental in helping build the San Francisco Giants¡¯ title teams of 2010, 2012 and 2014 and his impact on the Giants and the baseball community will never be forgotten.