Beloved scout, exec Hughes passes away

Gary Hughes, a member of the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame who worked in baseball for 54 years, died on Saturday. Hughes, who had been working as a professional scout for the D-backs for the past year, also spent time as the Expos’ scouting director and the Marlins assistant general manager. He began his career as a part-time scout for the Yankees and also worked for the Giants, Mariners, Mets, Rockies, Reds, Cubs and Red Sox.

Some of the players Hughes helped scout and sign included Delino DeShields, Kevin Millar, Mike Redmond and Greg Colbrunn as well as football legends John Elway and John Lynch before they switched sports. Hughes received a lifetime achievement award from Baseball America in 2007 and was inducted into the Scouts Hall of Fame in 2009. Hughes was remembered as a beloved person and icon of scouting as tributes poured in on social media.

• Hughes reflects on his storied scouting career

“Gary’s impact on the game of baseball was exceeded only by the number of friends he made throughout it. ... It was an honor to have a legend like him be part of our family for two seasons," the D-backs said in a statement. "More than anything, he was a tremendous person, a great storyteller and a friend to everyone whose path he crossed. He will be missed by so many and our thoughts are with his family including his sons, Sam and ‘Rock,’ who carry on his legacy in the game.”

Sam was a longtime scout for the Cubs before the Yankees hired him as a national crosschecker after the 2019 season. Michael, also known as Rock, is the Marlins’ visiting clubhouse manager.

• Baseball a family affair for Hughes and sons

Hughes was from Northern California and was the left fielder on the same Junipero Serra High School -- the same alma mater as Barry Bonds and Tom Brady -- baseball team as future MLB All-Star Jim Fregosi. Hughes graduated from San Jose State University and subsequently worked as baseball coach at Marin Catholic High School before getting into scouting on a part-time and eventually full-time basis.

“He scouted me in high school," A's manager Bob Melvin said on Saturday. "I've known Gary for that long, and I consider him a friend, a good friend. I knew he was struggling some; I knew he went into hospice. That's just, that's awful news. The guy was a star in the game for years and years and years at every level, and is an icon in the Bay Area as far as scouts go."