An MLB team's area scout who spends his time assigned to the Northeast knows that there won't be a ton of gems to be unearthed. It's a position where you just make the most of what's in front of you.
For the New York Yankees and Matt Hyde, apparently there was plenty in front of him, or he certainly knew where to look.
Hyde is the under-the-radar MVP of the Yankees' Wild Card series win over the Boston Red Sox.
Three of the biggest heroes of the series were Hyde's finds: Anthony Volpe in Game 1, Ben Rice in Game 2 and Cam Schlittler in Game 3.
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Rice and Schlittler both grew up in Boston's backyard.
“It’s pretty cool for an area scout from anywhere, let alone the Northeast, which isn’t exactly a hotbed for baseball, to have three guys making an impact for the team,” Rice told Gary Phillips.
Volpe was born in New York City and went to high school in New Jersey.
Rice grew up in Massachusetts and went to Dartmouth College.
Schlittler also grew up in Massachusetts and then went to Northeastern University.
Not a bad trio of kids from cold-weather country.
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And the Yankees needed all three to get past the Red Sox. Without Hyde, who knows if they'd have any?
It's an unsung position, but in this case, Hyde's praises deserve to be sung.
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