Tom Gamboa

Tom Gamboa played professionally, coached, scouted, managed in the minors and in Puerto Rico, and coached in the big leagues with the Cubs and Royals. He even had a small part in the Academy Award nominated Moneyball. With his insight and humor, Tom takes readers inside the dugouts and clubhouses for all the behind the scenes workings of a baseball team. There was the cross country traveling he had to do on a daily basis as a national crosschecker. Winning a number of pennants as a minor league manager as well as building a perennial winner in Puerto Rico in the winter league. Tom was the scout who discovered Jesse Orosco, and then later helped develop Doug Glanville and Jose Hernandez in Puerto Rico and the Cubs organization, giving them the mental strength to go along with their physical tools. And before Jim ""The Rookie"" Morris made it to the majors at age 35, Tom coached him as a 20-year-old on a title team in the Brewers organization. And when Sammy Sosa told Tom he wanted to fist bump him after each home run he hit, Tom didn't think it would happen over 60 times each of the next two seasons. Tom gets to look back at his career in full now that he had retired after three seasons of managing the Brooklyn Cyclones in the Mets organization.