Baseball was his life, but he had to be patient when it was taken away from him. Now Scott Proefrock is happy to be back and using his new job to find seats at the table for others like him.
A former Phillies executive found work as a blackjack dealer after being fired. Now he’s back in the game.
Proefrock spent 13 seasons with the Phillies, joining them shortly after the 2008 World Series parade and staying on until he was fired in August of 2021. He thought up the idea to sign Martinez, handled the negotiations for pitcher Cliff Lee’s return, and was an assistant to three Phillies GMs. Proefrock specialized in knowing the ins and outs of the major-league rule book.
He was in the majors for more than 30 years, helping five teams — the Pirates, Braves, Devil Rays, Orioles, and Phillies — decide when to hit and when to stand. But after the Phils let him go, Proefrock could not find another seat at the table. The rosters are being assembled — Tommy McCarthy, the son of Phillies broadcaster Tom McCarthy, is signed to the Knockouts — and opening day is in May. Proefrock resigned from the casino, saying he would go back if baseball busts again.
“But the more I thought about it, I said ‘How about we make memories for the players as well?’ ” Proefrock said. “They still have something to offer,” Proefrock said. “They have experience, knowledge, and wisdom to pass on. Baseball is their identity, and that was taken away from them. They still want to be involved, and they still have something to offer. I just picked up the phone.”Proefrock, then an executive with Baltimore, had tickets to Game 4 of the 2008 World Series when Amaro asked to meet him.
“You can talk to anyone that was there. The atmosphere, the environment that he created, was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” Proefrock said. “I didn’t agree with him all the time, but I loved the fact that he wasn’t afraid to give his opinion about stuff,” Amaro said. “As Pat Gillick used to say all the time: ‘We’re paid for our opinions.’ Pedro was Scott’s idea. And that’s cool. It was a product of people not being afraid of expressing themselves.
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