George Washington University Athletics
Interning in the Big Leagues
6/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The dream for most young baseball players is to one day make it to the Major Leagues.
While the odds of advancing to the highest level of baseball as a player are very slim, two George Washington baseball players are taking advantage of internship opportunities to ensure that they have the experience to one day explore a different path into professional baseball.
Rising seniors Jacob Williams and Gabe Scott are both spending time in the front offices of two Major League teams, earning valuable experience and an inside look at the business side of our national pastime.
Williams is a baseball operations intern with the local Washington Nationals this summer while Scott is interning with his hometown Cincinnati Reds as the executive intern to the chief operations officer.
Williams, a right-handed pitcher for the Colonials, took advantage of GW's ties to the Washington Nationals organization to secure his internship. Nationals principal owner Ted Lerner is a GW alum.
"I learned of the opportunity from Patrick Nero, who is close to the Lerner family, many of whom are GW alums," explained Williams. "Through Patrick, I was put in touch with another principal owner and GW Board of Trustees member, Bob Tanenbaum. From there, I met with a human resources manager and found a position that I was interested in."
Williams' area of focus is baseball operations, where he has gotten an inside look at the decision-making process for player personnel.
"My day-to-day tasks include a range of things, from a lot of statistical research and analysis to assisting with formulating draft reports and gathering data for scouting reports," said Williams. "I also help General Manager Mike Rizzo and any of the assistant GMs and front office members with different daily projects based on information they need for possible trades or call-ups and recalls of players."
The Newark, Delaware, native was also afforded a rare glimpse into the Nationals' "war room" during the three-day MLB First-Year Player Draft earlier this month. While Williams hopes to hear his name called as a draft selection next June, he was in awe of the behind-the-scenes aspect that led to the Nationals' 40 selections over the three-day period.
"That was really an unforgettable experience," explains Williams. "I was able to really see how Mr. Rizzo and other members of the front office think and operate when it comes to acquiring players to build for the future."
It hasn't been all business for Williams. He was afforded another opportunity when he was able to shag fly balls during a pre-draft workout on the field at Nationals Park.
"That was definitely a fun time and something that not many people get to say that they did," said Williams.
About 500 miles west on the banks of the Ohio River, Scott is interning with his favorite team from his childhood as the Cincinnati Reds gear up to host the 2015 All-Star Game on July 14.
Like his teammate, Scott is getting a bevy of experience across a number of different departments while having the unique opportunity to shadow Chief Operations Officer Phil Castellini.
"I met with Mr. Castellini last summer in an effort to just pick his brain about what goes on in the front office of a Major League team," said Scott. "We reconnected this past spring and he told me of an internship opportunity. I initially wanted to do something in baseball operations but with all the moving parts of planning and logistics for the All-Star game, he wanted me on board as additional help to assist him in the executive office."
Scott is earning credits for his internship but sees equal value in the first-hand experience he is gaining across a number of departments and concentrations.
"I'm currently completing my practicum as a requirement for my sport management concentration," said Scott. "I'm very interested in how a Major League club operates. All the components of a front office, like acquiring corporate sponsorships, promotions, ticket sales, media relations, finance and baseball operations, all work together in order to put a product on the field and create a fun atmosphere that fans can enjoy and be proud of. This is definitely something I want to be a part of."
With the Midsummer Classic only a few weeks away, Scott has played a key role in planning the three-day spectacle, which includes the MLB Futures Game, Home Run Derby and the annual contest between the best players from the National and American Leagues.
"Currently I am working on pricing and cost of All-Star game fan activities outside and around the ballpark for the Pepsi Summer Block Party," explained Scott. "For All-Star week I will be helping with the block party outside the stadium, on-field batting practice for the Futures Game, workout day, Home Run Derby and the All-Star game. I have also been helping out with community projects around the city. I'm looking forward seeing all of these plans and ideas in action."
While they may both be entrenched within the behind-the-scenes world of baseball for the next few weeks, attention will soon turn to GW as the Colonials strive to capture the Atlantic 10 Championship following a very memorable season in 2015.
"The internship has kept me very busy but I can tell you that my mind is always shifting back to playing mode," said Williams. "We are very focused on taking the next step as a program and last year's success will only make us better moving forward."
