BY TERRY PLUTO,
Beacon Journal sports columnist
February 26, 1996
WINTER HAVEN, FLA.
You probably have never heard of Tom Couston, but you should.
"If it weren't for Tom, I wouldn't be with the Indians," said Jim Thome.
That's an understatement. Thome would probably still be home in Peoria, playing some softball at night and coaching Little Leaguers on the weekends. He certainly would not be on the verge of becoming an All-Star third baseman.
That's because Tom Couston was the only baseball scout who thought Thome was worth a second look.
"I first saw Jimmy play in high school," Couston said. "He was tall (6-foot-4), but pretty thin. He was a shortstop, and that wasn't his position. But he had a quick bat. I wrote that down. I remembered it. But I heard that he was headed to a junior college, and I thought that was a good idea."
Couston is the Tribe's Midwestern scout based in Chicago. He knew that Thome was more than four long arms and legs. Thome's family is populated with great softball players. He was the leading scorer on his high school basketball team, and threw in 36 points when Limestone High won its league title.
But there are thousands of kids like Jim Thome on dusty diamonds across America ... kids with some promise and a lot of question marks... kids most scouts figure aren't worth the time.
"In this job, it is easy to become negative," Couston said. "You can talk yourself out of liking a kid. A scout has to remember that every player has a weakness, even All-Stars in the big leagues."
After that high school game, Couston promised himself that he'd check up on Thome, maybe in a year or two. He had to see Thome swing the bat again.
The moment he spotted Thome, Couston remembered him as the high school kid from Peoria with the strong wrists and quick bat.
"In that game, Jimmy came to the plate four times and hit four rockets," Couston said. "He still was pretty thin, but he was only 18 years old. He hadn't grown into his body."
At least five other scouts watched that game, and while a few of them thought Thome could hit a bit, they saw an awkward kid at shortstop. He didn't run well. He didn't have much range. His arm was decent, but erratic. He wouldn't even be able to play shortstop at a major college.
Instead, they concentrated on the other team's shortstop, the designated prospect.
Couston knew that scouts watch and listen to each other, so he pulled out one of his favorite tricks.
"After the game, Tom came up to me and said something strange," Thome said.
"I told him to keep his back to me and I'll keep my back to him," Couston said.
This confused Thome.
"I thought I had done something wrong," Thome said.
Couston told him, "I want to talk to you, but I don't want you to look at me."
Thome said, "OK, I guess."
Thome stared at the baseball field. Facing the opposite direction, Couston seemed to be watching a bird flying above.
Couston said, "I'm Tom Couston, a scout from the Indians. If we draft you, will you sign?"
Thome was thunderstruck. He couldn't believe it. Those were the words he prayed he would hear and he could barely talk.
"I always wanted to play pro baseball," he finally told the scout.
Thome started to turn around, but stopped when Couston said, "Don't move! I don't want the other scouts to know I'm talking to you."
Thome stopped.
"OK, you'll be hearing from me," Couston said.
By time Thome did turn around, the scout was gone.
Couston then had to convince the Indians to draft this kid, whose name was on none of the master scouting lists. Thome's abilities were so raw and his junior college team was so bad, he was on no other scouting lists -- none but Couston's.
"Donny Mitchell was my scouting supervisor," Couston said. "I told him that once we get to the 10th round, they should take this kid Thome. Donny never heard of him. No one had. None of the scouts from other teams who did see Jimmy thought he could play. But Donny went to bat for the kid."
In the 13th round of the 1989 June draft, the Indians called the name of Jim Thome. Other teams sat in their draft headquarters, flipping through their computer printouts and asking themselves, "Who did Cleveland pick?"
Couston's next job was to sign his diamond in the Peoria rough.
"His parents are great people," Couston said. "But Peoria is really middle America, very small town. They were worried about Jimmy signing a contract, going away from home. They wanted to make sure someone would watch over their son."
A scout is part sleuth, part salesman.
Couston had sniffed out Thome because he loved the kid's bat speed. He also was convinced that once his 6-foot-4, lanky framed filled out, Thome would become a very strong young man. He was no shortstop, but Couston projected Thome at third base... first base... just somewhere to keep that bat in the lineup.
But Thome had the option of returning for his sophomore year at college -- and going back into the draft. Couston couldn't lose this kid now. He knew Thome would not stay a secret forever. If he played one more year, Couston was sure some scout would find him.
He tried to sign Thome for $10,000, but Thome's parents thought that was low. Couston had to go back to the front office for authorization to offer more money.
To the credit of the Indians' farm department, they invested $15,000 worth of faith in this one scout who was putting himself and his reputation out on a limb. It is easier to convince the front office to spend a million bucks on a firstround pick than it is for them to part with another five grand for a kid who was drafted seemingly as an afterthought.
Couston came back with the $15,000 -- and Thome signed.
Couston told this story last week as he watched Thome take batting practice at the Tribe's spring headquarters in Winter Haven.
After he signed with the Tribe, Thome was moved to third base and has put on 30 pounds of muscle.
But he wasn't an instant hit.
In fact, Couston warned the front office that they'd need patience. Thome was only 18 when he reported to the Indians' rookie league team in Florida's Gulf Coast League. Sarasota was a long way from Peoria, and Thome was more than a little homesick.
He batted only .237 that first pro summer of 1989. The man who hammered 45 homers the last two years didn't hit one ball out of the park back in 1989.
But the Tribe stuck with Thome, who added strength and confidence. The bat speed that so enamored Couston began to carry Thome through the Tribe's farm system. He banged out one .300 season after another, gaining more power by the year.
Last season, he hit .314 with 25 homers for the pennant-winning Tribe, good enough to be named the best third baseman in the American League by The Sporting News.
Not bad for a kid no one wanted -- no one but one scout.
Last week, Thome and Couston headed off to dinner. Thome paid. It was the least he could do.
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