Jim Pransky

Jim Pransky was a professional baseball scout for 25 years. During that period, he worked for five organizations: Houston, Oakland, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, and Colorado. He was named “Scout of the Year” with the Athletics in 2001 and was a member of the Oakland scouting staff in 2002, the well-known and controversial “Moneyball” draft.

The Eldred, Pennsylvania native was also with Tampa Bay when the Rays represented the American League in the 2008 World Series. Jim also coached in the Midwest League with the Quad Cities River Bandits (Astros) and the Southern Oregon Timberjacks (Athletics) in the Northwest League.

He conducted clinics for youth players and coaches in Vilnius, Kaunas and Utena, Lithuania. On several occasions, Jim and his wife, Grace, hosted several Lithuanian players and coaches in their Iowa home and the veteran scout provided instructional training at his indoor facility, the Sandlot Baseball Center.

Pransky also coached collegiate U.S. teams that competed in Central and South America and played exhibition games against the 1988 United States Olympic Team in Millington, Tennessee.

Jim received his undergraduate degree (B.Ed.) from Clarion University (Pa.) and his Master of Education degree from Saint Bonaventure University (N.Y.)

He was an elementary school teacher for seven years and a college baseball coach for seven seasons at three universities; Saint Bonaventure, George Washington (D.C.) and Quincy University (Il.).

Jim and Grace live in Davenport, Iowa with their two fittingly baseball-named cats, Sandy, and Ted.