Behind the scenes: John Jorgensen and Nathan Rincon

Thursday, April 13, 2000 | 10:23 a.m.

JOHN "SPIDER" JORGENSEN / Chicago Cubs Area Scout

Contribution to prep sports: Jorgensen, a former major leaguer, is responsible for scouting Southern Nevada and parts of Southern California for the Cubs. He makes 4-5 trips each spring to Las Vegas, along with occasional visits during the winter and summer. "I was here when we signed (Valley High product Greg) Maddux," said Jorgensen, who has been with the Cubs since 1983. "I see a lot of my old buddies, people I played with and people that were involved when I played." Jorgensen played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants from 1947-51, playing in a pair of World Series in 1947 and '49. He was with the Dodgers when Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier -- an event he is often asked about to this day. "At the time, we thought nothing about it," Jorgensen said. "We were just trying to win games, and it didn't matter if he was white or black to us." As a scout, Jorgensen said he looks at young players' tools most of all. "You watch them take infield to see if a guy can throw and has some agility. You look for speed. For pitchers you look for velocity," he said.

NATHAN RINCON / Basic High Baseball Scorekeeper

Contribution to prep sports: Rincon, a Basic sophomore, keeps the scorebook for all Wolves' varsity baseball games this season. As a freshman last year, he played for Basic's junior varsity team. This year, he opted to sit in the varsity dugout and keep score -- something he did at times with the J.V. squad last spring. So far, the decision has paid off, as Rincon has been witness to the Wolves' remarkable 15-2 start in 2000. "I think they can go all the way to state," Rincon said. Among Rincon's duties is deciding whether a play should be scored a hit or error, although the book is ultimately reviewed by Basic head coach Mike Kazek. A second baseman at the J.V. level last year, Rincon said he's learned more about playing the position by watching Basic's varsity infielders.

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