Boston Red Sox Scout and Independent League Player Director Joins Arizona Winter League

October 24, 2011 - North American League (NAmL) News Release

(San Ramon, CA. October 24, 2011) The Arizona Winter League announced today that Nick Belmonte, former minor league player and manager and current Boston Red Sox scout will be an instructor and spring training director for the 2012 Arizona Winter League that runs from Jan. 29th to March 1st. Belmonte will organize the player assessment process, player draft, spring training schedule, and basestealing instruction of the AWL as he scouts for the Red Sox and the many independent teams that utilize his services to sign players.

Belmonte had a standout collegiate career at the University of Florida where he set the stolen base record and went on to play for several years in the minor leagues. He then moved into coaching and managing and was the Manager of the Salt Lake City Trappers in the early 1990s where he posted a record of 144 - 70 reaching the Pioneer League Championship Series all three seasons of his managing career and winning the 1991 Pioneer League title. His lifetime pro managing winning percentage of .673 is the best in the history of minor league baseball for a manager with at least three complete seasons. He went on to become part of the founding staff of the Northern League in 1993 as the modern era of Independent Professional Baseball began and was tasked with putting together the player rules, sourcing of players, contracts, and all other player related regulations as the League's first Director Of Baseball Operations. Founder of Independent League Consulting he has built teams for many of the most successful independent pro teams over the last 20 years, signed over 1500 players, and have had many of his players reach the major leagues. He is considered the leading expert in the country on talent evalutaion of overlooked college or ex-pro players and assisting them in signing new pro contracts.

"Nick is probably the most connected man in professional baseball," said AWL Commissioner Kevin Outcalt. "Not only is he a top rate instructor, but his knowledge and ability to help the AWL players end up with professional jobs in places where they can succeed has been proven time and time again. He is a tremendous asset for the AWL, for the players, for the Red Sox, and the many other independent pro teams that he sources players for."

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• Boston Red Sox Scout and Independent League Player Director Joins Arizona Winter League - NAmL

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