LOS ANGELES — Some 39 years in the past, when then-Cardinals outfielders Willie McGee and Tito Landrum went down with accidents in April of 1985, base-stealing savant Vince Coleman bought a callup from Triple-A to the large leagues for a keep that was presupposed to be solely momentary.
Nonetheless, when Coleman nearly immediately morphed right into a spark plug for the Cardinals along with his intoxicating cocktail of velocity, swagger and success, he grew to become a fixture of a franchise that fell one win wanting World Collection wins in 1985 and ‘87.
Two vestiges of Cardinals’ previous and future, Vince and Victor, first met final July earlier than the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Recreation. Scott, who stole 107 bases within the Minors, insisted he had by no means run tougher than to greet his base-swiping idol. A mentorship blossomed, and Coleman has often provided up recommendation on studying pitchers, stealing bases and wreaking basepath havoc.
If anybody might comprehend the swirl of feelings Scott, 23, was feeling after getting his callup to the large leagues, it was Coleman — the participant who stole an unimaginable 145 bases in 1983 and 101 in ‘84 within the Minors however wanted accidents to get his MLB break in 1985.
The similarities of their paths to the professionals, Scott stated, weren’t misplaced on him as he rejoined a Cardinals squad that had reassigned him to the Minors days earlier. Now, like Coleman, Scott desires to benefit from his sudden alternative and run his option to stardom with the Cardinals.
“Typically I really feel like historical past repeats itself for a cause,” stated Scott, with a nod to Coleman, who received the NL Rookie of the Yr award in 1985 after stealing 110 bases. “With a man like [Coleman], we sort of play the identical actual recreation. It’s sort of humorous that this could be my path … identical to his.”
McGee, an outfield coach for the Cardinals and somebody who has witnessed Scott’s rise, vividly remembers his harm that paved Coleman’s path to the large leagues. He additionally sees similarities between the blinding velocity of Coleman and Scott.
“With guys like Vince and Tim Raines and now Victor, velocity like that’s so particular and it solely comes round so usually,” he stated.
Scott has some expertise profiting from previous alternatives. He began final season at Excessive-A Peoria as one thing of a gimmick participant who would slap the ball into the bottom and use his velocity to generate success. By the top of 2023, Scott was thriving at Double-A Springfield, and he progressed up to now that he was additionally driving balls into the gaps within the Arizona Fall League.
Scott’s hovering inventory would possibly make Apple envious, with him flying from No. 29 in MLB Pipeline’s Cardinals prospects rankings to No. 4 in a yr’s time. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, who scouted Scott early final season, admittedly by no means noticed such a surprising metamorphosis coming.
“His evolution has been spectacular,” Mozeliak stated candidly. “He’s loads stronger than individuals give him credit score for and his strategy has modified, and it’s been thrilling to look at. … How he adjusts will likely be important, however hopefully we are able to put him in a spot the place we’re not placing an excessive amount of stress on him.”
Scott stated his outstanding surge to the large leagues and within the outfield at Dodger Stadium because the Cardinals’ starter in middle is plausible to him as a result of it’s all the time been rooted in exhausting work and a spotlight to element. Scott was so intent on studying every thing that he might in Spring Coaching that he carried a dog-eared pocket book round so he might jot down notes and overview them later.
“Once I have a look at the journey of labor that has been put in and the extent of focus wanted and I’m a giant leaguer, it’s all come full circle,” he stated. “Going from Palm Seashore, to Peoria, to Springfield and now Dodger Stadium, it’s unreal for me. However I’ve put within the work and I’m prepared for my shot.”
If there are stumbles whereas attempting “wreck video games” along with his velocity, as supervisor Oliver Marmol places it, Scott is aware of he can attain out to Coleman. The Playing cards legend lived this path to the professionals almost 4 many years in the past, and he was fast to supply recommendation following Scott’s promotion.
“[Coleman] despatched me a textual content, saying ‘congratulations,’ and to ‘preserve my head down and preserve working,’” Scott stated with a smile. “So, I do know he’s in my nook and he’ll all the time be a man I can attain out to after I want recommendation.”