Former Dodger Scouting Director Dies

Ben Wade, the former Dodger scouting director, died Monday after a long battle with cancer. He was 80.

Wade spent more than 30 years in the Dodgers’ organization as a player, scout and scouting director before retiring after the 1990 season.

The Dodgers signed Wade as a scout in 1962 and he was promoted to director of scouting in 1973, a post he held until his retirement.

“Ben was an important part of the Dodger family,” team President Bob Graziano said. “He and [former Dodger executives] Al Campanis and Bill Schweppe really put together a strong organization for many years and worked together well as a team. They will be sorely missed by all of us in the organization.”

Among the players drafted during Wade’s tenure as scouting director were Mike Piazza, Rick Sutcliffe, Dave Stewart, Mike Scioscia, Bob Welch, Mickey Hatcher, Steve Sax, Mike Marshall, Steve Howe, Orel Hershiser, John Franco, John Wetteland, Eric Karros and Eric Young.

In the Wade era, the Dodgers became synonymous with National League rookie-of-the-year awards. Sutcliffe, Howe, Fernando Valenzuela and Sax swept the honors from 1979-82, and the team had a run of five in a row shortly after Wade’s retirement, beginning with Karros and Piazza in 1992-93.

Benjamin Styron Wade was born Nov. 26, 1922 in Morehead City, N.C. A right-hander, he pitched in the majors for five years, including parts of three seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He also pitched for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Funeral services will be held Monday at the Douglas and Zook Mortuary in Monrovia.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.