Advance scouts time the pitcher's ball to the plate and how fast the catcher gets a throw to second base. If the manager knows his baserunner is faster than that time, then he is more likely to steal. The work doesn't just begin at game time. Most scouts arrive for batting practice. They get the media notes and stats and settle in with the radar gun.
Curious fans sitting nearby always try to peek at the scouts' notes.
I have my own little codes so people don't understand what I'm writing. When the series is over, Johnson stays up most of the night writing his final report. He sends his by fax, although some scouts use laptop computers. The morning of the first game of a new series, Howe and his coaching staff review the scouting reports. Cut out that uppercut Try this drill if you are always popping up.