Scott Little Named Catfish Field Manager
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – A former professional baseball player from Scott City, Missouri, who was associated with several major league organizations for nearly 40 years, has been named to manage the Cape Catfish baseball team.
Scott Little succeeds Stephen Larkin who had managed the team since its inaugural season in 2019.
"We were certainly blessed our first three seasons with him (Larkin) along with assistant coaches Dave Lawson and Josh Meyer," said Catfish GM Mark Hogan, "but personal circumstances changed for these guys and we went in a different direction. It's baseball and it happens."
Little's appointment was announced at a news conference Wednesday morning (March 8) by Catfish president and minority owner Glenn Campbell.
"I've known Scott since high school when he was a senior at Scott City and I was a freshman at Notre Dame," Campbell said. "They (Scott City High School) had an incredible baseball program back then and so did we, but with him on the team they were very hard to beat. To think that our paths would cross again now with the Catfish is just crazy."
Hogan has also known Little for many years and said he was glad to learn of Little's availability and willingness to join the Fish. "We were prepared to do a national search, but we found the best guy right in our backyard," Hogan said.
"Our coaching staff during our first three seasons was incredible so we knew we needed to find someone to carry on our winning tradition," Campbell added.
Indeed, the Catfish have been among the most successful teams in the Prospect League in recent years. They have compiled a record of 113-75, making it to the league finals in 2019, winning the league championship in 2021, and coming within one win of a playoff berth last summer.
"I've known these guys (Campbell and Hogan) for a while," Little said when asked about the hiring process. "We got to talking and it just kind of snowballed into a lot of good things. I feel honored and blessed that they asked me to come on board."
Little, who now lives in Jackson, Missouri, played college ball at the University of Missouri-Columbia and was drafted as an outfielder by the New York Mets in 1984. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1987 and briefly made it to the big leagues with the Pirates in 1989. However, most of his professional baseball career was spent in the minor leagues where he played, coached, managed and was involved in various aspects of player development.
In addition to the Mets and Pirates, Little has also worked for several minor league teams affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers and, most recently, the Colorado Rockies.
"I've been involved in minor league baseball for a long time and as much as we wanted to win, our objective was also to give our fans a good show and to get them out to the ballpark," Little said. "We wanted people to come out and have fun while at the same time trying to win a ballgame."
The new manager has had several conversations in recent weeks with Campbell and the rest of the Catfish front office staff about the team's direction for the 2023 season. "We've already discussed things like creating a Catfish summer camp for kids and some of the crazy promotional stuff I want to do and he's all in on making it fun for the fans," Campbell said.
With the Catfish, Little will manage players from college teams all over the country whose coaches want them to gain experience by playing in the Prospect League. "Those coaches are entrusting us with their players to help them get better," Little explained. "It's our job to take what they're giving us and to do what we promised we're going to do and that's to give them an opportunity to get better. It's basically doing the same stuff I've always been doing. It's player development, and when you win, it's awesome!"
Winning, Campbell said, is important, "but what I love about Coach Little is he's a developmental guy as well and the players who come here are going to be better for it."
The Catfish will open their season on the road May 31 against the O'Fallon (Missouri) Hoots. Their home opener at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau will be Saturday, June 3, when they take on the Rockabillys from Jackson, Tennessee.
ABOUT THE CATFISH
Founded in 2019, the Cape Catfish are proud members of the Prospect League, an 18-team summer baseball league of NCAA-eligible players from across North America and around the world. Named for the state fish of Missouri, the Catfish play their home games at 2,000-seat Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau. The Catfish, along with other Prospect League teams, offer collegiate players an opportunity to experience wooden bat baseball while showcasing their skills in front of major league scouts. The team's website is www.capecatfish.com.
ABOUT SCOTT LITTLE
Education and Playing Days:
Mineral Area College, Missouri, played Baseball
University of Missouri – Columbia, played Football and Baseball
Professional Playing Experience:
1984 – Drafted by the New York Mets
1989 – MLB Debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Work History:
December 2022 – January 2016 | Colorado Rockies: Player Development
2016 Bench Coach Boise NW League
2017 MGR Boise NW League
2018 MGR Boise NW League
2019 MGR Lancaster California League
2020 MGR Lancaster California League (COVID-19 Season)
2021 MGR Spokane NW League
2022 MGR Spokane NW League
December 2015 – January 2009 | Los Angeles – Amateur Scouting
2009-2015 Midwest Area Supervisor
December 2008 – January 2008 | Texas Rangers – Player Development
MGR Frisco Texas League
December 2007 – January 2006 | Washington Nationals – Player Development
2006 Minor League Field Coordinator
2007 Minor League Field Coordinator
MGR Harrisburg Eastern League
December 2005 – January 2002 | Los Angeles Dodgers – Player Development
2002 MGR South Georgia S. Atlantic League
2003 MGR Vero Beach FL State League
2004 MGR Vero Beach FL State League
2005 MGR Vero Beach FL State League
2005 MGR Phoenix Desert Dogs AZ Fall League
December 2001 – January 1992 | Pittsburgh Pirates – Player Development
2001 Bench Coach Altoona Eastern League
2000 Roving OF Instructor
1999 MGR Salem Carolina League
1998 ML Field Coordinator Pittsburgh NL
1997 Hitting Coach / MGR Augusta S. Atlantic League
1996 Hitting Coach Augusta S. Atlantic League
1995 Erie MGR NY-Penn League / Roving OF Instructor
1994 Augusta MGR Atlantic League
1993 Salem MGR Carolina League
1992 Augusta MGR S. Atlantic League