George Digby

Who was George Digby?

George J. Digby was an American baseball scout and consultant in Major League Baseball.

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Digby started his professional career in 1944. He was coaching high school baseball in his homeland when a Boston Red Sox executive came to sign his best pitcher, Dick Callahan. Digby helped young Callahan drive a hard bargain. The Red Sox paid out and, on the way to the train, also offered Digby a job.

After that, Digby worked in the Boston organization for more than 60 years, half a century as a scout, 14 more as a consultant. Throughout the years, he traveled the South looking raw talent for the Red Sox. Among his finds were Red Sox graduates Tom Bolton, Steve Curry, Mike Greenwell, Jody Reed and Marc Sullivan. But Digby put great emphasis on signing future Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, after the Red Sox had reports that questioned Boggs' ability to be a Major League player, as he fought hard to convince the team that should draft the young man with the smooth swing. Finally, in 1976 Digby drafted Boggs in the seventh round and signed him for $7,500 and a college scholarship.