The Yankees managed to steal certain Cy Young winner and Game 1 starter Cam Schlittler, proud son of Walpole, Mass., and Northeastern University alum, out from under Schlittler’s hometown Red Sox after the Yankees area scout Matt Hyde received the tip of a lifetime. 

Hyde’s friend, retired Mets scout John Kosciak, heard about Schlittler from late Red Sox manager and Walpole resident Joe Morgan and tipped Hyde. Go watch Schlittler pitch for the then-named Walpole High Rebels, he told Hyde. 

Hyde liked what he saw, and the Yankees scouting machinery went to work. The first official note in the Yankees system came from Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer, who overlooked spotty radar readings and inconsistent performance and thought he was “projectable” (scout speak for a pitcher with upside). Oppenheimer recommended staying on Schlittler. 

Hyde, the Yankees scout who amazingly also signed Yankees positional MVP Ben Rice out of Dartmouth, did just that. Hyde loved Schlittler’s potential and personality after seeing him on the Cape and finally at Northeastern, too, and also getting to know him.