Mariners notes: Longtime M’s scout Jongewaard dies

Roger Jongewaard, the Mariners longtime scouting director, passed away from a heart attack on Monday at the age of 76.

In the often cutthroat and back-biting world of Major League Baseball, Jongewaard was a gentlemen first, baseball scout second. He was beloved, and more importantly respected, by his co-workers, colleagues and adversaries.

“Roger was a wonderful man,” Mariners President Chuck Armstrong said. “I don’t think you’ll find anybody who would say an unkind word about Roger Jongewaard. He was a kind man.”

...It was Jongewaard, who patiently and persistently convinced former maligned Mariners owner George Argyros that the Mariners needed to select a young high school outfielder from Ohio named George Kenneth Griffey Jr. with the first overall pick of the 1987 draft. Argyros was convinced that the Mariners should select hard-throwing right-hander Mike Harkey out of Cal State Fullerton.

“George wanted Harkey, but Roger just kept telling him over and over that we needed to take Kenny,” Armstrong said.

Thanks to Dom S.