Longtime Phillies scout Bill Harper dies

Bill Harper, the longtime Phillies' scout best known for signing Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, died Thursday in his hometown of Corvallis, Ore. He was 89.

Harper spent more than four decades with the Phillies dating to 1970. He became a full-time scout covering the Northwest in the late '70s. He continued to work as an independent scout even after his retirement following the 2000 baseball season.

The Phillies honored Harper in September 2012 with the Dallas Green Award, presented annually to the scout who "best exemplifies the Phillies' standard for scouting while demonstrating the same loyalty, work ethic, dedication and passion as the award's namesake," according to the team.

"His character was so profoundly respected by people," said former Phillies scout Harry Amend, who worked closely with Harper in the Northwest. "I know when Ryne was inducted into the Hall of Fame, Ryne made sure that Bill was able to be there and sat with Ryne's mom. Just a really uniquely strong character guy."

Sandberg acknowledged Harper in his Hall of Fame induction speech in July 2005, with Harper seated not far from Green, his former boss. The Phillies drafted Sandberg in the 20th round of the 1978 draft out of North Central High School in Spokane, Wash.

The belief around baseball was Sandberg, a three-sport athlete who had signed a letter of intent to play at Washington State, would not sign with a big-league club. But there was Harper signing Sandberg for a $20,000 signing bonus, then well-above the amount for a 20th-round pick.

"He's the scout that ignored the fact that all other scouts thought I would choose to play college football," Sandberg said in a 2012 Phillies news release to announce the Dallas Green award. "His insistence, as it turned out, helped me change my mind. And that influence helped me to live out my dream of becoming a professional athlete."

Harper also scouted and signed Larry Christensen, Kevin Stocker, and Adam Eaton, among others. Harper coached at Oregon State, where he had played baseball and basketball.

"The baseball world has lost a great man," the Phillies said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bill's family during this difficult time. As a longtime Phillies scout, Bill was a hardworking, loyal man. He was a first-class gentleman who loved the game of baseball. He will be missed by many in the Phillies organization who had the privilege of knowing him and working with him."