Phillip Pote is not a pastor, but coaching colleagues dubbed him “Parson Pote” early in his nearly 50-year career as a professional baseball scout. “They called me that because I didn’t swear, smoke, drink or party,” he said, grinning. Longevity and scouting for the Seattle Mariners have earned him the nickname of “Ancient Mariner.”

A member of the Glendale City church and a second-generation Adventist, Pote attributes his years of scouting to God’s blessings. “I got a job through a miraculous series of breaks,” he affirmed. “I had been a teacher and baseball coach in inner city high schools, and then I applied for a coaching position at Los Angeles City College, my alma mater. I missed the interview because of a summer scouting assignment but, amazingly, LACC reconvened the interview panel for me.

“I was reluctant to interview because of my Sabbath situation, but a Jewish coaching friend urged me to go. ‘The Sabbath issue is their concern,’ he said. After my selection, another miracle occurred. The school’s former coach, a Catholic, volunteered to coach the Saturday games. Later, as an example of the continuing tolerance of baseball, the Mormon coach of the dominant team conference persuaded the college to move the Saturday games to Fridays.

“For 12 years, as a result of the tolerance shown by the college, I was blessed to coach predominately African-American players who had too few other places to play. For them, the program served as a stepping stone to four-year colleges or pro baseball. One player, now a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates, told a reporter, 'All we want is the same chance as everyone else.' That became my mantra; I wanted the same thing for inner-city kids."

Eventually, the owner of the Kansas City A’s signed Pote as a full-time Major League scout. “That was a big break,” Pote said, “being able to do the job I loved and still keep the Sabbath in a game where that might have seemed impossible.”

Years later, the owner called Pote to discuss the possibility of Pote directing the entire A’s minor-league organization. Though the offer was astounding, Pote turned it down. “I felt I couldn’t do the job correctly without violating the Sabbath,” he said.

Why is the Sabbath so important to him? “I feel it binds me to the faith,” he affirmed.

Now semi-retired, Pote says, “I would love to know if other Adventists have been fortunate enough to scout, or to coach at non-Adventist colleges. A final dream, currently in the proposal stage, is a White House Conference on youth leadership and influence, to be followed by an annual council highlighting outstanding athletes as role models for young people.”