Three former Amherst College baseball players are on their way to working in the big leagues. 

Amherst has deep roots in Major League Baseball—from scouts to general managers—thanks in large part to legendary head coach Bill Thurston, who served at the college for 44 years. While John D'Angelo '10 and Will Lawton '10 will be interning with the Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively, until the MLB season ends in the fall, Ryan Colby '11 will wrap up his work with the Tampa Bay Rays later this week before returning north for his senior year.

Last year a determined D'Angelo reached out to Amherst alumni, spoke with MLB front office personnel and attended the 2010 MLB Winter Meetings in Indianapolis, Ind., in search of a job. Four days after graduating this past May—with four years of collegiate playing experience under his belt and a thesis paper about the impact of salary on baseball player performance completed—D'Angelo headed for the nation's capital to begin working as a Trainee in Advance Scouting for the Nationals.

D'Angelo was thrown into one of the most exciting times of the franchise's history, being in the thick of things for pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg's first Major League start and the first day of the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft (the Nationals earned the No. 1 overall pick). He was put right to work, helping to create advanced reports for upcoming series by breaking down video so that full-time employees could evaluate players on opposing teams. 

D'Angelo attends each Nationals home game to scout players. "It is invaluable to have people in the front office give me advice or correct me," D'Angelo says. "The way I watch baseball has become more nuanced, and my ability to see differences in player talent has gotten much finer."

Although scouting is D'Angelo's focus, he has also been asked to put his pitching skills to use. After a dominant 2007 season with Amherst, D'Angelo's final three years were limited due to shoulder surgery. The lefthander's pitching days could be far from over, however, as he was asked to pitch to the Nationals hitting coach in preparation of possibly throwing batting practice to the team's hitters later in the season. During his first throwing session he met Nationals catcher and future Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez, an encounter D'Angelo says was "pretty exciting."

Lawton was a standout for Amherst, batting .407 as a senior co-captain in 2010. After seeking career advice from people working in MLB and sending his résumé to several organizations, he began working as a Baseball Operations Intern with the Pirates in early June. He had never been to Pittsburgh. "It was a cool experience driving into the unknown," he says. "I was happy to be starting a new lifestyle doing something I love, and I was excited about my future."

Lawton works on various individual projects in the data analysis and scouting areas, which he believes will provide a solid base in operations from which he can thrive. Recently, he began examining Pittsburgh's 2011 arbitration-eligible players in order to help prepare the organization for contract negotiations. He is also sometimes asked to transport drafted players to and from the airport for medical evaluations and contract signings. 

Lawton enjoys the breadth of his internship. "I try to gain as much exposure and knowledge in the different aspects of operations as possible, and much of that comes from asking questions. I approach every day with the mindset of soaking in as much information as possible to build my baseball résumé."

Colby was a member of Amherst's pitching staff in 2008 and is entering his fourth year with the school's swim team. Majoring in economics, he neared this summer without a job despite interviewing with several investment banks and consulting firms. In late April, Smith College professor of economics Andrew Zimbalist put Colby in touch with the Rays, which led to a phone interview. On the day he handed in his final paper of the semester, Colby received a call from the Rays. "It was one of those moments I will never forget," he says. "My farfetched dream of working in baseball had come true."

As an intern in the Department of Development and Business Affairs, Colby's primary task is to provide the Rays with a financial analysis of the restaurants and concessions businesses in the team's stadium, Tropicana Field. Responsibilities include collecting surveys, holding focus groups, analyzing financial data, meeting with sports architects and concessions contractors, and analyzing the feasibility of proposed projects. Combining the results of his research with financial data, Colby will give a presentation Aug. 17 to provide recommendations for immediate and future action that would improve the stadium's services to fans.

"This internship has provided me with an unbelievable amount of personal responsibility and latitude," Colby says.  "I get to work in baseball and at the same time get some amazing experience working on an independent consulting project that should provide me with an excellent foundation for work in any business environment in the future."

While the economist in Colby has benefited from taking on such a significant project, the baseball enthusiast inside of him has also been rewarded. On the night of June 25, one of his co-workers informed him that Edwin Jackson of the Arizona Diamondbacks was throwing a no-hitter against the Rays. Colby put aside his survey analysis, walked down behind home plate—just a few rows up from the field—and watched the remainder of the game to witness the rare no-hitter. "Those are the moments when I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm awake." (Not to mention the fact that he is working for a team that entered the week boasting the league's second best record.)

While Colby will not have to enter the "real world" until next summer, D'Angelo and Lawton are confident they have already found the right path. "It has been a great experience and I have learned a lot," D'Angelo says. "I hope this will lead to a permanent position in professional sports. Having this as my first job in baseball provides a great stepping off point."

 "I love where I am right now, and I absolutely believe this is the career in which I belong," Lawton adds. "Though I am still figuring out the angle I want to really pursue, I am enjoying the ride and trying to learn as much as possible every day. I am excited to see where it takes me."