Long-time Dodgers scout Lon Joyce dies at age 72

Long-time Dodgers scout Lon Joyce has died at 72.

Joyce was a successful high school, American Legion and junior college scout in North Carolina and was with the Dodgers since 1992. He is a member of both the NJCAA Hall of Fame and the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame. While head baseball coach at Spartanburg Methodists College from 1978 through 1991, Joyce led the Pioneers to seven conference titles, five NJCAA Region 10 championships and two NJCAA World Series appearances while posting a 473-170 record.

He was Region 10 Coach of the Year four times (1982, ’83, ’84, ’86) and Eastern District Coach of the Year twice (1983, ’86). Most importantly, he advanced 115 of his players to four-year colleges or universities and 45 players under his guidance signed professional contracts (six played in the MLB).

Joyce (who played baseball at Western Carolina University) was the scout responsible for the Dodgers signing a number of players who reached the major leagues including 2012 first-round pick Corey Seager, Edwin Jackson, Jonathan Broxton and Kyle Farmer while covering Georgia and the Carolinas. The Dodgers recognized Joyce’s contributions by selecting him and former player Ron Cey to represent the team at MLB’s 2017 draft in New York.

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