Billy Lott impressed, saw 9 seasons: Baseball Profiles

Dodgers scout Joe Campbell saw young high schooler Billy Lott play seven or eight times, he told The Jackson Clarion-Ledger in June 1989.

Lott impressed him enough to get the Dodgers to select Lott in the second round of the draft.

"The thing I really like about Bill is his makeup," Campbell told The Clarion-Ledger. "He's the right kind of person to become a big-league player."

Lott soon signed and started his career. He went on to play in nine pro campaigns. He made AAA in three of them, but he never made the majors.

Lott's career began that year in 1989, taken by the Dodgers 41st overall in the draft out of Petal High School in Hattiesburg, Miss. Lott was also credited as Bill Lott.

Lott started with the Dodgers in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He got into 46 games and hit .193. He moved to high-A Bakersfield and short-season Yakima for 1990. He hit .249 on the year in 103 games.

He spoke to The Clarion-Ledger to start 1990 about his slow first season and his prospects. 

"People here told me that going from high school to here is a big change," Lott told The Clarion-Ledger that April. "If you're not doing good right now, don't worry about it."

Lott returned to Bakersfield for 1991, then hit high-A Vero Beach for 1992. He made AA San Antonio for 1993 and stayed there for two seasons. He hit .254 his first year there and .292 his second.

He arrived at AAA Albuquerque for 1995 and returned there in 1996. His 1995 campaign was limited to 41 games due to a broken wrist, but he then saw 114 in 1996.

In February 1996, Lott spoke with The Hattiesburg American about being out injured and maybe missing a call up.

"You never know if you would've bene the one they called up," Lott told The American. "I was doing as good as anybody that was called up. But there was nothing I could do about it."

Lott moved to the Pirates and Expos systems for 1997. He played in a total of 103 games, all at AAA. He hit .285 to end his career.

• Jackson Clarion-Ledger, June 6, 1989: Lott
• Jackson Clarion-Ledger, April 29, 1990: Former Petal star Lott learns lessons come hard as a pro
• Hattiesburg American, Feb. 14, 1996: Climbing the ladder

More: The 1990 Bakersfield Dodgers

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:3,478
Made the Majors:1,215-34.9%
Never Made Majors:2,263-65.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:504
10+ Seasons in the Minors:299