Wayne Mathis played two pro seasons, then later found way back to game by chance, as a scout

Originally published March 19, 2017

Wayne Mathis' path back to baseball presented itself by chance, according to The Victoria Advocate.

Mathis ran into his old farm director with the Mets, while visiting an old teammate in Houston, The Advocate wrote. One thing led to another and Mathis was soon a scout, The Advocate wrote.

"It was a blessing without a doubt," Mathis told The Advocate years later. "I was trying for years to get into baseball and he made it happen in less than a week."

Mathis went on to a long stint as a scout for the major league scouting bureau. He spoke to The Advocate in December 2015 on the occasion of moving to a scouting job with the Pirates.

Mathis' first stint in baseball began in 1988, taken by the Mets in the 53rd round of the draft out of Cuero High School in Texas.

At Cuero, Mathis also played football, helping his team to the 1987 state championship.

"We just worked, stayed focused and did the things we needed to win on Friday," Mathis told The Advocate years later of that title run.

With the Mets, Cuero hit the field in 1989, in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He got into 54 games and hit .218. He also stole 20 bases.

He then moved to rookie Kingsport for 1990. He got into 34 games there and hit just .160, ending his professional career.

Mathis started scouting for the major league scouting bureau in 2002. He moved to the Pirates for 2016, focusing on southern Louisiana and Texas.

• Victoria Advocate, Nov. 7, 2007: Cuero honors 1987 state championship team
• Victoria Advocate, Dec. 26, 2015: Former Cuero quarterback becomes scout for Pittsburgh Pirates

More: The 1990 Kingsport Mets