Bessie Largent

Bessie Hamilton Largent

• Born March 24, 1882 in McKinney, TX USA
• Died September 26, 1958 in McKinney, TX USA

Biographical Information

The husband-and wife team of Roy Largent and Bessie Largent formed one of the greatest duo of scouts in baseball history, together signing over 150 players for the Chicago White Sox from 1925 to 1943, with some 25 making it to the major leagues. Among their finds were future Hall of Famer Luke Appling and successful players like Smead Jolley, Carl Reynolds or Monty Stratton..

Bessie Hamilton was a music teacher in her hometown of McKinney, TX when she met Roy Largent who was a teacher and coached baseball at the local high school. She soon married him and traded careers, becoming his full-time assistant, and bringing her excellent intuition to help her husband's skill in evaluating baseball talent. She learned the game by serving as a scorekeeper for her husband's high school charges, and he took her along when he was asked to check out local players by major league scouts, and then made her his secretary when this work turned into his profession in 1925. She soon became his partner in scouting and the two were considered a single scouting unit by the White Sox. Roy needed the assistance because he was partially hearing impaired and she was able to facilitate communications.

In 1938 was was selected by Honus Wagner to be the Chairman of the Board of the National Baseball Congress tasked with selecting the All-American semi-pro team.

Her husband passed away in 1943, by which time she was badly affected by arthritis and had to give up scouting. She was bedridden for a number of years before her death in 1958, at 76. In addition to her interests in music and baseball, she was also a member of numerous litterary societies and wrote a number of baseball-themed poems.

Related Sites

• Roy and Bessie Largent at the SABR Bio Project