Longtime A's Scout, UC Berkeley Alumnus Dies At 61: 'A Joy To Be Around'

BERKELEY, CA — Will Schock, a beloved longtime scout for the Athletics and a UC Berkeley alumnus, has died, the ball club announced Sunday. He was 61.

The 61-year-old's cause of death has not been immediately revealed.

"We were lucky to have him as a teammate and friend," A's General Manager David Forst said in a statement Sunday. "Our thoughts are with his family today, particularly his mother Trubee, his sister-in-law Jeanine, and his longtime partner Mary Coons."

Schock was a Bay Area native who attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley. He was drafted out of high school in 1982 by the San Francisco Giants, but he instead chose to play baseball at UC Berkeley.

He was then drafted by the A's out of UC Berkeley in 1987. He spent five years pitching in the A's farm system before transitioning to scouting, where Forst says Schock "made a lasting impact on both our amateur and pro staffs."

"Will was a beloved part of the A’s organization for the better part of the last four decades," Forst said. "His easygoing nature always made him a joy to be around and his passion for the game and its players made every conversation with him an opportunity to learn from his years in the game."