When Clayton resident Sam Ray graduated from UCLA two years ago, he expected to use his business-economics degree to get a job in investment banking or tax audit with a major national firm. Instead, Ray will move into a Cincinnati apartment in January – prepared to put 30,000-40,000 miles on his company car covering a territory including Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and eastern Indiana for a New England business that has the oldest and smallest facility in its industry.

The former Clayton Valley High School athlete has turned an exciting internship over the past two years with the Boston Red Sox into a full-time position as the Major League area scout for the Midwest for the legendary baseball franchise that calls Fenway Park home and has won two World Series championships this decade.

Searching for baseball gold.

The 24-year-old Clayton native is geared up to watch high school and college baseball games seven days a week in preparation for the annual Major League Amateur Draft in June.

Like each MLB team, the Red Sox will have about 50 selections in the draft. Ray and 17 other Red Sox scouts scattered around the United States and Puerto Rico will be trying to find the next Tim Lincecum, Dustin Pedroia or Jacoby Ellsbury, all of whom he saw play against his UCLA Bruins.

It’s difficult to identify future major leaguers, especially among players who may mature before their contemporaries and thus overpower opponents or have yet to reach their full size. “If a team has three of its draft picks from one year make it to the majors, that’s a success. Five players reaching the majors would be a helluva draft,” Ray says.

Unlike football and basketball – where games are on TV daily – high school and college baseball games are rarely televised. “The only real coverage is during the College World Series, which is held after the draft,” Ray adds.

Ray’s standard tools at each game are a hand-held video camera, stop watch and notebook. “I roam around the park to get side views and those from centerfield, as many times those are the best places to observe a batter or pitcher,” he notes.

Handling multiple tasks.

During his two years interning with the Red Sox, Ray spent most of his time assembling video footage from around the country. In his second year, he pioneered using advanced technology so that scouts could send digital files over the Internet rather than shipping tapes. His other main assignment was sitting behind the plate at Red Sox home games with the radar gun measuring pitch speed.

For the second half of this season, Ray’s talents gained him more responsibility from director of amateur scouting Jason McLeod, part of the youthful and successful Red Sox front office under general manager Theo Epstein. McLeod sent Ray around the country to observe players in Georgia, Virginia, New Jersey, Texas and his native California.

“It was interesting watching baseball in various socio-economic environments. In Texas, for example, the high school parks are like cathedrals. Elsewhere, the parks can be much more modest,” Ray recalls.

“Sam has a combination of energy and baseball intelligence which will suit him well as an amateur scout,” McLeod says. “He soaked up knowledge and asked good questions during his time in the office. He has been in the draft room the past two years and has a good understanding of what it is we’re trying to accomplish in player acquisition. Combining this knowledge with his work ethic will allow him to thrive as a scout.”

Once the baseball draft is over, the cycle begins again for Ray – identifying players for the following year’s draft as well as keeping track of any of his prospects the Red Sox draft until they sign a professional contract.

Outstanding youth athlete.

Ray began in Clayton Valley Little League when he was 5. In high school, he played both football and baseball. He was on junior varsity in both sports as a sophomore and got to taste the varsity experience in the playoffs.

His junior and senior years, he was an outstanding lineman for Herc Pardi’s football team and star first baseman on the baseball squad. Both those years, Clayton Valley went to the North Coast Section championship game at the Oakland Coliseum with coach Bob Ralston. As a senior, Ray was NCS Baseball Player of the Year and an all-state selection.

Pardi says Ray was a rare student athlete who excelled in two sports. “His commitment was exceptional in both sports.”

“Sam always finds a way to win,” Ralston adds. “He will make the Red Sox a better organization. He has great character and intelligence and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as a Major League general manager someday.”

His CVHS accolades extended beyond the athletic fields as he was student body president, an A student and the coveted 2003 Altair Leadership award recipient.

Former CVHS principal John Neary has fond memories of his interactions with Ray. “He is a gentleman who inspires respect in every facet of his life,” he says. “He is the type of young man that is such a positive role model for others.”

After high school, Ray had to decide between UCLA and UC San Diego. He chose UCLA because his older brother Shan (“I always looked up to him and wanted to be like him”) had gone there and he could play Pac-10 baseball.

The only problem was that UCLA already had two outstanding first basemen. Ray accepted the UCLA coach’s challenge to become a catcher, a position he hadn’t played since grade school. His perseverance and leadership qualities impressed coach John Savage, who tipped off Ray about the Red Sox internship.

“Sam has always been a student of the game. When he played at UCLA, it was evident that he had a passion for the game as well as a strong connection with his teammates,” Savage says.