"With (NCEF), I'm visiting high schools in this region all the time. Whenever I do, I also ask administrators about their student athletes."

An executive director of Christian Sports International for years, Rettig played college baseball at Central Florida University and played a year of pro ball in
Japan.

He scouted for the Montreal Expos for 10 years and the Florida Marlins for the past four years before joining the Pirates. "My contract was up with the Marlins and I had lunch with Jon Mercurio down at PNC Park," Rettig said. "We discussed my option of coming over to the Pirates. "Next thing I knew, it was a done deal." Mercurio is director of baseball operations for the Pirates.

Rettig's scouting territory includes all 67 counties in Pennsylvania, which coincides with his travels for NCEF. He is one of 20 speakers his organization lines up to address students from kindergarten through 12th grade and their
parents about today's ever-changing youth culture. Since its inception in 2003, NCEF has held programs at 300 schools in 165 districts across Pennsylvania.
"We've dealt with bullying issues in schools, drugs and alcohol, internet safety, sexual issues - all of those things," Rettig said.

"Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among teenagers. Traditional families are practically non-existent in some areas. Gangs are families in certain places, with dangerous hazings and initiations. We make kids and parents aware and show them ways to deal with these issues," Rettig added. And he tries to find ballplayers while doing so. Former Knoch High School and Slippery Rock University standout Mike Sikorski was referred by Rettig and was a late-round draft pick years ago. Juan Ortiz, an outfielder from Brooklyn, N.Y., was a Rettig referral who was drafted in the fifth round by Montreal. "For a secondary scout like myself to get a kid picked in the top five rounds is a feat," Rettig said. "I'm not looking for the front-line type of player. The full-time scouts and national organizations are on to those guys.

"My job is to find the sleepers for the middle to late rounds. A kid's character plays a big part in terms of his work ethic, and work ethic and the right attitude is how those kids make it." Rettig knows how to learn of a young person's character. "It's a big part of what we do (at NCEF), build character," he said. "I'm fleecing schools all the time, talking to people, finding out what a kid's really like.

"I always encourage grades academically. If a kid has the ability to get A's and B's and he's getting C's and D's, that tells me he's not coachable." With baseball's amateur draft coming in June, Rettig already has referred a few names to Mercurio, including senior Grove City College pitcher Erik Arnesen. The Pirates currently have eight players from Western Pennsylvania in their farm system: pitcher Jake Cuffman (Butler), catcher Neil Walker (Pine-Richland), catcher John Walk (Wexford, son of broadcaster Bob Walk), infielder Dan Schwartzbauer (Glenshaw), and pitchers Josh Sharpless (Freedom), Brian Holliday (Moon), Clayton Hamilton (Beaver Falls) and Ian Heisel (Pittsburgh). "Character and success go hand in hand," Rettig said. "A kid has to be able to handle being thrust into the limelight and suddenly coming into money. "I'm not only looking for talent. I'm looking for solid people. There's plenty of both around here."