As the Milwaukee Brewers season gets underway, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh journalism alumnus Jon Feyen, ’11, of Milwaukee, is just beginning his career as an advanced scout for the Major League team.
“After working high school, college and minor league baseball, I wanted to reach the highest level, which is a professional team,” Feyen said.
Prior to joining the Brewers, Feyen worked for the Timber Rattlers. He also worked for UW Oshkosh Sports Information as an assistant director. He currently attends Cardinal Stritch University, where he is pursing a master’s degree in sport management.
Growing up, Feyen said he played baseball for 12 years. After he stopped competing, he wanted to stay involved.
“So I became a sportswriter,” Feyen said. “I love that on every pitch, there are so many different things that can happen, and you don’t know what to expect.”
Feyen’s dream was to work for a professional team, such as the Brewers or the Green Bay Packers. He said networking was key for selection as an advanced scout.
“I’ve discovered that this field is very competitive,” Feyen said. “There are often hundreds of applications for jobs in sports. I just hoped I could work my way up through the industry.”
UW Oshkosh’s Sports Information Director Kennan Timm connected Feyen with the Timber Rattlers. Feyen said through networking and experience, he earned the Brewers job.
Feyen will start work for the Brewers this month by tracking prospects in Appleton at the Timber Rattlers game. As an advanced scout, he will be using technology to evaluate players and track measurements on each play, such as pitch speed, spin rate, location and distance the ball travels.
“We then use this information, along with video, for statistical analysis,” Feyen said.
While he won’t be at today’s opening day game against the Colorado Rockies, he will attend five games throughout the season.
“The last two years, I’ve been the official scorer for hundreds of baseball games, so I didn’t have much time to be a fan,” Feyen said.
Feyen encourages students to network to get their dream job. He said connections will get you the interview, on top of a good résumé. “Be willing to work unpaid or low-paying jobs in your field, because the experience will pay off later,” Feyen said.
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