A brief look at the unsung hero of The Natural, Scotty Carson

Though he is never seen on-screen, Scotty Carson is one of the most pivotal characters in The Natural, as the man responsible for bringing baseball demigod Roy Hobbs up to the Major Leagues. We first hear of Carson when Hobbs introduces himself to Knights manager Pop Fisher; Hobbs arrives in the Knights dugout in the midst of another embarrassing defeat, announces that he has been signed by the Knights’ chief scout, Scotty Carson, and produces his contract.

Fisher is at first reluctant to take on such an old player, but eventually, concedes that Carson has the authority to sign whoever he likes. We know what happens from there: Roy Hobbs becomes the Knights’ star, propelling the team into first place, and sinks the corrupt Judge’s attempt to tank the season and screw Fisher out of his share of the team. But let’s return to the topic of Scotty Carson and why he signed Roy Hobbs.

Initially, it seems obvious as to what happened: Carson did what a scout is supposed to do by finding a future star. He saw Hobbs play in Heeber (wherever the hell that is) and knew he had to sign him. No mystery there. Except we soon learn it isn’t that simple.

After Hobbs makes his Major League debut, blasting a baseball into pieces (literally) for a game-winning triple, we see the Judge conversing with Carson over the phone. It’s made apparent that Carson is in cahoots with the Judge, signing garbage talent for the team to ensure they cannot win the pennant. Carson assures the Judge there’s nothing to worry about; Hobbs is “[A] joke. A nobody from nowhere.” Except, of course, Hobbs isn’t a joke. He’s the best player in the league. He’s not in the middle of a flukey hot streak, he’s not stealing signs, he isn’t using steroids, and he isn’t facing terrible pitching. He’s baseball Jesus. So what, exactly, was Scotty Carson thinking when he signed Hobbs, if he’s supposed to be sabotaging the team? We do not get an answer. Carson is never mentioned again after his phone call with the Judge. We’re left to ponder as to what transpired between Carson and Hobbs and why he chose to sign him.

First, let’s review what we know about Carson, which is next to nothing. We know he is the chief scout for the Knights–a position he probably didn’t get to by being bad at finding talent. Presumably, he’s been in the game for decades. Fisher trusts Carson’s judgment enough that he’s given him the power to sign anybody he wants without consulting with him. We also know that he’s in on the Judge’s plot to tank the team–or at least that’s what he told the Judge. More on that in a second.

Secondly, let’s cover Hobbs’ stint with the Heeber Oilers. It isn’t explicitly stated, but we can surmise that the Oilers are the first team he’s played with since he was shot 16 years previous. Hobbs says he was only there for two weeks before Carson picked him up. We can surmise what happened there, too. Carson gets word of a 34-year-old who has appeared out of nowhere and is burning this semi-pro league in Heeber to goddamn ashes. Carson sees one of Hobbs’ games and signs him.

Three crucial points emerge from all of this:

1. Scotty Carson knows talent when he sees it
2. Roy Hobbs has all of the talent in the world
3. Scotty Carson signed Roy Hobbs

This seems somewhat irreconcilable with what Carson is supposed to be doing, namely, signing crap ballplayers.

Well, Hobbs might have been brilliant with the Oilers, sure. But that doesn’t mean he was going to do well in the big leagues. This is true, but why risk it? Why sign the absolute best semi-pro player you’ve ever seen? Why not just sign some guy who’s decent but not good enough to save a last-place team?

The answer is obvious: Carson is backstabbing the Judge. He has been waiting for the perfect opportunity to save the Knights as well as save his own skin in the process.

Ask yourself: Why did Carson agree to only sign garbage players in the first place? We know the Judge isn’t above coercion or blackmail, which sounds like a plausible explanation as to why Carson apparently acquiesced to ruin his reputation as a scout. Maybe the Judge straight-up bribed Carson, although this begs the question of why Carson took the money and still intended screw the Judge over. The blackmail explanation seems more likely.

Regardless of the exact terms of the deal, it’s obvious that Carson agreed to the Judge’s plot, all the while looking for a talent that will save the Knights–talent that initially doesn’t look like much. Carson’s job is on the line, too, after. If he goes against the Judge’s orders, he’s screwed. Carson’s claim that Hobbs is “a nobody from nowhere,” may be literally true, but Carson didn’t land on Hobbs by mistake. There are hundreds, thousands, of guys who aren’t good enough to survive the big leagues. Carson managed to sign the best hitter on the planet. It’s obvious he was lying to the Judge, covering himself.

Hobbs was the perfect candidate for Carson’s scheme to foil the Judge’s plan. Carson can’t go and pick up a 21-year-old phenom–that’s too obvious. He needs to find somebody who’s talented enough to make an impact, yet obscure enough that his choice initially looks benign. Here enters Hobbs. Hobbs is a 34-year-old who has never played professional baseball. On paper, signing him isn’t just questionable, it’s absolutely idiotic. Pop Fisher’s dismayed reaction when he meets Hobbs is precisely what Carson was aiming for. Lucky for the Knights, this 34-year-old nobody unexpectedly happens to be the greatest hitter in the universe. How convenient for Carson–nobody could have seen this coming.

It’s a brilliant and overlooked detail in the film, transforming Hobbs from a shooting star into a Trojan Horse–a pawn in a complicated chess match between a blackmailed scout and a corrupt old man.