Mike Brito, a well-known international scout for the Dodgers, died on Thursday. He was 87.
Brito, who joined Los Angeles in 1978, spent nearly four and half decades helping to bring elite players to the team that include signing Mexican pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who led the Dodgers to a title in 1981 and won an NL Cy Young Award.
Before Brito signed players like Valenzuela in 1979, there were fewer than 40 Mexican-born players in the league. Beyond Valenzuela, Brito signed more than 30 players who ended up playing in MLB, most recently the likes of Yasiel Puig, Julio Urias, Victor Gonzalez and countless others.