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Y. -- George Hartigan, a retired police sergeant who ran unsuccessfully for the South Shore Assembly seat and later for borough president, has died.Hartigan, 81, died June 7 in Green Valley Commons, Winchester, Va.,         his family said. He had been living in Virginia since 2015.Hartigan, a Democrat, ran against then-Assemblyman Guy Molinari in 1978, and ran against Molinari for borough president as the Independence Party candidate in 1997.He ran again for Assembly in 1980, and in 2000, both times against Republican incumbent Robert Straniere.Born and raised in Brooklyn, Hartigan enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Korean War. Upon his discharge from the Marines, he met and married his wife, the former Loretta Fereno, who died in 1989Hartigan then joined the NYPD, where he was soon promoted to sergeant. He moved his growing family to Tottenville in 1960, and settled in Prince's Bay in 1966, where he lived until he relocated to Port St. Lucie, Fla.in 2011. After his retirement from the NYPD, Hartigan worked for a time as a private investigator, and later served as director of the substance abuse rehabilitation unit at Staten Island University Hospital South, Prince's Bay.In between his NYPD shifts Hartigan went back to school, earning a bachelor's degree in history from John Jay College of Criminal JusticeHe also found time to coach and umpire at the South Shore Little League, where his children played. Later he became involved chairing fundraisers and cheering at games for his six children, who all played for Tottenville High School. He also mentored young boxers from the Police Athletic League (P.A.L.).His children recall their dad as a "human dynamo" who always found time to support them. "We all agree he was the best father a kid could ask for," said Hartigan's oldest son, George Jr.Hartigan was also a published author. His "futuristic crime novel" titled "Due Process" was published in 2003.Hartigan is survived by five sons, George Jr., Daniel, Kenneth, John, and Brian; a d... (SILive.com)

Efficiency," that's the name of the game in scouting talent these days.Algorithms, exit velocity, arm torque ... Sabermetrics!Cold, hard numbers at the tap of a keyboard, that's the future.That's what some insist, anyway.There's nothing to prove the case.But there is one undeniable fact, if seems: That baseball folks caught up in the new way of doing business don't have as much fun as the old-timers.Not nearly as much as when big league scouts would travel like a gaggle of geese from ballfield to ballfield, ribbing each other and fibbing about their assessment of this outfielder or that pitcher.Every day, carrying the simple tools of the trade; a beach chair, sun-tan lotion and a pencil and pad.A JUGGS gun?For what?"I really think some of those old-timers could listen to the way a pitch hit a catcher's mitt and tell you how fast it was going," someone was saying Monday at the wake of 50-year scout and Island baseball lifer, John Hagemann.Hagemann, who died this past weekend at the age of 80, was one of those old-timers.A "last of a breed" type,  who worked for the Expos, Braves and Phillies.Gruff, funny - always looking around for the next big leaguer masquerading as a skinny 17-year-old.Hagemann plaque at Richmond Country Ballpark scout's Wall of Fame Hilton Flores/Advance After a career with the NYPD and NYFD, the one-time hard-throwing right-hander would spend a half-century scouring baseball diamonds near and far looking for a kid with a combination of real talent, coupled with that "certain something" look in his eye.He found some of them too.Told the Braves to trade for a minor-leaguer named John Smoltz in 1987.Then was invited to Cooperstown by the superstar pitcher 28 years later when Smoltz was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame.Was a cross-checker in 1990 for the Braves when they reached into Jacksonville, Fl., to take a chance with the No.1 pick in the draft on a big, switch-hitting teenager.Chipper Jones will likely be in Cooperstown soon.Got the Braves interested in Islander Jaso... (SILive.com)