Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 11, 1990 TAG: 9007110198
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
The Los Angeles Times, citing an anonymous source close to the union, reported in today's editions that Gilbert, of Beverly Hills, Calif., has been the target of allegations and controversy since before the certification program for agents began in the summer of 1988.
The union's agent subcommittee has requested that the union complete the investigation, which has lingered for more than a year, the newspaper reported. The subcommittee is made up of players and union officials. A union official had been scheduled to visit Los Angeles this week to complete the discovery process, but the status of that process was unclear.
Gene Orza, associate general counsel for the union and the man responsible for overseeing the agent-regulation program, would not comment on Gilbert's status, except to say that Gilbert is a certified agent.
The union is most concerned with Gilbert's alleged method of soliciting clients and retaining them with inducements, according to the newspaper. Other agents have alleged that Gilbert has given or loaned money or gifts to players in order to sign them, the source said.
The union prohibits inducements to prevent players from becoming financially dependent on agents, which would then make it difficult to change agents. For that reason, all agent-player contracts can be renewed only one year at a time.
Should the union find that Gilbert is not in compliance with the rules, he could be decertified as a baseball agent and not allowed to negotiate contracts for players.
Gilbert's negotiating skills recently netted Canseco the richest deal in baseball: a five-year, $23.5 million contract.
Gilbert represents at least 25 major-league players, including Danny Tartabull of Kansas City, Bobby Bonilla of Pittsburgh and Tim Leary of the New York Yankees.
Gilbert was in Chicago on Tuesday for the All-Star Game and was not available for comment.
However, Gilbert said last week in a letter to the Los Angeles Times that he would not meet with the paper's reporters to discuss allegations from unnamed sources.
"This is not the first time anonymous sources - maybe the same sources - have made accusations about me. . . . Accordingly, I am not interested in responding to comments from such sources. . . . However, I would be happy to respond to any specific comments about me from named sources," Gilbert said in the letter.
Gilbert's services extend beyond negotiating player contracts, which he does through his agency, the Beverly Hills Sports Council. He also handles investments, endorsements, insurance and tax returns for players.
by CNB