Generic answer to your question. The best agent is born from the advisor who takes his time to explain the process and listens and answers all of your questions. He educates you so that you could help your son to make a decision between pro ball and college. He gives you a copy of the player's union contract and goes over every section. He is there on the other end of the line whenever you call, not his secretary. He has never told you he is the best, but you know from his personal track record his clients like him as a person. He wins your trust and your confidence. He isn't a sleaze because he won't take any part of your son's bonus money, only the extra he negotiates after your son agrees to go pro. He is smart because he knows that being honest with you and your son will someday payoff when your son signs a contract worth more than $800 month. He also is smart not to get into public arguments that might make all other advisors/agents look bad. IMHO that is who is the best agent.
Posts: 10704 | Location: South Florida | Registered: July 28, 2003
ox·y·mo·ron ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ks-môrn, -mr-) n. pl. ox·y·mo·ra (-môr, -mr) or ox·y·mo·rons A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence and a mournful optimist.
"God knows I gave my best in baseball at all times and no man on earth can truthfully judge me otherwise."...Joe Jackson
There is no one best Agent. Everyone has different needs so what works for one player may not work for another.
The best Agent will be the one who meets the criteria you & your family have decided are most important to them.
First, do your homework to determine what you want in terms of approach & aservices offered i.e. do you want someone real aggresive who will push for the very last dime? Do you want a big firm with a "one stop shopping" type of service and all the plusses and minuses of being a "small fish in a big pond" or do you want a smaller firm where you can independently pick & choose what services you desire with the trade-offs that result.
Second, conduct interviews with prospective agents rather than have meetings where you listen to a sales "pitch". You need to control the agenda & seek information from credible, experienced sources based on what is right for you.
Finally, get references. Not just the superstar players an Agent represents. Get the phone numbers for some of his clients who are career Minor Leaguers & find out how they have been taken care of. Talk to people they've dealt with from MLB. Remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Posts: 500 | Location: ft. lauderdale,fl usa | Registered: January 01, 2004
quote:Originally posted by sorearm: I thought that most agents take about 4% of the signing bonus. Isn't that standard?
There is no standard fee. Some people charge 5% some charge 2%. Rickie Weeks' agent charged him $500/hour.
IMHO hourly rates only give the Agent the incentive to bill for more hours. Also, the lower a commission rate, the more clients an Agent must have to make a living. An Agents' worth should be determined by what he brings to the table in terms of experience, ability & how much of his time you'll be getting.
Notice I said HIS TIME. Not his Secretary, or Assistant or Interns or Go-fers in his office, I mean the guy at the top of the chain of command.
Posts: 500 | Location: ft. lauderdale,fl usa | Registered: January 01, 2004
quote:Originally posted by Glove Man: Is this a trick question?
This term comes to mind:
ox·y·mo·ron ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ks-môrn, -mr-) n. pl. ox·y·mo·ra (-môr, -mr) or ox·y·mo·rons A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence and a mournful optimist.
"God knows I gave my best in baseball at all times and no man on earth can truthfully judge me otherwise."...Joe Jackson
If Agents are such unnecessary, overpaid, evil people then why do 99% of players have one?
Posts: 500 | Location: ft. lauderdale,fl usa | Registered: January 01, 2004
quote:Originally posted by sorearm: I thought that most agents take about 4% of the signing bonus. Isn't that standard?
There is no standard fee. Some people charge 5% some charge 2%. Rickie Weeks' agent charged him $500/hour.
IMHO hourly rates only give the Agent the incentive to bill for more hours. Also, the lower a commission rate, the more clients an Agent must have to make a living. An Agents' worth should be determined by what he brings to the table in terms of experience, ability & how much of his time you'll be getting.
Notice I said HIS TIME. Not his Secretary, or Assistant or Interns or Go-fers in his office, I mean the guy at the top of the chain of command.
How about 4% of everything over the first offer for a drafted player?
Posts: 129 | Location: AZ. | Registered: December 29, 2002
How about 4% of everything over the first offer for a drafted player?[/QUOTE]
How about whatever the Player & Agent agree is a reasonable fee? If the Player thinks it's fair, why do you have a problem with it? The Player gets a better contract at a rate he AGREED was fair as well as a tax deduction in the amount of the commission. The Agent is paid at a rate he AGREED was fair for his services & he gets a happy client around which to build his practice.
Why do you have such a problem with how much Agents are paid? Do you begrudge your doctor or lawyer what you pay them & try to chisel them down to a lower fee?
What do you do for a living? Is there a message board where I can go complain about how much you make?
Posts: 500 | Location: ft. lauderdale,fl usa | Registered: January 01, 2004
quote:Originally posted by M I 6: naw just each agent they all will tell you how great they are, none are lacking in the ego department
Can't disagree with you on that one. However, just as it takes a big ego to think you can step on the mound & throw a fastball by Barry Bonds, it takes a big ego to think you can hold your own against Brian Sabean(GM of the Giants) or go into the living room of the Giants #1 pick & explain why you are the best choice to represent him.
BTW, I spent more time in school preparing to do my job than most Players spent in the minors learning how to do theirs. I also have been "in the Majors" longer than they have. To quote "Dandy" Don Meredith "If you can do it, it ain't bragging ".
"Cause I'm a VooDoo Chile, Lord knows I'm a VooDoo Chile"
Posts: 500 | Location: ft. lauderdale,fl usa | Registered: January 01, 2004
at the risk of setting off another round of reply's munseysports seems to do a nice job for the kid's. i know him to be a really good person, allways looking out for the kids best interest(ASTHEY ALL SHOULD),he had saltamacia in the sup. first round and some others over te years ,but a really good person first and formost .just one mans opinion
Posts: 1599 | Location: new hampshire | Registered: March 25, 2003
My opinion is that the best agent depends on what stage a player is in. Obviously, the best agent for a player just coming in to the pros won't necessarily be the one with the highest profile client list. In fact, my experience is quite the contrary.
My advice would be to listen to ALL proposals with an open mind. However, if we're dealing with a player about to be drafted/signed into the professional ranks, the "best agent" is the one who has a plan which seeks to DEVELOPE a player's potential.
What I mean by that is that an agent should do his most arduous work when a player is still developing. Training and media coverage should be paramount so as to get the most out of the athlete on the field, as well as managing his image from its infancy.
These services (trainer and media exposure), while seemingly basic and simple, are offered by relatively few agents.
Look for an agent who is looking at the big picture, and who understands his role, as the player's employee, in the athletes road to the Bigs.
FM
Posts: 26 | Location: Puerto Rico | Registered: December 26, 2003
crunching numbers - "smart" seems around 20% of the diff over the 1rst offer (or slot) & sounds fair to me -
I mean, a player doesn't need any help at all fielding that first offer - right??? and to negotiate a 4% deal of the "diff over" sounds like a low-ball for someone you want working his butt off for ya in the future
and how many minor leaguers giving up a %%% actualy ever get to the show where it would pay off for the agent???
ps- I am not an agent, nor do I wish to become one
lefties? - - - they just aint right!
Posts: 3616 | Location: NE Ohio | Registered: December 27, 2002
