Jeff Fannell » Baseball

May 16

by Jeff Fannell in Baseball, Basketball, Career, Hockey, Labor, Labor Issues, Marketing, Media, MLB, NBA, NCAA, Sports, Sports Issues, Uncategorized 0 comments

LEAGUES LOOKING TO CA$H IN ON NEW GAMBLING LAWS

Now that the United States Supreme Court has struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection ACT (PASPA), a federal law that (with a few exceptions) prohibited state-authorized sports gambling, several states are lining up to enact legislation that allows sports wagering within their borders. And why not? There is huge money in sports betting. Last year, Nevada raked in nearly $5 billion in sports wagering. States like New Jersey, New York and others all want a piece of the action. States are not alone in this regard. Sports leagues, many of which opposed efforts to get rid of PASPA, also have their hands out looking for a quick buck. Having sensed that they were losing the PASPA battle, the NBA, NFL, MLB and others came up with the ingenious idea that if the Court were to strike PASPA leagues could cash in on the new legal landscape by imposing “integrity fees” on those states that enact new gambling laws. What are integrity fees? Some say it’s a nice way of saying “extortion.” The leagues and governing bodies say integrity fees are necessary to maintain the integrity and public confidence in their respective sports. The rationale goes like this: once […]

Oct 11

by Jeff Fannell & Associates in Baseball, Client Announcements, MLB 0 comments tags: Joey Devine, New Client

JFA SIGNS FORMER MLB PITCHER JOEY DEVINE

October 11, 2017 – Jeff Fannell & Associates has signed former Major League Baseball pitcher Joey Devine for representation for off-the-field work. JFA will seek opportunities for Devine in several areas, including youth development and training, collegiate coaching, and television and radio broadcasting. From 2003-2005, Devine was a standout relief pitcher for Division I powerhouse North Carolina State University, where he remains the Wolfpack’s all-time career saves leader with 30. In 2005, the former All-American was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the MLB draft. Devine went on to play seven years in the Major Leagues, pitching for both the Braves and Oakland Athletics. In 2016, he returned to NC State to complete his studies and to serve as the Undergraduate Assistant Baseball Coach. “It is a privilege to represent Joey,” said JFA President Jeff Fannell. “Not only is he talented, he’s also a first-class individual. We look forward to helping him achieve his career and personal goals.” JFA represents professional athletes, sports agents and coaches, providing contract negotiation, market analysis, grievance handling, sports marketing and other related services. In addition, JFA currently serves as labor relations consultant to the Major League Baseball Players Association. […]

May 03

by Jeff Fannell in Baseball, MLB, Sports Issues, What's Up With That? 0 comments tags: Adam Jones, Boston Fans, Boston Redsox, Jackie Robinson, Race

Standing with Adam Jones

On April 27, 2017, I had the privilege of attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the Jackie Robinson Museum in lower Manhattan. The museum, which will open in 2019, has been in the works for decades. In addition to housing baseball memorabilia, the museum will focus on Jackie’s life on and off the field, including his contributions to the civil rights movement. Among my personal highlights at the groundbreaking ceremony was the opportunity to meet Jackie’s widow, Rachel Robinson, who is known to some as the First Lady of Baseball. In addition, I had the opportunity to chat with noted civil rights attorney Norman Siegel, who shared how the Dodgers moving out of Brooklyn played a role in stoking his passion for justice and equality. According to Siegel, the Dodgers helped forged friendships between blacks and whites who shared a common interest in cheering their team on. When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, many of those bonds were broken, which ultimately led Siegel on a life-long crusade against any barriers that would tend to create racial divides. Thoughts of Jackie, Rachel and Norman returned to the fore as baseball ushered in its second month of the season with the story […]

Feb 17

by Jeff Fannell in Agents, Baseball, MLB, Sports Business 1 comments tags: Agent, Baseball, contract, MLB, Negotiation, Salary Arbitration

A Baseball Agent’s Dilemma

The first three weeks of February is salary arbitration season in Major League Baseball. A time when eligible players and their clubs try to hammer out contracts for the coming year. If those efforts fail, the matter is presented to a panel of labor arbitrators who will decide the issue after hearing arguments from the player, club, the union and the Commissioner’s Office. Clubs hold the historical edge in salary arbitration hearings. According to the MLBPA website, through 2012, arbitrators have ruled for clubs in 286 cases and for players in 214. This is generally reflective of labor arbitration, where employers win more than they lose. More than one cynic has suggested that such is way arbitrators ensure they continue to get cases. For the record, I’ll only say that I find this observation curiously fascinating. After I retire or move on from handling arbitration cases, chances are I may have other thoughts, but for now I simply remain fascinated. Another facet of baseball’s salary arbitration process that has captured my attention is the particular dilemma that agents face that affects the outcome of many negotiations. First, consider that the process is designed to foster settlements by creating risk – […]

May 24

by Jeff Fannell in Baseball, MLB, Sports Issues 1 comments tags: Blue Jays, Bryce Harper, Josh Donaldson, Toronto

Josh Donaldson: MLB’s Beanball Culture ‘Doesn’t Make Sense’

A few months ago, Bryce Harper, the reigning NL MVP, caused a stir when he declared that baseball was a “tired sport.” Harper was not calling out the game for being boring, he was challenging baseball’s “unwritten rules.” For Harper, such rules put a damper on excitement by frowning upon players freely expressing their personalities. Harper’s comments ignited a spirited debate, with many of baseball’s old guard roundly criticizing the 23-year-old All-Star. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred joined the debate and wisely noted that each generation of players take it upon themselves to police the game, to enforce baseball’s unwritten code of conduct. Manfred expressed confidence that today’s current players – with bright young stars like Harper, Mike Trout, Manny Machado, Andrew McCutchen, Kris Bryant and Carlos Correa – will find a way to do just that in keeping with the current times. Recently, Josh Donaldson, the Toronto Blue Jays third baseman and the reigning AL MVP, challenged one of baseball’s most sacred of unwritten rules: the beanball. On Sunday, Donaldson smashed a homerun in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins and stared into the Twins dugout as he crossed home plate. That stare-down was directed at the […]

May 20

by Jeff Fannell in Baseball, MLB, Sports Issues 11 comments tags: Astros, Carlos Gomez, ESPN, Houston Chronicle, J.A. Adande, The Undefeated

Swing-and-a-Miss: J.A. Adande Whiffs on the Carlos Gomez Fiasco

After nearly three years in the making, ESPN has finally launched “The Undefeated,” a sports and culture website geared toward African-Americans (www.theundefeated.com). It’s been only a few days, but the early returns, for me at least, are extremely positive. I thoroughly enjoy the site – everything from the look, the content and especially, the voices. I encourage you to check it out, if you haven’t done so already. That said, I have a beef with a piece written by J.A. Adande on the issue of quote-fixing – whether journalists should be in the business of cleaning up quotes from athletes. The basis of the story is the flap between Houston Astros centerfielder Carlos Gomez and Houston Chronicle columnist Brian T. Smith. In a recent article, in which Smith was critical of Gomez’s poor play, Gomez was quoted as saying: “For the last year and this year, I not really do much for this team. The fans be angry. They be disappointed.” Gomez and others criticized Smith, with Gomez stating that he believes the columnist intentionally tried to ridicule him. The paper has since issued an apology to Gomez. Adande believes no apology was necessary. Said Adande: “Since when should journalists […]

Apr 15

by Jeff Fannell in Baseball, MLB, People 0 comments tags: African Americans, Baseball, Diversity, Hispanic, Jackie Robinson, Minorities, MLB

Stepping up to the plate on Diversity

April 15 is officially Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball. A day in which the game honors the man who broke baseball’s color line in 1947. A day in which every player, manager, coach and umpire wearing a uniform, dons Jackie’s number 42 in celebration and remembrance of the tremendous contributions Jackie made to the game of baseball and to American society. It is also a time when many will reflect on the lack of African-Americans playing the game at various levels. You have probably read the statistics: roughly 20 percent of Major Leaguers in 1981 were African-American; as of last year, there were fewer than 8 percent. The reasons for the decline have been discussed and analyzed from various angles. Whether it’s the lack of full scholarships to play at the college level, the relatively high financial cost it takes to play the game, or the fact that many minority youngsters view the game as boring (especially compared to basketball and football), we’ve been there, done that. Now what? Well, the good news is there are fresh faces in baseball’s leadership ranks – MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, and MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark both recently ascended to their […]

Mar 18

by Jeff Fannell in Baseball, MLB 1 comments tags: Arizona Diamond Backs, Diversity, MLB Diversity Business Summit

Views from the MLB Diversity Summit

I recently had the pleasure to attend the MLB Diversity Business Summit in Phoenix, AZ. Getting right to it, I will say that Wendy Lewis and her staff put on a wonderful event. Wendy’s title is an impressive mouthful (Senior Vice President of Diversity Inclusion & Strategic Alliances, Major League Baseball), but the event was even more impressive. From beginning to end, there was important information being shared, connections being made and opportunities set forth and presented that were all geared toward helping those interested, including minorities and women, get into the game of baseball. I attended the event on behalf of the Major League Baseball Players Association, and had the honor of participating in the summit’s opening, which included a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. Following that, there was a “Fireside Chat” with MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds conducting a one-on-one interview with the Commissioner. The next panel focused on The Player Perspective on Diversity and Inclusion, and it included Kim Ng, Senior VP, Baseball Operations, MLB, recently retired MLB player LaTroy Hawkins, Billy Bean, VP, Inclusion & Social Responsibility, MLB, Luis González, former Major Leaguer and currently Special Assistant to the President & CEO, Arizona Diamondbacks, […]

Mar 07

by Lori Lord in Baseball, Career, MLB, Sports Business, Sports Law 0 comments tags: Baseball, Business, Leaders, MLB, MLB Diversity Business Summit, MLBPA

Jeff Fannell to Join All-Star Speaker Line Up at MLB Diversity Business Summit

PHOENIX, AZ- Tuesday March 8th, Jeff Fannell, President of Jeff Fannell & Associates, will be speaking at the MLB Diversity Business Summit, featuring some of the best talent the business has to offer. Jeff will speak on panel “The Laws of Baseball: The Complexity of the Legal Issues of the Game” in two separate sessions. The complexity of the game of baseball on the field of play is matched only by the complex legal issues surrounding the business of the game. Panelists will speak about a broad spectrum of topics ranging from labor issues (including collective bargaining and player arbitrations) to intellectual property issues (including the licensing and protection of trademarks and copyrights) to a whole host of topics that teams are faced with on a day-to-day basis (including complex contract negotiations and issues relating to facility management, marketing, security and customer satisfaction). The MLB Diversity Business Summit is the premier sports employment conference and supplier diversity trade fair. This two-day event allows job seekers and entrepreneurs the unique opportunity of meeting with MLB’s Clubs at both the Major League and Minor League levels as well as sponsorship partners. For more info on attendance and speakers visit: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/mlb_official_info_diverse.jsp?content=summit […]

Mar 04

by Jeff Fannell in Baseball, MLB, Sports Issues 0 comments tags: Black History, Diversity, Major League Baseball, MLB Diversity Business Summit, Tony Clark

Baseball’s Diversity Challenge

Baseball is back. Spring training camps are opened and games have begun. In a few weeks, the excitement of Opening Day will hit all 30 Major League cities. On April 15, baseball will once again celebrate Jackie Robinson Day, commemorating and honoring the day Jackie made his Major League debut in 1947, breaking baseball’s color line and becoming the first African-American ballplayer in the Majors. All field personnel will wear Jackie’s No. 42 uniform number in his honor. It’s a great celebration of a great man, whose contributions transcend sports and are firmly woven into the fabric of our nation’s history. As we celebrate Jackie, we will also hear what has become a familiar refrain: the dwindling number of African-Americans playing baseball at all levels. It is an issue that has been diced and sliced to such a degree through conversation and analysis that there is nothing really left to be said. Thankfully, MLB and the MLBPA have taken steps to move beyond the talking stage through their $30 million joint initiative to increase youth participation in baseball and softball. The initiative was announced last year and there have been a number of positive steps taken, the early returns of […]