To properly introduce our first guest of the year would take 30 minutes. He is one of the most famous and successful sports agents in history, you may have heard of Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Jose Canseco, George Brett, Bret Saberhagen and Danny Tartabull and that’s just for starters. You may also be aware of the famous Bobby Bonilla contract that will continue to pay Bobby for until 2035 and he hasn’t played since 2001!
Amazingly, much of this success is based on his expertise in retirement and estate planning for athletes and entertainers such as Larry King, Michael Jackson, Johnny Carson, Robin Williams and so many others. Mix in the genes of a renaissance man made for the game of baseball with extraordinary business savvy and you have Dennis Gilbert.
Dennis Gilbert was drafted into the league back in the 60’s and played with both the Red Sox and the Mets. In 1984, Gilbert and fellow former minor-leaguer Rick Thurman founded the Beverly Hills Sports Council; over the next few years it became one of the most powerful sports agencies in Major League Baseball. Dennis also founded the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation which helped scouts who needed assistance when life dealt them snake eyes. Dennis, also wrote the first check for baseball’s RBI program and helped pay for its baseball field in Los Angeles, says his goal is to provide more opportunities for underprivileged youth throughout the country.
“I want to make a difference in Perfect Game,” Gilbert said, “which I believe is the best youth program in the country. I want to see more underprivileged youth playing baseball and softball. Perfect Game provides that opportunity.”
Not only one of the most successful life insurance executives in the world, Dennis works with Jerry Reinsdorf and the Chicago White Sox organization in an executive capacity and is now the commissioner of The Perfect Game working again with longtime friend Rick Thurman, who bought the organization a few years back.
@Calgary Flames
