Jul

Independent League Teams May Not Even Want Bonds

Quote from the Mercury News:

“[Barry Bonds] has nothing to prove there,” Jeff Borris told the Associated Press. “He doesn’t need to go to an independent team and hit two home runs a night hoping to get attention to prove that he still has the skills that would warrant him playing at the major league level.”

Well now that you put it that way, Mr. Borris, I challenge you to put Barry Bonds on an independent league team. I will bet that he does not average two home runs a game in however long his stint is with that organization. Long Island Ducks Just because your client cannot find a single team to pay him a low six-figure salary for the remainder of this season (even the Yankees are balking on him), you have to go out and attack independent leagues like the Atlantic League?

In fact, I am not even sure that Barry Bonds would have a spot on the Long Island Ducks starting roster. Their outfielders include Carl Everett, Nook Logan, and Richard Hidalgo.

http://N/A Alex Ubeda

Darren,
You’re obviously kidding right? Don’t forget you are talking about BARRY “US” BONDS! He can and will POP THEM OUT OF YANKEE STADIUM when he is signed.
http://www.sportsagentblog.com Darren Heitner

Oh I am being quite serious when I say that I do not think that Bonds could average over 2 homers per game in the Atlantic League.
http://N/A Alex Ubeda

You’re right he wouldn’t average over 2 home runs a game and he probably wouldn’t average ONE HOMERUN a game only because they wouldn’t pitch to him(just like in the big leagues) and to say he wouldn’t make the “Ducks” is a joke. He can start in any American League team as DH if they wouldn’t BLACK BALL him. He would definitely out hit anybody in ANY INDY LEAGUE if they pitched to him.
http://n/a Dominican Flexo

Either this is some kind of joke or you have a screw loose. Bonds would dominate the Independent League. If he was constantly crushing balls into the stratosphere against MLB competition, what in the world makes you think that he wouldn’t do twice as much damage in a league where a majority of the players will never wear an MLB uniform? Are you high bro?
I really hope you don’t believe what you wrote. That would say alot about you.
There isn’t a player on the Ducks who is worthy of rechewing the tobacco Bonds spits out.
Bonds is a future HOF. Name a player on the Ducks right now who you can say the same about
Malik

flexo, you are correct about everything you say. this is another example of an idiotic post with no logic behind it. darren got mad when borris ripped the indepdent leagues because he has a client on a roster (who doesnt start mind you) so he tried to fire back but again it doesnt work, heres why. out of the 3 players (everett, hidalgo, logan) only everett is actually doing something this season. heitner is a complete moron for thinking that because all three of those players have big league experience they are worthy of starting over a HOF like bonds. bonds proved he could still play last year, anybody who knows baseball saw this. hidalgo is not the player he was 7 years ago when he hit 44 HR thats why hes on the ducks. and hes only batting .265. wtf? and why is nook logan even mentioned? of course he would start over bonds hes a CF bonds is a LF. darren we realize you got a little mad but you are talking non-sense. ubeda and flexo have just spit real talk and i hope you understand what im trying to say. simply taking players who used to play MLB and acting like they are the same when they are in their prime is a joke. theres a reason a player like hidalgo is on the ducks and on his way out of professional baseball. just like theres a reason heran is on an indy team as well….. ya feel us?
http://www.sportsagentblog.com Zak Kurtz

Malik,

In reference to your comment :
“simply taking players who used to play MLB and acting like they are the same when they are in their prime is a joke. theres a reason a player like hidalgo is on the ducks and on his way out of professional baseball.”

I’m not saying Hidalgo and Bonds are on the same level, but isn’t Bonds exactly what you just described above. He has not played baseball in a while, who is to say that he can and will hit home runs into the stratosphere like he used to. He could be just as washed up and you think Hidalgo is. Just because he took steroids and broke the HR record doesn’t mean he is the best player in baseball history. He wouldn’t even play in LF anymore and he certainly will not be in Cooperstown like Floxo said.

Darrens post was meant to point out that Bonds name is tarnished and that a team like the Long Island Ducks would not even want that type of media attention in their clubhouse.

I understand why nobody in MLB wants to pick up Bonds, but I do not agree with it. He could be a great DH for a team like the Yankees. It should/ would be easy for him to play for a team like the Long Island Ducks, I just believe that he thinks too highly of himself to ever play back in the minors.
Wally

Malik –

Good post.

Zak please lay off the DNasty kool aid. We all know the company’s niche is independent ball players (non starters), non drafted free agents and 15th or above round draft picks. They are protecting their clients interest. When Leatherman or Lara is released, DH doesn’t want the roster clogged with Bonds. Yea, the Ducks wouldn’t want to sell out every game or have the national attention. LOL. Good job offending Jeff Borris (no I don’t believe Jeff reads this site), I am sure he will delight in stealing your clients if you ever have any clients worth taking. Which is very doubtful unless of course bowling really takes off over the next couple of years. Everyday I check to see if Dynasty had entered into agreements with professional pool players, dudes from the World Strongest Man competiton, American Gladiator competitors, ALF2 players or sometype of fly by night professional football league.

- Wally
http://www.sportsagentblog.com Darren Heitner

I go away from a computer for a weekend and I come back to this? You guys are fantastic. Wally and Malik – my boys for life.
Malik

Wally- good looking out, i seriously spent 5 minutes laughing over your whole post. i have not seen any comments that were more on point than what you just said! i give you mad props.

Zak- bonds is not exactley what i described. i described a player like richard hidalgo who had one good year and could not continue to hit at the mlb level so hes basically done with pro ball. bonds played last year (why are you mAking it seem like he hasnt played in forever) and hit a solid .276 wuth 28 homeruns in only 340 AB’s cause major league pitchers became pussys when he was in the batters box. you cant be serious thinking hes just as washed up as hidalgo when he put up huge numbers in limited at bats just last season. i agree he wouldnt even play outfield anymore, thats what my post was kind of reffering to so why would heitner even talk about starting in the outfield with logan, everett and hidalgo? and read FLEXO (not floxo) post again, flexo said bonds is a future HOF and nobody on the ducks roster is a future HOF. in other words no one on that rosters name should be used in the same sentance as barry bonds they arent on the same level. the steroids issue is irrelevant here because he hasnt been convicted, you are silly to think that the ducks would pass up on an opportunity to attract thousands of fans by having bonds play. its safe to same if bonds was playing in any of their home games attendance would more then likely double. and bonds has every right to think highly of himself, why would he ever settle for the same contract someone like gerard haran recieves???

Darren- its all love mayne
http://www.sportsagentblog.com Zak Kurtz

His name is tarnished enough that no MLB teams even want that extra publicity and press nor do they want to hear any more about the steroid issue. I agree that he was a great hitter and still scares all pitchers in any league. Any minor league team would die to have Bonds name on the roster, but as I said earlier no MLB team will take a chance and he is too stubborn to play in the minors. So where does that put him? If he still wants to play baseball he might have to settle for the salary of Gerard Haran and give the minors a shot. After all the steroid allegations, Haran has a better rep than Bonds and he is actually playing baseball now.
Wally

Zak – here it a little tip in the the beginning of your career. The minor leagues are affilated with Major League teams. The Durham Bulls cannot just go out and sign Bonds to a contract. Hypothetically (this will never ever ever ever ever happen) if he signed with the Rays organization to a minor league contract – I think the fall out would be not only on the minor league teamsbut the entire organization. Also, Herran has no rep.
Other than a tremendously crafted wikipedia page.

Malike – What’s you deal? Interning somewhere? Want to get in the industry? In the industry?
lmk
Malik

Wally is right, Haran has no rep, no one has ever heard of him before. hitting .194 at the rookie level will get you no where. I dont think Bonds is stubborn for not wanting to play indy, he just doesnt want to stoop to the level of gerard haran. its not being cocky, its being confident cause hes proven he can play in the MLB, haran never has proven and never will be able to rpove he can compete at that level. but all this talk is irrelevant, the point at issue is darren tried to roast bonds and say he couldnt make an indy league team and me, wally, flexo and alex all proved you guys wrong.

Wally- i do want to get in the industry and am currently interning with a small NFL agent. I need to get your email address somehow, i admire the way you are able to defend your points and you are always able to tie in amusing points such as the representation of american gladiators. and the sad thing is your are on point with that statement, i honestly believe heitner would represent such people to try and expand his client base. btw, to see another amusing blog check out vuk’s and what his clients are saying. his client that was drafted in the 39th round is batting an amazing .171 and his 2 indy clients continue to dominate. i wish i had an eye for talent that vuk and darren possess. its a real bummer the dynasty business relationship between them failed, they were truly a match made in heaven!
DominicanFlexo

Wally > ________________-
Wally

Darren

I have been banned or something?

- wally
http://www.sportsagentblog.com Darren Heitner

Unless you are going to contribute to some sort of discussion, I find no reason to cloud up the Recent Comments with your spiteful remarks. Personally, I could care less what you think about my company, but I want to make sure that this site remains as a forum where we can share ideas effectively without hatred. Thanks.
DominicanFlexo

Darren come on dude. You banned him? Are you serious?
You write up a ridiculous article bashing Barry Bonds for no justified reason, and then you want to try to ban someone who speaks out against the absurdity and returns fire at you?
Even though Wally may not agree with everything you say like alot of the readers on this site, alot of things he says make alot of sense.
I can tell you one thing. You’d really be surprised if you found out who some of these people making comments really were. You really would
http://www.sportsagentblog.com Darren Heitner

Actually, I am well aware of who reads and makes comments on this blog. I am humbled by some of the names that subscribe, including yourself (I will hold off mentioning your name out of respect). I suspended Wally’s commenting privileges not based on this post. In fact, I found this whole thread rather funny since the post itself was made more in jest than anything else. Beyond this post; however, Wally has contributed nothing but spite, and I am just not interested in having his comments get in the way of the intelligent discussion that is taking place between readers on this blog. I’ll put this issue to rest and probably return Wally’s commenting privileges eventually. It is the first time that I have had to make such a move on this blog, and hopefully the last.
Gunther Peterson

Darren, I have tried to post comments with intellectual questions in the past and they do not get posted (because I do not reveal my real name since I use my friend’s computer who works in sports) – why is that? I think I have posted some real nice questions. You are bright and ambitious – I think you need to talk more about what agents actually do – it’s more than just going to the AAU event – what did you do down there (interactions with coaches, family members, high school players, etc.), what are the challenges, what do you know about the CBA, what makes you the most knowledgeable entity at your age, why represent models, why bring on so many people to your company, how much in debt will you have to go before you start turning it around, how are you marketing a player like Royce Parran to teams in Europe (maybe share this type of stuff like who you contact, what types of statistical analysis you would use)? What is your take on some of the recent NFL and NBA contracts and why? You are capable of answering this stuff so it would be interesting to see you tackle some subject as if you were actually acting as an agent (such as why Luol Deng deserves a certain amount and why, how a team’s salary cap in the NBA and NFL operates, etc). Bring some knowledge, but don’t hate on me because my name is really Gunther. And I don’t drink and think that Florida being the #1 party school is not that cool since there is more to life than that. Thanks.
http://www.sportsagentblog.com Darren Heitner

Gunther-

First of all, I am not sure what you are talking about as far as your comments not being posted. I just looked through past comments and comments listed as spam and could not find any with your name or IP address. In the past, when people have asked me to discuss specific topics, I believe I have done a good job in responding. Honestly, I could write a book in response to your comment…there is just so much information to type, and unfortunately, I do not have enough time to appropriate to spending the amount of time that you would probably like me to on each item that you laid out.

I constantly talk about the challenges of being an agent. In Orlando, I met with college coaches, AAU coaches, and had brief conversations with a few AAU players. Most of my time was spent watching the games and noting the excellent competitors. I have studied the MLB, NBA, and NFL CBA…not sure how you want me to tell you how much I know about each. As far as being the most knowledgeable entity at my age, that is strictly an opinion. If you feel otherwise, that’s fine. Represent models, because I enjoy it and I believe that there is a huge profit potential. We are not marketing Royce to European teams. We are aiming to place him with an NBA/NBDL team. We are; however, trying to place roughly 10 players overseas.

I am more interested in reporting the facts and potentially hearing from the actual agents who represent the players as to why they are taking such tactics. Perhaps I will contact Jason Levien to ask him about the Luol Deng situation. I do not recall ever hating you because your name is Gunther. Keep on trucking without the booze. And your feelings on Florida’s ranking about is noted.
Gunther Peterson

Much respect to ya Darren for the quick and sincere reply. As I always maintain, I want you to succeed. You take a lot of your own time to keep others informed and that is respectable. The interviews are great – but a guy like Levien (what happened with Nichomson?) wouldn’t always be honest about his approach and ongoing negotiations (but now that the deal is reportedly done maybe we can see what the incentives are, how the deal is structured, etc.). For the CBA rules, a breakdown of Devin Hester’s contract and how it operates or a breakdown of the NBA’s trade exceptions or MLB’s recent signing bonuses would be fun to read. Also, without revealing names maybe take us through representing one of those 10 players you are trying to put overseas (the rules, potential salaries, live overseas, etc.). For Royce, it would be perfect to say what kinds of things you would tell an NBA scout (I assume you are not hitting up the GMs), what an NBDL tryout entails, what the salaries are like, etc. Good luck – I like Royce’s game and read about him when his team basically got disinegrated because of lack of funds. It would give you a chance to show that being an agent is not just about being flashy, a smart kid, a good talker, a guy who likes to socialize and get his goose on a little bit and hang out with models (while representing them, which seems like you are doing a good job getting some of them opportunities). Keep on trucking too (see, I am from the country and know about grateful dead right?). Thanks for the feedback and keep the site good for us all.
http://www.sportsagentblog.com Darren Heitner

Gunther-

I keep this site going more for you than for myself (believe me, the advertising revenue is not enough to feed a baby a yearly supply of candy). Anyway, I can definitely try to break down contracts more often based on CBA rules. As for Royce and our other basketball clients, I do intent to break down the process, but will hold off until one of them signs with a team. While I want to help others in this business, I need to look after myself and my clients, and they are best served if I do not discuss which teams have expressed interest and which ones will be conducting tryouts. Royce is the man. I know that you are a loyal reader if you are informed enough to know about the lack of funds with the Gary Steelheads, forcing them out of the playoffs.

Let me know if there is anything in particular that you would like me to cover in the future.

Thanks.

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