David M. Sloane
Taurus Sports Associates is actually one man - David Sloane, who takes pride in the way he runs his business. "It kills me to hear the “Super Agent” term. It implies you're bigger than the player," said Sloane. "No one ever bought a ticket to watch an agent."
Having started his business in 1974, David Sloane is one of the most senior agents certified by the Major League Baseball Players Association, but he still insists on maintaining a low profile. His office, in his Coral Springs home, is manned by Sloane alone. He believes that each client deserves his personal attention and that relationships with his clients and their families are worth more than the commissions he collects.
After client Joe Torres signed in 2000 as the 10th pick in the first round, his father Hughes said, “Having David Sloane as Joe's agent is like having a relative in the business.” That's the type of relationship Sloane strives for with all of his clients.
Among his current and former clients are big name players like former Mets/Marlins/Blue Jays slugger Carlos Delgado, Mike Timlin, Matt Stairs, David Weathers and Shannon Stewart. But he takes as much pride in having represented former big-leaguers with hopes of returning to the majors, such as Brad Cornett and Carlos Rodriguez. "I liked the fact he didn't carry a lot of clients," Cornett said. "I knew when I called I wouldn't get a secretary saying that my agent is talking with someone else and that he'll call me back.
In 2001, Sloane negotiated a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays that made Delgado the highest-paid player in baseball.
A St. Paul, Minn. native, Sloane moved to Florida with his family when he was 2. After attending South Broward High School, he went to Arizona State University to become a lawyer. He decided against that career path after a serious car accident during his senior year in 1973 when his experience with a personal injury attorney left a bad taste in his mouth.
So he became a sports agent. He was just 22-years-old when he began his career in the pre-free agency era in 1974. Sloane's first clients were San Francisco Giants, including slugger Jack Clark, outfielder Larry Herndon and pitcher John "The Count" Montefusco.
When Sloane began his career, he represented athletes in all sports, but eventually began exclusively representing baseball players. His more than 100 clients during his 36-year career included ex-Brewers outfielder Sixto Lezcano, ex-Royals first baseman Willie Aikens and former Angels pitcher Dave Frost.
"Whenever you're dealing with a contract, it can be stressful. David has a sense of humor that can make it more pleasurable," said Billy Beane, the Oakland A's general manager, who worked with Sloane on Stairs' $1.95 million contract for 1999.