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Beverly Hills Sports Council is a sports agency based in Los Angeles that represents baseball players.
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History
The company was founded by Beverly Hills life insurance agent Dennis Gilbert and former minor league player Rick Thurman in 1984. Early clients included George Brett, Jose Canseco, Danny Tartabull, Bret Saberhagen and Rickey Henderson. Gilbert remained at the company until his retirement as a sports agent in 1998 and he later joined the Chicago White Sox as special assistant to Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. BHSC continued to be run by partners Thurman, Jeff Borris, Dan Horwits and Dan Lozano.
In 1989, Beverly Hills Sports Council negotiated Bret Saberhagen's three-year, $8.9 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid player in baseball. Three more times in a 30-month span, a player represented by the company became the highest-paid player in baseball based on average annual salary: Jose Canseco with the Oakland A's in 1990, averaging $4.7 million a year, Bobby Bonilla with the New York Mets in 1991, averaging $5.8 million year, and Barry Bonds with the San Francisco Giants in 1992, averaging $7.3 million a year. In 1991, BHSC client Mike Piazza signed a 7-year, $91 million contract with the New York Mets, making him the highest-paid player in baseball at the time. In 2004, BHSC client Albert Pujols signed the biggest deal in St. Louis Cardinals history with a 7-year, $100 million contract, and with only three years in the big leagues, made him the fastest player to receive a $100 million contract.
In May 2010 agent Dan Lozano left Beverly Hills Sports Council, where he had been since 1989, and announced he would continue representing several players including Albert Pujols and Jimmy Rollins in a new agency.
In February 2011, Beverly Hills Sports Council defeated the Houston Astros in baseball salary arbitration when Hunter Pence won his hearing. It was the Astros' first loss in arbitration since 1996. It improved Beverly Hills Sports Council's arbitration record to 4-4 over the past decade, believed to be the best of any agency during that period.
In July 2013, Forbes.com listed the "World's Most Valuable MLB Agencies" based on dollar amount of contracts under management and BHSC was 10th on the list with $136.8 million.
In April 2014, BHSC negotiated Jason Kipnis' 6-year $52.5 million contract extension with the Cleveland Indians after having discussions previous offseasons. On August 4, 2014, BHSC added 2-time All-Star Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals to its list of clients.
It was reported in March 2015 that BHSC and agent Rick Thurman had rekindled talks of a long-term contract extension with the Pittsburgh Pirates for outfielder Gregory Polanco, after talks from the previous May were tabled that would have made the player the highest-paid player with no Major League service time. These extension talks were again put on hold in April 2015 with the two sides agreeing to revisit after the 2015 season. Chris Tillman and his agent Dan Horwits also discussed a long-term extension with the Baltimore Orioles during spring training in March 15 but talks ended with an Opening Day deadline.
Horwits also was in talks with the New York Mets regarding an extension for slugger Lucas Duda during the same time in spring training but a similar Opening Day deadline passed without any deal being finalized.
In August 2015, BHSC added 2014 All-Star Henderson Alvarez of the Miami Marlins to its growing Latin division, to be represented by Rafa Nieves. On September 7, 2015, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported that Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval had joined Beverly Hills Sports Council.
In 2016, Pablo Sandoval changed his representation to build his new relationship with Beverly Hills Sports Council.
Bonilla deferred payments
In January 2000 Bobby Bonilla's agent Dan Horwits negotiated his release from the New York Mets with general manager Steve Phillips, which involved undisclosed deferred payments to give the team flexibility to sign additional players. Later these payments were reported to be $1.19 million to be paid every year from 2011 to 2035 with Beverly Hills Sports Council and the Mets agreeing to an interest rate of 8 percent. The idea for the deferred payment was conceived earlier when BHSC partner Dennis Gilbert negotiated a similar deal with former Mets general manager Al Harazin for Bret Saberhagen in which the team would pay annual deferred payments of $250,000 for 25 years starting in 2004. In 2013 Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com revealed that there was an earlier arrangement with Bonilla from his first, record-setting 5-year, $29 million contract in 1991, in which BHSC and the Mets agreed on a 25-year payment plan for $500,000 a year that started in 2004 and goes through 2028.