Ned Colletti, Los Angeles Dodgers GM

  Ned Colletti, is the General Manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He previously served as Assistant General Manager for the San Francisco Giants.Colletti began his Major League Career in 1982 with the Chicago Cubs. He worked in both the media relations and baseball operations departments. He was responsible for handling salary arbitration cases and assisting in player acquisitions. He was honored with the Robert O. Fishel Award for Public Relations Excellence in 1990.

 

Jerry Crasnick, ESPN Insider & Baseball America

Jerry Crasnick writes numerous baseball articles for ESPN and Baseball America and is a guest on ESPN podcasts. He began his career working for the Biddeford Journal Tribune in Maine, as well as the Portland Press Herald. In 1988 he served as the beat writer for The Cincinnati Post where he covered the Cincinnati Reds. During his time as beat writer, Jerry covered Pete Rose and his suspension from Major League Baseball. Jerry also covered the Red's 1990 World Series Championship, and five years of Marge Schott's time as owner of the Reds. He has worked for the Denver Post and Bloomberg News, while also writing for The Sporting News, and Baseball America. In addition to his website and newspaper work, Jerry is the Author of the book "License to Deal: A season on the run With a Maverick Baseball Agent." The book's main focus is on the story of Matt Sosnick who left his job as a CEO, to become a baseball agent.

 

Chaim Bloom, Tampa Bay Rays Assistant Director of Minor League Operations.

Chaim Bloom formerly wrote at Baseball Prospectus and graduated from Yale. Bloom has worked closely with the minor league affiliates and rosters during his time in the Rays organization, including dealing with payroll and development. A few in the industry have tabbed him as a future general manager.

Jay Miller, President, Round Rock Express Baseball Club (AAA-Astros).

Jay Miller was selected in 1998 by Nolan Ryan, and Reid Ryan to be the VP and GM of the Round Rock Express. Miller's quick success earned him the Texas League's "Executive of the Year" for the 2000 season - giving him the distinction of earning the "Executive of the Year" honor at three levels in minor league baseball: Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A. In 2001, Jay was awarded the Sporting News "Minor League Executive of the Year." In 2005, Baseball America named Jay the Minor League Executive of the Year at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Dallas. Prior to Round Rock, Miller was GM of the Houston Astros' Triple-A affiliate, the New Orleans Zephyrs. While with the Zephyrs, he oversaw the construction of a new $23 million stadium. The 2009 season marked Jay's 28th season in professional baseball. Jay is a past Asst. GM for the Eugene (Oregon) Emeralds, former GM of Salem, Virginia before being offered a position with the Texas Rangers Baseball Club. Jay spent 12 years with the Rangers working in many capacities, including running the club's Florida operations in Port Charlotte. He was the Rangers' Director of Customer Relations prior to joining the New Orleans Zephyrs.

Bruce Baldwin, General Manager, Gwinnett Braves (AAA-Braves)

Having spent the last 33 years in sports and entertainment businesses, Bruce Baldwin has held a variety of positions ranging from professional baseball umpire, and from Sports Information Director and head coach to teacher. The Washington native currently wears two hats within the Atlanta Braves Organization as both the General Manager of the Gwinnett Braves and as the Director of Minor League Business Operation for the entire Atlanta farm system.Baldwin's tenure with the Atlanta Braves began 25 years ago in Pulaski, Virginia, and has seen stops in Savannah, Georgia, and Greenville, South Carolina. He spent his last 22 years in Richmond as their General Manager.
Baldwin has received numerous accolades during his career, including Southern League Executive of the Year (1984), International League Executive of the Year (1989), The Sporting News' Baseball Executive of the Year (1984), the Bob Freitas Award (1993), and the John H. Johnson President's Trophy (1997). A two-time recipient of The MacPhail Award, Baldwin is widely recognized for his successes in baseball.

Benjamin Hill, Baseball Writer, MiLB.com

Benjamin Hill started writing for MiLB.com in 2005, and quickly became enamored with the quirky, anything-goes world of Minor League Baseball operations. His weekly "Promotion Preview" column -- a humorous look at Minor League promos and giveaways -- has been a popular fixture on the site since 2006.

Jeff Idelson, President, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Jeff has spent 23 years in baseball, is president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Cooperstown, N.Y. Jeff oversees the daily operation of the non-profit, educational institution, whose mission is to preserve history, honor excellence and connect generations. The organization first opened in 1939 and today employs nearly 100 full-time staff members, welcoming an average of 350,000 visitors annually. Prior to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Idelson was assistant vice president and senior press officer for World Cup USA 1994, the organizing committee charged with staging the 1994 Soccer World Cup in the United States. He served as director of media relations and publicity for the New York Yankees from 1989-93, after being hired as the club's assistant director of media relations. With the Yankees, Idelson traveled on every road trip, overseeing all aspects of media relations. He interfaced among the players, front office and ownership with the media, acting as team spokesman.

Idelson began his professional career as an intern in the public relations department of the Boston Red Sox in 1986, continuing work in the team's public relations department in 1987-88.

Mark Galuska, Director of Marketing & Sales, Columbus Clippers (AAA-Indians)

Mark began his professional baseball career with the Columbus Clippers in 1993.  He has served various roles with the Clippers for all but one of the years since then.  After leaving professional baseball in 2002 to pursue outside interests, Mark returned to the Clippers in 2003 in his current capacity as Director of Marketing.Mark's responsibilities include securing corporate partnerships, purchasing media, developing the team's promotional schedule, and overseeing the Promotions and Video Departments.  Mark has done a number of speaking engagements, but his favorite is still the annual ritual of reading "Casey At The Bat" at local middle schools.

Oscar Suarez, MLB Agent, Suarez & Associates

With over 30 clients including Joakim Soria, Elmer Dessens, Juan Castro, Alberto Castillo, Armando Reynoso (retired),Tim Johnson, (former MLB Manager), Howie Clark, John Bannister, Jailen Peguero, Arturo Lopez, Edwin Moreno, and more.

Will Carroll, Senior Writer for Baseball Prospectus

Carroll is a Senior Writer for Baseball Prospectus.com for whom he writes the "Under the Knife" column during the baseball season, makes frequent contributions to the BaseballProspectus.com/Unfiltered blog, and publishes a set of "Team Health Reports" during the pre-season. He also leads Baseball Prospectus's audio and video media initiatives, in particular "BP Radio". In 2006, he was the injury expert for the short-lived The Fantasy Show on ESPN. In 2007 and 2008, Carroll has worked as the NFL injury expert for SI.com , for whom he writes the weekly "Will Carroll's Injury Report". He serves as well as a Senior Writer for Football Outsiders for whom he focuses on football injuries.

Bobby Brett, Brett Sports & Entertainment & Spokane Indians Managing Partner

Bobby enjoyed a brief minor league baseball career and at one time was his brother George Brett's agent. In 1985, Bobby, together with a group of individuals comprised of family and close friends, purchased the Spokane Indians. He moved his family permanently to Spokane and became the managing partner for the team. Since then, his philosophy of promoting from within has been made simple with the purchase of the Spokane Chiefs Hockey Club, the development of Brett Sports and Entertainment and the Bellingham Bells. The other teams Bobby is associated with are the High Desert Mavericks of the California League, and the Tri City Dust Devils of the Northwest League. Bobby is also involved with the Brett Brothers Bat Company.

John Manuel, Baseball America Editor in Chief

John has worked at Baseball America since September 1996, having covered college baseball, the draft, the minor leagues and international baseball, among other subjects. Manuel became co-editor in chief in March 2005. He also has extensive broadcast experience, having served as a college baseball, minor league and draft analyst for ESPN, as well as providing analysis for the Triple-A Durham Bulls and USA Baseball teams. He's a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ryan Latham, Boston Red Sox Fenway Ambassador

Ryan began his career in baseball as an intern with the North Shore Spirit in 2007 and shortly after was hired by the Boston Red Sox to work in their Fan Services & Entertainment department as a Fenway Ambassador. As a graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology with a degree in Management and an SMWW alumnus, he is going into his fourth season with the club where he is involved with various aspects of the business revolving around the team’s fans and community. Currently, Ryan coordinates the “peanut-allergy friendly” initiatives for the team, and is an active member of the Lindos Sueños community outreach program in the Dominican Republic where he serves as both a coach and mentor for high school aged baseball players. In addition to his work with the Red Sox, Ryan is the President & Founder of a non-profit effort called Business & Baseball which aims to teach urban youth the fundamentals of business through the model of how organizations in baseball operate on a day-to-day basis.

Dana Sinclair, Human Performance International

Dana Sinclair is a registered psychologist and currently a consultant for several professional sport franchises. Her sport client list includes such organizations as the Indianapolis Colts, Portland Trail Blazers, the Anaheim Ducks, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and LA Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and many more. In addition, she works with a number of individuals from professional teams and the Olympics. She attended the Olympic Games in Nagano, Sydney and Salt Lake City in her capacity as the psychologist for a number of Canadian Olympic teams.

Tom Whaley, St. Paul Professional Baseball VP of Business Development

Tom Whaley, a St. Louis, MO native is a recovering attorney whose baseball career began accidentally in 1992 when he sold an outfield wall billboard, program ad and four season tickets to the general manager of a moving company as they stood on the courthouse steps following a hearing. From 1993-98, he served as the Saints’ Director of Operations and Assistant General Manager. Tom spent two seasons as Director of Corporate Sales for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before joining the Goldklang Group in January 2001. He was principally involved in the start-up of the Can-Am League’s Brocton Rox and the construction of a new baseball stadium and conference in the Boston suburb in 2002. A year later, he was on hand when the Rox won the league championship.In August 2002, he returned to the Saints, assuming his current position as Executive Vice-President responsible for business development.

Maury Brown, Founder of the Biz of Baseball

Maury is the former co-chair of SABR's Business of Baseball committee. He is a contributor to Baseball Prospectus, was formerly on the staff of The Hardball Times, and writes occasionally at Maury Brown's Biz of Sports. Maury has been sourced for analysis and commentary in the NY Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, Washington Times, CNN/Money, MarketWatch, Crain's Business NY, Crain's Detroit Business, Crain's Business Chicago, The Deal, the Rocky Mountain News, Fox News, New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated.com, the NY Sun, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Tampa Tribune, Toronto Globe and Mail, Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Sports Review, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, St. Petersburg Times, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, San Jose Mercury News, the Oregonian, the Portland Business Journal, Sports Fantasy Monthly magazine, and USA Today Sports Weekly. TV appearances inlcude ESPN2's First Take, CNBC's On The Money, Canada's Business News Network and the CBS Evening News and he is regularly on XM Radio's Home Plate, XM 175 and Sports Business Radio. Maury's book contributions include the 2007 Baseball Prospectus, the 2007 Football Prospectus, as well as an essay on the Collusion Rulings of the late ’80s and early ’90s within Rob Neyer’s Big Book of Baseball Blunders : A Complete Guide to the Worst Decisions and Stupidest Moments in Baseball History.

Ted Curtis, Lynn University Sports Management Professor

Prior to joining Lynn University, Curtis served for six years as a member of the in-house legal team for the University of South Florida, representing the NCAA Division I institution on legal issues in intercollegiate athletics, technology law and intellectual property. He also previously served as general counsel for the Florida Bobcats of the Arena Football League and as general counsel for a Florida-based sports management firm. As an award-winning journalist, Curtis has been covering sports, business, law and politics –and the convergence of all of these disciplines – since he began his career covering college football for a Boston-area newspaper in 1989. He has published hundreds of articles in a diverse range of publications, including Sports Illustrated, the United States Golf Association's Golf Journal, the American Bar Association’s ABA Journal, Referee and Golf for Women.

Tyrone Brooks, Cleveland Indians Scout

Tyrone is a baseball professional with experience as a Pro and Amateur Scout with notable front office experience working in major league administration, scouting and player development. Prior to joining the Cleveland Indians after the 2006 season, he was a valued staff member for the Atlanta Braves, contributing to the organization winning 10 Division titles in 11 seasons (including 2 World Series appearances-1996 and 1999, during the Braves' unprecedented 14 year run of division titles).

Kirk Goodman, Quad River Bandits VP & GM

Goodman was hired by Main Street Baseball, the group that purchased the River Bandits in November of 2007, to oversee their baseball operations. He spent the previous three seasons as the General Manager of the Double-A Jacksonville Suns.

Originally a member of the Suns franchise in 1998, Goodman was promoted to Assistant General Manager of the team in 2000 before leaving to join the Portland (OR) Beavers. While in the Northwest, he played an instrumental role in the completion of a $38 Million stadium renovation and the return of Triple-A Baseball and professional soccer to Portland. Goodman returned to Jacksonville in 2002, again as Assistant General Manager, in time for the opening of the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville in 2003. He was promoted to General Manager of the Suns in 2005 and remained in that position until joining Main Street Baseball. During the early part of his career, he gained experience with the Boise Hawks, Los Angeles Dodgers and Batavia Clippers prior to his 1997 graduation from Ithaca College.

Chris Mundhenk, Great Lake Loons VP of Marketing & Entertainment

Entering his 11th season in the sports and entertainment industry, Chris Mundhenk has held a number of positions in minor league baseball and hockey. He is currently Vice President - Marketing & Entertainment for the Great Lakes Loons (A-Dodgers), and oversees all facets of marketing, communications, & entertainment for the Loons, Dow Diamond, ESPN 100.9FM and the Michigan Baseball Foundation.
Chris spent three seasons in Altoona, PA, and served as the Director of Promotions and New Business Development for the Altoona Curve (AA-Pirates) and State College Spikes (A Short Season-Pirates). Chris also worked for Brett Sports & Entertainment as the Director of Ticket Sales and Assistant GM for the High Desert Mavericks (A-Mainers) and the Director of Promotions for the Spokane Chiefs Hockey Club.
Accolades and accomplishments include the McPhail Award (2004), the John H. Johnson President's Trophy (2006), host of the Eastern League All-Star Game (2006), host of the Midwest League All-Star Game (2008), and inaugural seasons with the State College Spikes (2006) and Great Lakes Loons (2007).

Bob Masewicz, Total Sports Entertainment Owner

Bob Masewicz is the owner of Total Sports Entertainment. Bob consults with teams across the globe, helping them synergize their sponsor sales, ticket sales, entertainment and promotions. After years of watching game operations directors struggle with a variety of systems to coordinate game day activities, Bob and his TSE crew designed a revolutionary software that is now being used by the top teams in the world. Bob and his company continue to focus on providing comprehensive sports services as they relate to entertainment while introducing TSE Game Time as the solution to event planning and game management.

Joe Bonahoom, SMWW Baseball Director

Joe is an attorney and serves as the SMWW Director of Baseball. Joe has been practicing law since 1986 when he graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a B.S. in Business Administration and a J.D. Degree in Law. He is an active member of the Sports Lawyer's Association. Joe has counseled with and negotiated for clients in all facets of business set up, planning and operations, contractual matters and negotiations, financial transactions, tax, investment and retirement planning. Joe's law practice led him to the representation of several professional athletes for legal, business, contractual and financial matters and ultimately into the athlete agent business.

 

Tom Leip, SMWW Faculty & Total Sports Entertainment Director

Tom Leip has over 25 years of real life experience as a successful sports consultant with a variety of sports venues and successful university sports programs. Tom's professional baseball, soccer and hockey executive career spans Kansas City, Nashville, Eugene, Spokane, Twin Cities and Portland. In addition, he spent four years as the Asst. Athletic Director of a Division 1 University and Tom was the first Executive Director of the Northern Baseball League.

Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, SMWW President