Book Report

Does your knowledge of sports agents start with "show me the money" and end with Arli$$? Is so, then Jerry Crasnick, a writer for ESPN.com has written a book that will bring you a view of a side of baseball that you have never seen. License to Deal is the story of Matt Sosnick, a relatively small time baseball agent who co-owns a sports agency with few major league players and several minor leaguers. Dontrelle Willis is the star of the stable and how Matt became one of his closest friends is one of the best stories in the book. Crasnick does a fine job in detailing the struggles of starting an agency business from nothing and dealing with clients leaving and being stolen by the big boys. He drifts a bit when he tries to tell the story of Scott Boras and some of the other major agents, but when his focus is on Sosnick and his clients, which is most of the time, the book is informative and entertaining. I highly recommend it. It's a good summertime read.